The Burning Monk
On belief as our identity
I saw this image in high school, buried deep in a history textbook—say page 133, near the bottom. I could see the man’s face as he sat in the lotus position—he was calm, and at peace, even while burning alive; a stark contrast. There is a name for this act, it’s called self-immolation: to set oneself on fire, as a form of protest or sacrifice. “No news picture in history has generated so much emotion, around the world, as that one,” remarked John F. Kennedy.
This image still holds that same emotion.
It was brought to my attention again when I watched a documentary by Ken Burns & Lynn Novick, The Vietnam War. The event happened on June 11, 1963. Malcolm Browne was the chief correspondent for Indochina. One day earlier, the U.S. correspondents were told that “something important” would happen near a busy intersection in Saigon. Most of them ignored the message. Browne was waiting with his camera.
That morning, on the corner of Phan Đình Phùng Boulevard and Lê Văn Duyệt Street, around 350 monks and nuns arrived and were preceded by an Austin Westminster sedan. Thích Quảng Đức stepped out of the vehicle along with two other monks. One took a cushion from the trunk while the other took a five-gallon petrol canister. Quảng Đức sat cross-legged on the cushion while liquid from the petrol canister was poured on his head and body. Quảng Đức rotated some prayer beads, recited an ancient homage, then struck a match and dropped it.
He was dubbed, The Burning Monk.
South Vietnam was then run by President Ngô Đình Diệm, who was a devout Roman Catholic. This opposed the Buddhist majority at that time which was around 80 percent. The policies of Diệm favored Catholics. During May of that same year, Buddhists were banned from displaying flags to celebrate the birthday of their spiritual leader Gotama Buddha, while the Vatican flag was flown at all major events and public spaces.
The last words of Thích Quảng Đức were documented in a letter:
“Before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to President Ngô Đình Diệm 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 organize in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhism.”
After not backing down, Diệm was murdered in July following a coup by Vietnamese nationalists and the military. While the coup did not gain direct American backing, the Americans were no longer willing to support Diệm and gave unspoken support for the actions of the nationalists.
What if Quảng Đức’s act were to happen today? How many videos would we have? Does anything feel shocking anymore as we scroll through another Instagram story or Facebook meme? Do we notice? Are we being diluted with technology as the world blossoms and burns?
I’m not sure. I have thoughts.
I do know that a belief gives us humanity and individuality and should be respected because it holds our identity. When people lose this, they lose their sense of self. They lose control. That belief—that idea—would become suppressed and considered institutionally wrong and would, in turn, be perpetuated as society spreads the idea that that belief isn’t worth believing in. And we fall into that, without any hesitation. A belief should not become a political opportunity.
I closed the history textbook after the second-hour bell rang—we all have cameras in our pockets, and the sun’s still burning as it rises in the dark blue sky.