Burning Monk

Thích Quảng Đức (alternatively Thich Quang Duc) is the Buddhist monk who self-immolated (burned himself) in 1963 as a protest to the treatment of monks by the South Vietnamese government at the time. He is most widely recognisable from the picture featured on the 1992 album cover of Rage Against the Machine by the group of the same name. RATM’s hit single Killing In The Name is possibly going to be number 1 in the UK music charts this Christmas.

The video below is a recording of the self-immolation. After sitting on a cushion in the lotus position in the middle of a busy intersection in Saigon, another monk poured five gallons of gasonline over Thích Quảng Đức. He then struck a match a dropped it onto the gasoline trail which led to Thích Quảng Đức. His robes immediately caught fire. He did not scream, and did not move a muscle. His body burned for 10 minutes.

The video left me speechless. More information about Thích Quảng Đức.

About the Author

Gary Jones is a web developer from Basingstoke with a keen interest in anything to do with the web. He runs Gamajo Tech, a freelance web development company in Basingstoke, delivering sites and code professionally to small businesses and individuals.

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