The Merigar Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzog Chen, on the recommendation of Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, has initiated the building of a CINERARIUM, a building to house the cremated remains of members of the Community.
In order to have access to the cinerarium a member should have followed and fulfilled some practical indications when he/she was still alive and of sound mind.
1. The member must have been registered with the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzog Chen or the International Dzogchen Community, at any of the centers, Gars and/or Lings of the International Dzogchen Community.
2. The member must have followed at least one of the Master’s retreats.
3. The member must have declared or left instructions in their will asking the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen and/or the International Dzogchen Community to accept their cremated remains in the Columbarium.
4. The member must contribute to the costs of construction and/or maintenance of the Columbarium in one of the following forms:
• by having made a donation of at least € 500.00;
• alternatively, the legal heirs can make the above donation;
• by having left a bequest or having appointed the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen as their heir, subject to the rights of the “legitimate heirs” to the inheritance, for an amount equal to or greater than € 500.00. The accompanying notes give more information about this.
The cremated remains must be contained in appropriate urns, of types and characteristics conforming to Italian legislation (http://presidenza.governo.it/USRI/confessioni/norme/legge_130_2001.pdf) or the country of origin.
The specific form of the urn is not specified.
As per current legislation, the urn must have a plaque bearing the name and dates of birth and death of the member.
Transport to the cinerarium of the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen at Merigar will be the responsibility of the legal heirs or those who have been appointed by the member as will the expenses involved.
The Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen at Merigar will accept delivery of the urn at the cinerarium.
The Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen at Merigar will keep a special registry of the urns stored in the cinerarium. It will provide for their maintenance and material care. It will periodically activate and perform special rituals of the Dzogchen Community as directed by Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu.
The Gakyil of the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen at Merigar reserves the right to decide on the acceptance or not of cremated remains, according to various factors, for example, satisfaction of the above conditions for access, problems arising with the legitimate heirs, availability of adequate space, etc..
The decision of the member to ask the Community to accept their cremated remains at the cinerarium must be formalized in the form that current Italian legislation allows.
The Merigar cinerarium is intended as a final destination for urns containing ashes. It is not the responsibility of the Associazione Culturale Comunità Dzogchen at Merigar to cremate or to transport the urn to the cinerarium.
The member is required to make a will, which can be public, in the presence of two witnesses (neither relatives nor beneficiaries of the will), or a holographic will, that is issued, dated and signed (with name and surname) entirely by the member in his/her own handwriting on a simple sheet of paper. In the case of holographic will it is advisable to file the original of the will with a notary, while retaining a copy. Depositing the will with a notary may be a safer way to protect the wishes of the member.