The impacts on tikanga of the Hindu practice of scattering human ashes into waterways compared with the practice of disposing of blood via the wastewater system as part of the arterial embalming process

Bibliographic Data

ID15043966
AuthorsByron Rangiwai (0000-0002-9174-0009, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume15
Issue1
Publication date2020-02-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTe Kaharoa (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1178-6035 • E-ISSN: 1178-6035
PublisherAuckland University of Technology (AUT) Library (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.24135/tekaharoa.v15i1.288
OpenAlexW3015415480
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited5

This paper will summarise Māori religion, tapu, and traditional Māori death practices. This paper will provide a basic outline of some general aspects of Hinduism and Hindu death rituals. This paper will discuss the impacts on tikanga of the Hindu practice of scattering human ashes into waterways and compare this with the disposal of blood into the sewerage system as part of the arterial embalming process—a practice that many, if not, most, Māori engage in wittingly or otherwise. While the two practices are different—the former being directly connected to Hindu theology concerning samsara (the cycle of life and rebirth), karma (spiritual cause and effect), and moksha (liberation of the soul from the cycle of rebirth), and the latter being a result of a mortuary sanitation procedure used to preserve the body—both practices impact negatively on tikanga. This paper will also discuss some potential remedies for both issues

Archaeology · Environmental ethics · Hinduism · Karma · Sanitation · Sewerage · Sociology · Soul · Theology · Waste management · Engineering · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · History · Organ Donation and Transplantation · Philosophy · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Religious studies · Environmental Engineering

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Open DOIOpen Access