) bonethe art of

Nicholas Breeze Wood Introduces the use of Human Bone in Tibetan Ritual

There have been many cultures Tibetan tantric Buddhist practice sometimes a monkey skull, but very that have used human bones in uses a wide range of human body often made from a human skull. some form of ritual way. Close to parts (either actual parts or In the West it used to be home, the ancient Celts placed symbolic representations of them) fashionable to have a human skull human heads and skulls into in its rituals and ritual equipment - memento mori to serve as a special carved niches, and even especially those practices reminder of life's impermanence, today Catholics preserve the bones connected to the wrathful protector and although this is not the main of saints. But perhaps no culture beings of . symbolic reason for using a skull has developed If you read the book ‘Oracles bowl in Tibetan practice; it also the practice and Demons of ’ by Rene De serves as that - as there can be with such Nebesky-Wojkowitz, you will - to perhaps no greater symbol of our artistry as quote one Tibetologist - be own mortality. the introduced to ‘spooky Buddhism’ Tibetans. rather than ‘Californian Buddhism.’ For use as a kapala, a skull has And you will probably find the list of to be carefully sourced. They are ingredients used in wrathful often described as ‘jewel bowls’ practice and traditional Tibetan (Tib: rin chen thod pa) or ‘wish protective magic a little on fulfilling gems’ (Tib: yid bzhin norbu), the unsavoury side; including but only if found with the right as it does such things characteristics and in the right as clarified corpse circumstances. fat, the menstrual Although the skull that is used blood of widows, can be of either sex, it is considered hearts of children important to know whether it is male born out of an or female, and there are traditional incestuous unions, tests to identify the sex which and flayed skin altar include listening to the quality of the cloths. sound made when the finder However, leaving the urinates into the skull - a technique more squidgy bits of no doubt lacking in modern forensic people aside, the main departments. human remains used in If the head is still on the are bones, which are used to corpse, Tibetan lore says that fashion a variety of ritual where it was found is important, as objects. is the direction it faced. If found upon a mountain, for instance, the SKULL OFFERING BOWLS new owner of the kapala will The word kapala (Tib: obtain dominance over others; if thod-pa) denotes a skull bowl or found close to a village, the owner cup, sometimes made from metal, will gain followers; if found in the

Top: Tibetan tsam mask worn during ritual dances Inset: carved human bone decorations from tsam dancer’s ornaments Left: human skull kapala offering bowl

S ISSUE 79 2013 22 www.sacredhoop.orgH respect, and upon no Malas can be made from many Left: beautifully circumstances should things, some are silver or gold, carved human they be left empty, or others lotus seeds, or stones like skull kapala lying upside down, as turquoise or agate, but especially Below: very fine the beneficial qualities prized are ones of human bone. human skull of the skull will The beads in these are in the drum diminish. form of flat discs, and they are cut Bottom of Page: Kapalas are used as from either 108 skulls - one bead Human bone aids in visualisation being taken from the third eye of prayer beads practice. The contents each skull - or from100 skulls, or visualised may include elixir or just 8 skulls where a lot of the nectar - to bring about spiritual cranium will be cut to produce the realisation and longevity - from 108 beads used on a mala. It is which the practitioner ‘drinks,’ or said a virgin girl should string the springtime, they will be cured of offerings of body parts, such as beads for a practitioner to use. illness; if found in the summer, one’s sense organs, a mix of blood Sometimes malas are they will gain great riches. A head and semen, or even one’s whole made from finger bones already detached from the body is body (in which case the kapala is (Tib: tsigs gu’i said to give great luck and visualised as a kind of cooking pot - ‘phreng ba), in freedom from enemies. ego stew anyone?) which case only The finder is also encouraged to They are also sometimes used ten corpses are be fully aware when they find a as bowls for actual food during required. skull. Do they feel an overwhelming special ritual meals called tsog, Human sense of compassion and love? Do where food is shared and also bone malas they feel heavy or anxious? Do their offered to the Buddhas, the (and bone ‘life burdens’ feel reduced by finding protectors and the local land spirits. malas in it? Also the colour and texture of general) are the bone are important, as are the DRUMS MADE FROM SKULLS traditionally shape of the sections of the skull, In Tibet, a special, small, hour-glass used for and the overall shape as a whole. shaped drum is used for many wrathful If the skull passes all of these ceremonies. Called a damaru in practice, tests and is deemed to be sanskrit (Tib: rnga), these are often although favourable, it may be used as a made of wood, but special ones are nowadays kapala. It will be cleaned of any made of the tops of two skulls. animal bone remaining flesh, bathed in saffron These skull damaru (thod rnga) malas are used water and polished (some are ideally made from the skull of a for many practices traditions advise using clarified 16 year old boy and a 16 year old including peaceful ones. corpse fat as an ideal polish). girl, and the use of skulls from both It may be used whole, or more sexes symbolises the male and THIGHBONE TRUMPETS often the top of the cranium will be female aspects important in tantra. The use of human removed and turned upside down They are sometimes skinned with thighbones for the making to form a bowl. This bowl may human skin, but more often than of trumpets is covered in a have a triangular stand made for it not the skin is from a goat. separate article in this and a metal cover fashioned - a Damaru, whether made from issue of Sacred Hoop, but it little like a lid. The skull may be wood or skulls, are played in the might be good to add a few extra lined with silver inside, and right (male) hand, and represent points here. sometimes may be beautifully form and compassion (the female Kanglings (Tib: rkang gling) are carved on the outside. left hand representing emptiness, often made from the left leg of a 16 A kapala should be consecrated and wisdom). They are hung with a year old girl, although some Chöd on an astrologically auspicious day, silk tail, often in the colours of the traditions suggest a bone taken from washed in fragrant smoke (smudge five elements, which are also the someone who has died from a smoke - which the Tibetans call four directions and centre. contagious disease - such as leprosy - sang), while specific are is useful if chöd is practiced to bring recited. The Kapala is then filled with HUMAN BONE PRAYER BEADS healing; or from a woman who has small images of deities of wealth or Tibetan Buddhists and also died in childbirth if the chöd is of protection, then pieces of gold, Mongolian shamans use prayer performed for curing infertility and silver, precious stones, medical beads. Known in Sanskrit as a protection against infant death. For ingredients are placed inside, such mala (Tib: tenga), they are used control of the weather a thighbone as camphor, nutmeg, sandalwood for counting mantras and as a from someone who has been killed in and musk, wheat, fruits, flowers, means of divination a fight where there were no survivors pieces of tiger or leopard skin, and [see Sacred Hoop is best. This last form of kangling is silk, as well as . It is Issue called an ‘enemy flute’ (Tib: dgra gling) then wrapped in cloth. It is 56] and they are supposed to be so filled important to handle with angry hate they are ideal for kapalas with controlling thunder and hail. The skin great care covering at the joint end of a kangling and should be human skin, but generally is made from goat.

