Let Us Never Forget

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The United States backed South Vietnamese regime against the religion of Buddhism required the sacrifice of one Buddhist Monk to raise awareness. Let us never forget his death, and let it never be in vain.
Following several weeks of concentrated meditation, on June 11th 1963, Thích Quảng Đức sat in the lotus position and committed self-immolation.


"Before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to President Ngo Dinh Diem to take a mind of compassion towards the people of the nation and implement religious equality to maintain the strength of the homeland eternally. I call the venerables, reverends, members of the sangha and the lay Buddhists to organise in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhism. ” ~ Final Words of Buddhist Monk Thích Quảng Đức before setting himself on fire in the name of Buddha (self-immolation) 1963~

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to explaing why Thich Quang Duc’s self-immolation was NOT a suicide, which is contrary to Buddhist teachings:

"Suicide is an act of self-destruction, having as causes the following: (1) lack of courage to live and to cope with difficulties; (2) defeat by life and loss of all hope; (3) desire for nonexistence….. The monk who burns himself has lost neither courage nor hope; nor does he desire nonexistence. On the contrary, he is very courageous and hopeful and aspires for something good in the future. He does not think that he is destroying himself; he believes in the good fruition of his act of self-sacrifice for the sake of others…. I believe with all my heart that the monks who burned themselves did not aim at the death of their oppressors but only at a change in their policy. Their enemies are not man. They are intolerance, fanaticism, dictatorship, cupidity, hatred, and discrimination which lie within the heart of man."