A resonant law passed in the state of Washington is being discussed in the United States. There they were allowed to turn the bodies of the deceased into fertilizer for the soil. It will take only a month, after which the family is given soil in which they can grow flowers or, for example, vegetables. Such bio-burials are now gaining popularity all over the world. How do Belgium and Japan view the prospect of starting a new life after death?
They are ready to bury the dead here to give them life. While the site in the small town of Chaumont-Jistu (also called the Forest Garden) is just a huge clearing. But soon it will turn into an ecological cemetery. There will be fertile land here. Compost is a fertilizer obtained after the decomposition of organic waste as a result of a special burial method.
Francis Busigny, President of the Metamorphoses Foundation: “After the body has been buried in accordance with the customary tradition, it is placed in compost from fine wood chips. After a few months, "body hydration" leads to the saturation of the soil."
Francis is one of the creators of the project, he prefers not to call it a graveyard. There will be no gloomy slabs, crypts, fences; instead of monuments, plants will appear on the graves. So, scientists believe, the deceased will find a new life, and it will become easier for relatives to experience the loss of a loved one. Francis and the team called this principle "body hydration." Groundwater is not polluted by toxic substances, toxic waste is not released into the atmosphere, as happens during cremation. The deceased will be placed in a biodegradable coffin, and after a year the remains will turn into fertile humus. Relatives can take the rich soil (or the plant itself) and, for example, create a memorial garden on their plot or under the windows of the house.
Belgian ecologists proposed to revive the dead. Traditional cemeteries not only harm the environment, the small European country began to feel a shortage of free land. True, the new project still has many superstitious opponents who are convinced that this is disrespect for the human body.
The futuristic Ruriden cemetery in Japan has also not yet attracted unequivocal approval in the society, nevertheless, a whole line of people wishing to stay here forever after death has lined up. An unusual method of burial was invented by the abbot of an ancient temple on the outskirts of Tokyo.
Temple of the 17th century. Previously, people were buried on its territory, but 10 years ago, the traditional method of burial was abandoned, including to save land, and a columbarium was built. Several thousand statues of the glass Buddha were brought there and human ashes were placed. Each relative is given a special card with the desired name, which is applied to the device. Even if someone has forgotten the card, it is enough to type the name, after a few seconds the required cell with ashes will light up. This is how people communicate with those they have lost.
All statues are highlighted in blue, shades of lapis lazuli. This stone is revered in Buddhism as a symbol of spiritual freedom, life without fuss. 2046 figurines with ashes. Another 600 are booked. It also saves money, because such a funeral will cost 3 times cheaper than traditional ones, and after 33 years the ashes will be placed under the stone Buddha, which also stands inside Ruriden, after which free cells will appear again.
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Yajima is the abbot's assistant, he monitors the state of the columbarium. Not only Japanese are buried here, there are also citizens of China and Korea. Each time he communicates for a long time with the relatives of the deceased or those who book a place here for themselves. This should be a deliberate step, says the minister of the temple.
Yajima, temple minister: “In general, we did not think about saving land, but it turned out that this method of burial really allows us to save free territories. In general, we initially saw the meaning in the darkness, which is inside the room. So the blue color of lapis lazuli turns out to be conveyed more clearly, soulfully, for us it is very important.
In recent years, dozens of different methods of burial have been invented in different countries. Somewhere they were pursuing an obvious goal - saving land. As, for example, in Brazilian Santos, where the highest cemetery in the world is located. The skyscraper necropolis is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
And somewhere they thought about the psychological aspect. We need to help people get through grief more easily. For example, in Switzerland they learned how to make jewelry from human dust. The jewelery factory is taking orders continuously.
One of the columbariums is located at the bottom of the sea. In American Florida, it was decided to mix the ashes of the dead with cement and make artificial reefs. The mythical Atlantis at 12 meters depth. True, relatives need to put on scuba gear before going to the cemetery.
Washington, too, will soon start making fertilizers from human remains, like in Belgium. The bill was approved by the authorities of this state. And next year, another country will have parks that extend life.
