2 Tibetan monks burn themselves amid Dalai Lama feud

SattvaPaul

Two Tibetan monks set themselves on fire Monday in a protest over China's tight rein over Buddhist practices, a rights group said as the Chinese government reiterated it will choose the next Dalai Lama.

Full story here:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2011-09-26/monks-survive-burning/50554582/1

Yishai

That's a bit needless. I understand that they are not okay with the hijacking of their religious leader. But won't monks still be able to choose their own leader? China can say what they want, but that doesn't make that person the Dalai Lama. Just leave China? Idk.

Reading more into this, it all seems very convuluted.

Dakini

It's very dangerous to try to walk out of Chine to Nepal or India, and Tibetans who are outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) are sure to be monitored or controlled in some way, to prevent them from heading to the TAR, and international borders.

Undoubtedly, Tibetans everywhere will wait for the next DL to be selected by (in the absence of the Panchen Lama) the Karmapa and whoever else will be involved, no matter who the Chinese say the next Dalai is. The Chinese will probably force those inside Tibet to put up photos of the fake Dalai Lama. They can control any external situation, but they can't control what goes on in devotees' minds and hearts.

Zenshin

@Dakini, great post, I don't study Tibetan Buddhism but have had some great advice and guidance from Tibetan Practitioners so I have a lot of respect for the tradition.

I don't understand what the Chinese hope to achieve by this as you say they may force people in Chinese controlled Tibet to put up pictures and the like, but the rest of the world isn't going to believe it, if it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation it would seem rather childish and futile.

Cinorjer

This cultural habit of self-immolation concerns me more than the Chinese trotting out a fake Lama that none of the temples will acknowledge anyway. This is so sad and wrong, for monks to suicide like this in protest or for any reason.

When members of a cult commit suicide we know it's something that got twisted inside the mind. Why does it become different when it's one of our own? To my friends who point to these suicides and ask me what sort of brainwashing is going on, I can only tell them I'm not that type of Buddhist and neither are the ones I know of.

What I wish is that the Dalai Lama issued a very stern statement forbidding any monks to kill themselves like this over their ongoing struggles.

SattvaPaul

Just discovered there is a petition to the authorities to act with restraint, you can sign here:
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5380/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8266

person

What I wish is that the Dalai Lama issued a very stern statement forbidding any monks to kill themselves like this over their ongoing struggles.

I have heard him speak out against this in the past, I don't know how stern it was though.

A quick google search is just pages of the recent story. I only came across this one brief reference.

"A number of Buddhistmonks, namely Thich Quang Duc, self-immolated in protest of the discriminatory treatment endured by Buddhist under the pre-communist South-Vietnamese regime -- even though violence against the self is equally discouraged in the views of Buddhist authorities, such as the Dalai Lama."

http://www.economicexpert.com/a/Self:immolation.htm

person

Another brief mention:

"Others however, found the sentences to be fair, expressing that “a monk who goes against dharma and against the law should be penalized.” The practice of self-immolation has been condemned by the Dalai Lama."

http://impunitywatch.com/?p=19920

Dakini

This cultural habit of self-immolation concerns me more than the Chinese trotting out a fake Lama that none of the temples will acknowledge anyway.

I chose not to comment on the suicide, because it's completely beyond my ability to comprehend or cope with emotionally. However:

killing is killing, whether it is oneself, or others.

Dakini

I don't understand what the Chinese hope to achieve by this If it wasn't for the seriousness of the situation it would seem rather childish and futile.

The irony of Communist Party officials desperately trying to control the recognition process of a reincarnate lama clearly escapes them. You missed their announcement last April, after the DL said he decided not to incarnate, and said he would be the last Dalai Lama ever. The CCP issued a public statement saying the Dalai Lama must reincarnate. He must uphold the tradition. "We will force him to reincarnate", the Chinese gov't said. I'm not making this up. :crazy:

tbunton

Im pretty sure I read that they didnt die. The police put them out and they only suffered minor burns. I could be wrong tho.

tbunton

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/tibet-monks-fire_n_980728.html
"The official Xinhua News Agency said in a brief report that did not identify the monks by name that both were rescued by police, suffered slight burns and were in stable condition."

caz

The monks are wasting there precious human life for political activies thats what is sad.

Mountains

I would think suicide would be the ultimate unskillful act...

Zenshin

@Mountains

Well in relation to the Monks, you've got a point.

But for people who are suffering terrible emotional and physical distress and haven't encountered the beauty and wisdom of the Dharma to help free them from that suffering its understandable. I know I've been there.

caz

I would think suicide would be the ultimate unskillful act...

Certainly is these monks should know better, This is all just political BS.

Cinorjer

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/26/tibet-monks-fire_n_980728.html
"The official Xinhua News Agency said in a brief report that did not identify the monks by name that both were rescued by police, suffered slight burns and were in stable condition."

I missed that, because I found the entire article too painful to wade through.

I'm glad they still live.

SattvaPaul

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Dakini

I hope the monks aren't in for a lot of "re-education" sessions and the like. Or worse--prison. But at least they were rescued.