Mun’s funeral pyre was made with fragrant sandalwood that ardent
devotees had specially ordered from across the Mekong River in
Laos. Having acquired a sufficient amount, they mixed it with
incense, using this as a pyre to cremate the body. The results were
just as satisfactory as those obtained by using plain firewood or
charcoal. From the moment the pyre was lit until the cremation
of his body had been completed and his remains had been safely
collected, the whole affair was supervised by officials from the
monastic and lay communities.
At nine o’clock the following morning the bone remains
were carefully collected from the ash.^15 Bone relics were distrib-
uted to monks representing the various provinces in attendance
with the understanding that these relics would be placed in suit-
able public shrines in their respective locales. Fragments of bone
were also handed out to members of the general public, but due to
the size of the crowd, there were not nearly enough to go around.
As far as I can recall, representatives from over twenty provinces
took bone relics back with them that day.
When the collection and distribution of the bone relics were
finally completed, something indescribably moving happened that
made a profound impression on me. As soon as the officials in
charge of collecting the bones had finished their work and left,
a scene of total confusion ensued as men and women of all ages
rushed in to collect bits and pieces of ash and charcoal to keep
as objects of worship. Everybody scrambled to get a bit of this
or a piece of that, combing the ground around the funeral pyre
for any small momento they could find. In the end, the whole
area was spotless – as if it had been scrubbed clean. Walking
away, each person seemed to be floating on air, smiling, over-
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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