Are Tree Burials and Sea Burials Really Good? 99% of People Are Not Suited for Sea Burial! Tree Burial Site Selection and Deceased's Mindset Assessment

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:51:26 +0800

When it comes to preparing for end-of-life matters, more and more people are now considering eco-friendly burial options like “tree burial” or “sea burial.”

Everyone thinks that “returning to the earth to nourish flowers” or “drifting freely into the vast ocean” sounds both romantic and liberating, while also saving future generations a hefty sum on columbarium fees.

But did you know? While “eco-friendly” is wonderful on a material level, it may not be suitable for everyone on a spiritual level! Without careful assessment, casually choosing an eco-friendly burial could actually leave the departed loved one without peace.

Facing Death — Are You Ready?

Why does everyone always scramble at the last moment?

Although life and death happen every day in hospitals and wards, for most people, “death” remains something they avoid. After all that avoidance, when the final moment arrives with no preparation, the result is a chaotic mess — or simply leaving everything to the funeral company to arrange.

In fact, preparing early for yourself or your loved ones — such as picking a favorite, good-looking photo for the memorial service, or even discussing end-of-life wishes — is not bad luck. It’s the most responsible attitude one can have.

Without preparation, you have no room to think about the most important question: What is truly best for the deceased?

Handling Funeral Affairs — Put the Deceased First

This is the most common misconception I’ve seen: no matter how grand the funeral is, it’s really all about the living’s reputation; or to save money, everything is kept simple, forgetting “who is the real protagonist.”

What does it mean to “put the deceased first”?

Since it is this person who has passed away, all considerations should prioritize their well-being as the highest principle.

Would you assess based on their religious beliefs, profession, and personality? If your father was a devout Buddhist, but his children insisted on holding a Catholic mass because of their own faith — is that really appropriate?

The reverse is also true — respecting the deceased’s karmic connections is fundamental. Everyone’s situation after death is different. Just as every patient has different symptoms, the life transition after death is also extremely complex and multi-layered.

Why 99% of People Actually “Should Not” Have a Sea Burial?

Many elders say during their lifetime: “When I die, just scatter my ashes in the ocean — free and unbound.”

It sounds romantic, but this romanticism is often based on ignorance of the truth about the afterlife world.

You should know that the ocean, in the world after death, is a very special, three-dimensional, and complex space.

The conditions truly suitable for sea burial are extremely strict — only one type of person qualifies: those who made their living from the sea.

For example, sailors, fishermen, or those who spent their lives loving and conquering the ocean.

The ocean fed them and clothed them. The ocean is “familiar and fearless” to them — only such people, upon entering the sea, have the ability to transition properly.

As for those who spent most of their lives on land, or who can barely even swim, once they enter the deep, cold ocean, if they cannot let go of their attachments, they can easily become trapped in the ocean’s cycle of reincarnation — turning into fish being eaten by other fish, unable to escape for a very, very long time.

That kind of cold, darkness, and helplessness is absolutely not liberation — it is suffering.

Tree Burial: Choosing the Right Place and “Mindset” Is Key

Tree burial is not as simple as just finding any tree and burying ashes underneath it.

People suited for tree burial typically need to have a very “liberated” mindset.

If you know that your loved one had already let go of their attachment to this world and their clinging to descendants before passing, then tree burial is suitable for them.

But if they still had many concerns and attachments, yet you buried them under a tree for the sake of being eco-friendly and saving money, they may linger there, even feeling deeply hurt.

Suggestions for Tree Burial Site Selection

Currently, among all tree burial sites in Taiwan, the only one truly worthy of being called exemplary is Dharma Drum Mountain.

This is because it carries the last wishes and spiritual settings of Master Sheng Yen. Viewed through the dharma eye, the tree burial area of Dharma Drum Mountain is surrounded by a soft golden light — a sacred connection.

Even if the deceased had ordinary spiritual attainment, in such an environment, they have a better chance of entering a positive “intermediate space” to continue their spiritual cultivation.

As for the many newly built “park-style tree burial” sites nowadays, everyone should be especially cautious.

Many of these places are cleared land where rows of small saplings still struggling to survive have been planted.

These small trees desperately absorb surrounding nutrients to stay alive. If ashes are scattered at this point, the saplings will not only fail to accompany the deceased, but will actually absorb and entangle the deceased’s energy in their struggle for survival.

Quite a few deceased individuals’ consciousness gets stuck on tree roots — a scene that is truly heartbreaking.

The Final Mile to a Complete Farewell

When a loved one passes away, it doesn’t end after the memorial service is over.

We must acknowledge a fact: unless the person was a great spiritual practitioner who diligently cultivated good dharma in their daily life, as many as 99% of ordinary people will transition into a “ghost” state and wander the human world within 49 days after death.

This is not superstition — it is the transformation of energy particles. During this period, what they need is the genuine companionship of family, appropriate sutra chanting and merit dedication, to help them transform and move to a better place — what is known as the “guaranteed passage.”

In summary, before deciding whether to choose an eco-friendly burial, please make sure to conduct a thorough “overall assessment” first:

Assessment	Description
Examine faith and personality	Are they liberated enough? Do they have a specific faith to rely on?
Examine the dying process	Was it peaceful or painful?
Examine the location and karmic conditions	Is the environment sacred, or just a man-made little park?

A truly complete farewell is based on understanding and love. Let us use the wisest approach to accompany our loved ones on this final journey.

Reference

週末氤森夜：1/生死季節談樹葬、海葬各種環保葬評估與深層次注意事項。2/情、錢、法、靈多重生命業纏的解結與出路，避免鬼語誘因與無智深淵。 - YouTube

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