Lzh Dg Bi Pm Sk 71Not Burn Corpse Towards Stupa
Pāli / Sanskrit:Not burn corpse towards stupa
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Explanation of the Sutra: Not Cremating a Body Facing a Stupa
Context
This sutra is found in the Vinaya Piṭaka, the body of disciplinary teachings of Theravāda Buddhism, where the rules that bhikkhus and bhikkhunīs must follow are recorded. The Vinaya Piṭaka is not a set of arbitrary prohibitions, but guidance that helps monks and nuns practice in stability, protect moral virtue, and maintain harmony in the Sangha body.
This event occurred during the Buddha's time, when monks, nuns, and faithful donors offered food, robes, lodging, and medicine (the four basic requisites). The issue of funerary matters and how to bury the bodies of monastics who had passed away became a situation requiring the Buddha's clear instruction, so as to avoid actions inconsistent with the Dharma.
Main Content
The specific content of this sutra has not yet been fully translated in the available materials; however, according to the Vinaya Piṭaka context, this rule concerns the handling of the bodies (sarīra) of monks and nuns after they enter nirvāṇa (parinirvana).
According to the Theravāda tradition, the Buddha and his senior disciples are treated with special respect. This includes the manner of burial, the building of Bodhi stupas (stupa/chedi) to preserve ashes, and appropriate rites of offering. This sutra specifically emphasizes that one should not cremate the body of a monastic facing toward a stupa or sacred structure.
This injunction protects two important principles: first, respect for religious structures (stupas, reliquary stupas); second, protection of the sacredness of places regarded as objects of faith and offering by the community. If a body is cremated facing a stupa, ashes or smoke from the fire may drift toward the stupa and defile that sacred space.
Practical Meaning
This sutra teaches that reverence is not only for the living, but also for Dharma teachers who have passed away. Burying or handling a body in an ethical manner reflects the value of Dharma practice and character.
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