While traveling to office every day, I pass by a lane that has hearse vans parked on both sides. Year on year whenever I see this place a strange feeling engulfs me. Today I saw few men working meticulously towards preparing the vehicle. They were giggling and having a good time at their job. My first reaction to this was how can one make a business out of a phenomenon called death?
As I began to calm my mind from this initial outburst, a host of services that we never really pay attention to come to my mind… A fact that we always prefer to shut our minds to
There is a whole range of occupations and businesses associated with this phenomenon right from the morgue attendants, to doctors who perform the post mortem procedures to crematorium operators to florists and grave diggers.
More peculiar ones associated with this sector of employment are the professional mourners as witnessed in the film ‘Rudali’ and another sect of Maharashtrian Brahmins community which specializes only in performing the last rites rituals for the departed. Long ago I had seen a play which sensitively describes the lives of this inauspicious sect and how they are always avoided during any auspicious occasion by the society.
On a lighter note, I would not be surprised if there are niche businesses like catering services and dress designers and even photographers for funeral ceremonies!
However, whenever I have thought about these people all I can do is have a pity on their lives and the kind of jobs that they perform. I wonder what goes in their minds when day in and day out they have to deal with the dead. For me, it’s a great effort even to clear out a dead cockroach out of the room…can’t imagine how these human beings live a life which is so stone hearted!
Pondering about this over the years, has led my thoughts in a different stream of thinking. To think of death as an event, I would describe it as -a person, who lives an honorable existence during his lifetime, is reduced to a mass of flesh and bones after his death. Within seconds we start referring to this honorable person as a ‘dead-body’ and immerse our efforts in a bid to dispose it off as quickly as possible.
There lies the key to the importance of these ‘Deadly’ careerists; of easing this process and graciously disposing the remains of the person! I think the only way to lead a peaceful life for those who fulfill these jobs are to assume a role of selfless service to the dead!
Recently I watched a Japanese movie named ‘Departures’ which beautifully portrays how a fulfilling career can be made out of assisting the departed person’s body on its journey gracefully and with dignity!
All in all, I always look up and salute these careerists because,
While a CEO in a large corporate can be easily replaced, I wonder whether the same would be true for a grave digger!
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