S ISSUE 79 2013 www.sacredhoop.orgH when you wear a set of dancer’s bone ornaments you understand the weight you carry around in your body without realising it

Tiger bones are your body without realising it, as a In the light of this, animal bones considered good for use as whole set has a surprising weight. are more and more being used trumpets (stak kling) for These are always carved and instead of human bones. Also in wrathful practice, and are decorated with great care, bone the past Buddhist practitioners Above: detail also sometimes used in Nepali plaques have images of Buddhist who required a specific bone might of an old carved shamanism, as are human arm beings and small beads may be well be able to obtain it from the human bone bones, which should be stolen carved like flowers. Silk brocade family of the deceased, who would dancer’s breast from a grave at night. Tiger bones (or tiger skin) is used as a backing consider it an honour that it was to ornament are no longer taken, but old ones for the apron and a whole set is be used for the benefit of other are still used. stunning. Such items are very rare, sentient beings. Right: Tibetan although I have been lucky enough monastic dancer BONE DANCER’S ORNAMENTS to have owned two sets in my life. IN FEAR OF THE DEAD wearing rich Perhaps the most beautifully Tibet is a wild landscape, and brocade robes fashioned form of human bones OBTAINING AND WORKING BONE despite all the use of human bones and bone used in are Bone, if it is to be carved, is best in ritual ways, its traditional culture ornament set those worn in ritual dances. worked with when it is fresh, as it is filled with many stories of spirits, In these, human bones are soon ages, dries and gets more sorcery and the perils of dealing expertly carved and made into a brittle. In ancient Tibet and the with the dead. series of plaques and beads which surrounding countries, bones were are strung together to form a set of once fairly easy to get due to the One of the main ways of Below: carved ornaments (Tib: rus rgyan). These practice of - where corpses dealing with restless spirits is the bone dancer’s sets are comprised of an apron, are cut up and fed to vultures and performing of the chöd ritual. apron with necklace, wrist and ankle bands wild animals on desolate hillsides. Writing in 1981, Andrea Loseries- fabric pattened and a hat. They are said to be the Nowadays this practice still occurs, Leick describes a performance of with the face of armour of the and wrathful but less so, and laws governing the chöd done for a suicide. a wrathful being beings, and are often worn by sale of human bones have tightened ‘I woke up and looked out of beneath it performers taking on these roles in up - it is now prohibited to export the window, and was confronted Right: Mongolian ritual dances. For a full set the human bone artifacts from Nepal. with a shocking sight; a naked tsam dancer’s corpses of five people are costume showing required, and when you wear the bone them you understand the weight ornaments of bone you carry around in

