Very Moving Video from Vietnam War

Snowpaw

This is a very moving video from the Vietnam War.
WARNING: VERY STRONG VIOLENCE
This involves a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk burning himself alive in protest against the South Vietnamese leader Diem's oppressive regime against Buddhists. Diem was a Catholic and was anti-buddhist and so he persecuted Buddhists. Watched this video for History at school, it brought tears to my eyes. Somehow, it makes me feel inspired about my Buddhist practice. The Monk, while he was burning, never screamed, nor made a sound. he didn't move until he died.

May there be harmony between all religious traditions, they all lead to the one truth.

meh_

That is the single most moving thing I have ever watched.
I consider myself to be pretty emotionally dead, but that actually made me cry. I have never been so full of admiration for someone in my entire life.

It is simply the most selfless act - to give your life for the benefit of others.

Yacababy

I have no words... Only that... Well it was moving is all I can say.

StaticToybox

I never realized there was actual video of this, I thought there were only photographs.

tess

I have tried to have a go at this video few times.
Today, I said to myself : stop hiding your head in the sand: click on it.
I did.
30 sec later I stopped it.
One monk purring petrol over another to die.
The most noble idea still it will not excuse this spectacle.
Our society has a great problem with euthanasia. At least ,with the latest we stop physical suffering.

Here you have a crowd of people standing round, another person purring petrol.......for somebody to die very painful death.

At least Jesus had his saying before he was crucified.

The Forum Romanum came to my mind.

tess

I have to admit, I was astonished here for the second time.
Trust me; it is not easy to shock me.

I had a go at the old discussions. One of the participants instead of saying: you are repeating yourself and this is an old subject was posting photo/ representation for saying ‘’stop biting the dead horse”)

I have to admit, I have stopped looking at the old treads because this picture coming over and over again was distressing.

StaticToybox

I have tried to have a go at this video few times.
Today, I said to myself : stop hiding your head in the sand: click on it.
I did.
30 sec later I stopped it.
One monk purring petrol over another to die.
The most noble idea still it will not excuse this spectacle.
Our society has a great problem with euthanasia. At least ,with the latest we stop physical suffering.

Here you have a crowd of people standing round, another person purring petrol.......for somebody to die very painful death.

At least Jesus had his saying before he was crucified.

The Forum Romanum came to my mind.

Thich Quang Duc was not executed, he chose self-immolation as a protest against the Ngo Dinh Diem administration's violent persecution of Buddhists. To that end his act was successful as the persecution of Buddhists lessened due to international pressure.

tess

I know that it was self-immolation but my feelings are still the same.

vinlyn

I would like to know if there are Buddhist scriptures that support the act.

DhammaDhatu

It is simply the most selfless act - to give your life for the benefit of others.

This is a very moving video from the Vietnam War.
WARNING: VERY STRONG VIOLENCE
This involves a Vietnamese Buddhist Monk burning himself alive in protest against the South Vietnamese leader Diem's oppressive regime against Buddhists. Diem was a Catholic and was anti-buddhist and so he persecuted Buddhists.

Watched this video for History at school, it brought tears to my eyes. Somehow, it makes me feel inspired about my Buddhist practice.

For me, it was interesting to read the contradictions expressed above.

1. Snowpaw said VERY STRONG VIOLENCE makes them feel inspired.

2. Meh said it simply the most selfless act to give your life for the benefit of others.

3. Snowpaw said Diem was a Catholic, anti-buddhist and persecuted Buddhists.

4. Jesus said: No greater love has he who gives up his life for a friend.

5. Jesus sacrificied himself on a cross, which resulted in a religion of salvation via faith rather than salvation via karma, which lead to a history of persecuting other cultures & religions.

None of these cults of sacrifice have anything to do with Buddhism.

Such cults of noble sacrifice are perpetuated in war after war.

What is being worshipped above is Christianity rather than Buddhism.

I suggest we each ask ourselves: "What is the cause for the mind feeling pleasure in thoughts of self-sacifice?"

Let one not neglect [sacrifice] one's own welfare for the sake of another, however great. Clearly understanding one's own welfare, let one be intent upon the good.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.12.budd.html

Dazzle

The idea for Buddhist monks to set fire to themselves sadly originated with the the Lotus Sutra. I think there's already a thread about it somewhere.

Snowpaw

I know that it's contradictory to Buddhism that self-sacrifice in that sense. That's why I said it "somehow" makes me feel inspired.I tihnk maybe my love of samurai philosophy etc. has made me feel inspired by the video. Bushido, the way of the warrior. Still, it's a very moving video. I odn't see how I contradicted myself in saying Diem was a Catholic and anti-buddhist and he persectured buddhists. It's a fact.
"What is being worshipped above is Christianity rather than Buddhism". Be careful with what you say! That statement seems to suggest from you a negative attitude towards Christianity. It's just another way to lead you to truth, like Buddhism, Jainism, hinduism, etc.
Thanks for the comments! Cool discussion

zidangus

Did this death actually achieve anything ?
It is written in the Jatakas that in one of Buddhas past lives he sacrificed himself for hungry tigers, however, I am not sure if the act that the monk did actually resulted in any benefit to anyone.

"

Self Sacrifice
The Boddhisattva at that time was a recluse, living in the Indian jungle hoping to find enlightenment. He was living on top of a rock ledge.

At this time this area was suffering a drought. Many animals had died. One day a tiger mother happened to wonder by. This mother had two cubs dangling along side her, and they were trying to drink milk. The mother was so scrawny and starved she had no milk to give to the cubs.

The Boddhisattva saw the plight of this tiger mother. He could not bear to see the tiger mother suffering like that. He knew that she would die by sunset if nothing was done. He thought "If I feed her, she will live." So he jumped in front of the tiger saying "Ho! Mother here I am." The starved tiger did not hesitate to tear into the Boddhisattva's body"

MindGate

I heard this happened recently in Tibet too. Saw it on the news earlier this year.

Snowpaw

This death did ahieve in drawing the world's attention to the issue of persecution of Buddhists in Vietnam.

zenff

The idea for Buddhist monks to set fire to themselves sadly originated with the the Lotus Sutra. I think there's already a thread about it somewhere.

Here it is

http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/9194/is-this-true-about-lotus-sutra#Item_20

happyjourney

I suggest we each ask ourselves: "What is the cause for the mind feeling pleasure in thoughts of self-sacifice?"

Let one not neglect [sacrifice] one's own welfare for the sake of another, however great. Clearly understanding one's own welfare, let one be intent upon the good.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.12.budd.html

I don't know that i would call it pleasure though.
I would say i felt compassion for the monk, because he was in undoubtably excruciating pain and because of the circumstances of living that would lead someone to even consider that. I also would say i felt a form of admiration for him, this is a very empowering way to protest. that said i don't think it's an answer to anything, but it's about something more.