The news that rock legend David Bowie specified in his will that he would like to be cremated in Bali in line with “Buddhist rituals” has been reported around the world, but there’s something about the story that doesn’t sit right with us.
Apparently a longtime Buddhist with a strong inclination towards the Eastern religion in his younger years, Bowie relayed his fascination with Tibetan Buddhism in particular, throughout his life, saying things like, “I was young, fancy free, and Tibetan Buddhism appealed to me at that time. I thought, ‘There’s salvation.’”
Reports have pointed out that Bowie’s instructions in his will, prepared in 2004, reaffirm his ultimate connection to Buddhism: “I direct that my executors shall arrange for my remains to be taken to the country of Bali and to be cremated there in accordance with the Buddhist rituals of Bali.”
First off: did he really refer to Bali as a country? Weird.
He added that if cremation in Bali wasn’t practical, then he would still like his ashes scattered here, according to Buddhist rites—Bowie ended up getting cremated in New Jersey on Jan. 12.
But while it’s very exciting that Ziggy’s final resting place could be our Island of the Gods, the odd thing is that no one’s really pointed that Bali’s Buddhist population is a tiny minority (about 0.5%) and the island is much more famous for the rituals of its Hindu majority.