S ISSUE 79 2013 24 www.sacredhoop.orgH man hanging from the branch of a tongue, which the practitioner grabs tree in front of the monastery. His hold of - failure to do so will result clothes and an empty bottle of in the practitioners destruction at brandy were lying nearby. the hands of the ro langs. Following the discovery of the Demonic ro langs are said to be body, the monastery appointed an animated by passing harmful spirits old and experienced as the who chance upon a corpse they head of the ceremony, and the can use, which they re-animate. preparation for the ritual started Here is a story recorded from a immediately. Only five specific Tibetan man concerning his specially qualified , including encounter with such a ro langs. the old master, worked to perform When I was a young boy and my it, other monks and spectators grandfather was still alive, he used being ordered to retreat as far as to carve mantras onto stones as did come across them. Also be aware Above: Tibetan possible so as not to disturb the many of our neighbours. A man in of fakes, eBay is awash with skull sky burial. The ceremony. Nobody yet had the neighbourhood had just died, damaru, many of which are photograph was approached the corpse. and the dead man was lying near monkey skulls sold as human skulls taken with direct The old master started the where we cut the stones. When we to unknowledgeable buyers. Some permission from ceremony by blowing hard into his began to cut, I saw the corpse kapalas are now being made out of the dead person’s kangling to summon the spirit of the move. I wondered how it could move resin and these can look very real family, who were dead man. The neighing sound of and stared at it. Then someone told unless you are used to holding real at the ceremony his kangling, the rhythm of the me to get a stone to carve, but I skulls. There is nothing wrong with Below: old, well drums and the shrill ringing of the said: “The corpse is moving,” but the using a resin skull as a visualisation polished skull bells played by the lamas echoed others said that there must be aid - but if you are paying a high kapala lined over the hills. Then a melodious something wrong with my eyes. But price for a bit of plastic - thinking it with silver and song was sung repeatedly for I saw that it was trying to rise and I is real, you are probably going to set with silver several hours, only interrupted by told them this again. experience suffering. deaths-heads sudden shrieks of the ‘phat!’ Just when I said that, the corpse Also ox and yak bones are all around the A large number of people had fell on its left side. Then it pressed being carved nowadays too and lip of the bowl gathered and were watching the its hands and forehead against the passed off as human. I have also performance from a safe distance, ground and tried to rise. I again seen kanglings sold as human, although some curious foreigners begged them to look. My that actually are made from camel tried to approach the tree in order to grandfather then did. He bones, and are unplayable as the take photographs, but the local immediately ran for his phurbu (ritual central sound hole is blocked. police and the much-feared dagger), which he always brought My advice is - it is better to monastery guards swiftly drove with him. Now the corpse had learn the authentic practice with a them away with wooden clubs. knees, hands and forehead on the metal or wooden version of the It was an unforgettable and bizarre ground, but had raised its body. My object, and so gain merit, and Further Reading: sight, the naked corpse still grandfather struck the corpse three perhaps attract a bone object to ‘Tibetan Mahayoga suspended on the tree, and before it, times with his phurbu and cried you because of the merit, than Tantra: an Ethno- hold out for the ‘real McCoy’ Historical Study of lamas in their heavy brocade robes of “phat!” My grandfather defeated it. Skulls, Bones and maroon and gold, the sunlight simply because you want it. Relics.’ Andrea gleaming on the polished skull crowns FINDING RITUAL OBJECTS Losereie-Leick (This is and bone aprons they wore, all faintly Chances are you are not going to It would seem that cultures the the definitive book on the ritual use of Bones veiled by juniper ‘sang’ smoke. find your own source of fresh world over have both a fear and in Tibetan tantric Eventually, one of the lamas rose bones - and if you do, I suspect fascination with death, and the Buddhism). and cut the corpse from its string, the police will quickly come Tibetans have taken both of these ‘Oracles and Demons and the body was then cleaned, knocking on your door. So if you aspects and made the use of of Tibet: The Cult and Iconography of the dressed and brought into a room feel drawn to learning about these human bones and the magical lore Tibetan Protective outside the monastic boundaries, ways I advise you to do so properly of corpses a rich part of their Deities.’ Rene De where further ceremonies continued - out of respect to the tradition sacred traditions. Nebesky-Wojkowitz. for five more days.’ and the objects. We are all on the path from ‘Shamanism and Tantra cradle to grave, and when I hold a in the Himalayas’ Another spirit manifestation many There are many Buddhist lamas Claudia Müller-Ebeling Tibetans are fearful of are ro langs and in the West now, kapala or blow down my kangling - and Christian Rätsch (risen corpses). These are zombies although not all of them will teach sounding a blast to address the Nicholas Breeze who are said to roam the wild lands. about these ways or even use them. spirits - I always wonder who this Wood is a shamanic It is said there are two types of ro Human bone objects hold a guest in my home once was, and I practitioner and Tibetan Buddhist and langs, ‘tantric’ and ‘demonic’ A facination for many, and fine art know I too am only passing through, the editor of Sacred tantric ro langs is a corpse activated auction houses sell them on a and only a guest in the world. Hoop Magazine. He through ritual, and a ‘demonic’ ro fairly regular basis - but often at has made a life-long study of sacred objects langs is a corpse activated by very high prices. and runs an online harmful spirits in order for them to Ritual objects are alive, and gallery specialising in bring misery and destruction. will seek you out if you are the ritual objects of The method of creating ro langs lucky and have the Tibet and Central Asia [email protected] (Tib: ro langs kyi dngos grub) is karma that attracts www.3worlds.co.uk said to involve performing a them to you - and if ceremony which semi animates the you do not have the corpse so that it sticks out its karma you may never

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