Fair question Laurence! For most of my life, I�ve had the highest respect for the Aboriginal Canadian Indians, where they surrender their loved ones bodies to the winds. They place the deceased on a perch, similar to a bed on stilts, and leave the deceased for nature to claim back. I find that concept to be poetically appropriate to my own spiritualism.
However, given that I am here in England, and the neighbours may not look kindly upon me being hoisted to the church roof, I�ve opted for cremation. I�d like my cremains to be buried directly into the earth, without an urn, and a small marker that says �Happy to be among those I�ve served.� (My thought being that almost everyone on the cemetery hill has been served by me.)
For those who have the fear of burial, I�m aware of an almost equal number of people who are afraid of the cremation process. I have no fear of either. I do, however, have a number of concerns about some of the funeral services I work with. But that�s for an entirely different thread�if at all!
http://bigworldsmallboat.blogspot.com/2006/07/ having-good-death.html
Again, these are fascinating answers. Thank you
Fr Bill