Corpse exposure and cosmological ecology: Ritual, space, and death in an indigenous mortuary landscape

Abstract

Background: This study explores the distinctive mepasah burial practice observed by the indigenous Trunyan community in Bali, Indonesia, in which deceased bodies are neither buried nor cremated, but instead placed openly on the ground beneath the sacred Taru Menyan tree. In contrast to the widely practiced ngaben cremation ritual of Balinese Hinduism, mepasah reflects a theo-eco-cosmological worldview in which death is regarded as a sacred process of returning the human body to the cosmic order. Methods: Employing a qualitative ethnographic approach, the study draws upon participant observation, in-depth interviews with customary leaders, and analysis of customary law texts (awig-awig). Finding: Findings indicate that mepasah serves not only as a spiritual-ecological expression but also as a subtle form of resistance against the commodification and homogenization of death rituals. The sacred landscape of Sema Wayah, where corpses naturally decompose beneath the Taru Menyan tree, is interpreted as a living deathscape that preserves ancestral harmony and embodies a localized ecological ethic. Conclusion: Utilizing the theoretical frameworks of ecological spirituality and dark green religion, this study reveals mepasah as a form of sustainable mortuary practice rooted in indigenous ecological wisdom and cultural cosmology. Novelty/Originality of this article: The originality of this article lies in its application of a theo-eco-cosmological lens to the analysis of indigenous death rites. It offers a significant contribution to the fields of postmortem body anthropology, spiritual ecology, and relational ontology, while presenting mepasah as a living heritage that bridges ancestral spirituality with ecological reverence for death.