Page 72 - English Class 9

So, we arrived at a very isolated and
traditional Tibetan Buddhist monastery
near Tagong in North Eastern Sichuan. I
thought, "let's just look at the site where
it happens".

We'd been told that foreigners were not
allowed to experience the secret ritual
anyway.

Our driver directed us up to the top of the mountain where the burials take
place. It was surrounded by a sea of Tibetan prayer flags and you could
just make out a kind of stone slab.

So we hiked up there. Upon arriving, we could hear Tibetan nuns chanting.
"How lovely?" I thought.

Then I turned and saw about 100 vultures sitting on the hill, waiting and
then, what looked like a body bag on the stone slab.

I actually couldn't believe it. “Have we stumbled into the start of a sky
burial?” Through a translation app I asked one of the Tibetans next to me
what was happening.

"Flesh eating birds," he replied.

"Oh, can we stay?" I asked.

"Yes, but on the side and no photos," he
replied.

"This is amazing," I thought, but then I saw my kids. My wife and I had to
make quick decisions.

We gave our six-year-old son the iPad to play computer games. He was
thrilled, and we had never before been so happy to give it to him. He was
too young to see this.

As for my 11-year-old son and my 13-year-old daughter, my wife Catherine
quickly sat them down and told them what was about to happen and said
it was their choice to stay or go.

We gave it to them straight, but told them the cultural and religious context.

To their credit they stayed. I was nervous. The first time I'd seen a dead
66 English 9