The traditional practice in Hinduism is to cremate the body
of a dead person. But the dead body of Sadhus and Sanyasis are buried. In many
Hindu communities, the body of a holy person is buried in the Padmasana Posture
(Lotus Position).
The belief is that the dead person’s soul is attached to the
body. This attachment makes the person unable to attain moksha. By cremating
the body, it is destroyed completely so that the soul has no attachment and it
helps in attainment of Moksha.
Sadhus and Sanyasis are detached from the world and they
have no attachment to their body. The self realization attained by them makes
the body irrelevant to them while they are alive. Cremation is therefore superfluous.
For the one that has attained self realization cremation and
burial both have no significance. It is the people who are alive that create
the distinction.