sometimes even citing ancient Buddhist practices regarding (CW: death, grisly imagery) birds picking apart rotting corpses and the like
are they talking about sky burials because that isn't what that is at all. It's primarily about returning the body to nature. That and the tradition originates in areas where digging a grave is difficult
buddhists used to deliberately sit and observe rotting corpses getting slowly picked apart by scavengers to contemplate the reality of life and death. It wasn't really a ceremonial sky burial; just people too poor to afford any different.
are they talking about sky burials because that isn't what that is at all. It's primarily about returning the body to nature. That and the tradition originates in areas where digging a grave is difficult
It's a different practice where (CW: gore)
spoiler
buddhists used to deliberately sit and observe rotting corpses getting slowly picked apart by scavengers to contemplate the reality of life and death. It wasn't really a ceremonial sky burial; just people too poor to afford any different.
Is that a real thing
Yes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine_stages_of_decay