Stunning cases are known in history when people, for one reason or another, decided to commit suicide, setting themselves on fire and burning alive. This form of suicide is called self-immolation, and in most cases the person committing it does it to make a statement, to draw attention to something that is very important to him. In 1963, a Buddhist monk, Thich Quang Duc, committed suicide by self-immolation in South Vietnam.
Social background
So, what was the reason why this Buddhist monk was forced to commit such an unimaginable act? Duc's self-immolation had a political connotation and was directly related to the situation that prevailed at that time in the country. It is known that at that time at least 70% (according to some sources - up to 90%) of the population of South Vietnam professed Buddhism. However, the authorities that ruled the state created conditions in which the Catholic minority had significant advantages over the Buddhists. It was easier for the Catholics to advance alongthrough the ranks, they were given numerous benefits, while followers of the Buddha were treated as second-class citizens.
Buddhists fought for their rights, the year 1963 became an important moment in this confrontation. In May this year, South Vietnamese authorities disrupted the Buddhist festival of Vesak by using force against a crowd, resulting in the deaths of nine people. In the future, the situation in the country continued to heat up.
Buddhist monk self-immolation
On June 10, 1963, some American journalists working in South Vietnam learned that something important was about to happen in front of the Cambodian embassy the next day. Many did not pay attention to this message, but nevertheless, several correspondents arrived at the appointed place in the morning. Then a procession of monks pulled up to the embassy, led by Kuang Duc driving a car. Those who gathered brought with them posters with demands for equality of confessions.
Next, a Buddhist monk, whose self-immolation had been planned and prepared in advance, took a meditative pose, and one of his companions took out a can of gasoline from the car and poured its contents over his head. Kuang Duc, in turn, recited "Remembrance of the Buddha", after which he set himself on fire with matches. The policemen who had gathered at the place of the rally tried to approach the monk, but the clergy who accompanied Kuang Duc did not let anyone nearhim, forming a living ring around him.
Eyewitness account
This is what David Halberstam, a reporter for The New York Times who observed the act of self-immolation, said: "Probably I should have seen this spectacle again, but once was more than enough. The man was in flames, his body was shrinking and turned to ashes, and the head turned black and charred. It all seemed to be happening slowly, but at the same time I saw how this person burned out quite quickly. The smell of burning human flesh, the sobs of the Vietnamese gathered around … I was in a state of shock and I couldn't cry, I was bewildered and so bewildered that I couldn't ask questions or write anything down. What can I say, I couldn't even think. this time he never moved or made a single sound."
Funeral
The funeral of a Buddhist monk was scheduled for June 15, but later the date was moved to the 19th. Until that moment, his remains were in one of the temples, from where they were later transferred to the cemetery. Interestingly, Kuang Duc's body was cremated, but the fire did not touch his heart, which remained intact and was recognized as a shrine. The Buddhist monk, whose self-immolation was committed in order to achieve common goals for all Buddhists, is recognized as a bodhisattva, that is, a person with an awakened consciousness.
In the future, the authorities of the SouthVietnam went to confrontation with the adherents of Buddhism. So, in August, the security forces attempted to confiscate the relics left after the death of Kuang Duc. They managed to remove the monk's heart, but they could not take possession of his ashes. However, the Buddhist crisis that marked 1963 ended soon after the military staged a coup d'etat and overthrew President Diem.
Conclusion
Malcolm Brown, one of the journalists present at the site of the self-immolation of a Buddhist monk, managed to take some photos of what was happening. These pictures were placed on the front pages of the world's largest newspapers, thanks to which the incident had a great political effect. Ultimately, the people of South Vietnam won recognition of their rights, and the Buddhist monk, whose self-immolation was committed for the benefit of all, became a national hero.
