Thich Quang Duc -"Self-immolation"

10 June 1963 worked in the U.S. reporters got the message about that tomorrow opposite the Cambodian Embassy will happen "something important." Most of the reporters ignored the invitation, because by the time the Buddhist crisis lasted more than a month. In the morning at the appointed place arrived a few journalists, among whom was David Halberstam from The New York Times and Malcolm Browne, chief of the information Bureau of the associated Press in Saigon. Duc arrived at the Embassy at the head of the procession, which began in one of the nearby pagodas. Around 350 monks and nuns walked in two rows behind a blue sedan "Westminster" Austin, at the wheel which was So. The protesters carried banners in English and Vietnamese, accusing the government of Diem in the persecution of Buddhists and calling for the equality of faiths. One of the monks offered to sacrifice himself, but the decision remained unchanged Duc.

 Photo Credit Malcolm Brown. 

• Self-immolation

The place of action was the intersection of the boulevard Phan Dinh Phung (now Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street) and the streets of Le Van Duet (now street Cach Mang Thang there), located a few blocks southwest of the presidential palace. Duc got out with two monks, one of whom placed a pillow on the road, and the other pulled from the trunk of a canister with five gallons of gasoline (about 19 liters). When the demonstrators formed a ring around Thich, he sat down on the pillow, taking a meditative lotus position. One of the protesters poured the contents of the cans on his head . Duc began to recite the words nyanfo ( "mindfulness of the Buddha"), using the beads, and then lit a match and brought it to his body. Flames engulfed his robes and flesh from the body soon began to proceed black oily smoke.

  Photo Credit 

 Dying words Duc recorded in the letter he left: 

 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. 

After the self-immolation of Thich Duc Quan US Secretary of State Dean Rusk warned  embassy that when Ngo Dinh Diem will not make concessions to the Buddhists, light house will cease to "associate themselves" with his regime. For 16 of June of the same m / s from the South Vietnamese government and the leaders adopted a joint communiqué and the government has listened to the demands of the Buddhists.

• The funeral

The funeral of the deceased Duc had been scheduled for June 15. On that day, around the pagodas Xia Loy gathered four thousand sympathizers, but the ceremony was postponed. 19 of Duc remains were transferred from the church to the cemetery is located 16 kilometers south of the city. There remains were cremated and buried. The joint communiqué contained a restriction on the number of those present at the burial. In the last journey Duc carried out about 400 monks.

Photo Credit:The heart of Thich Quang Duc

Despite of cremation procedures, heart Duc was not consumed by fire and remained intact. Monks recognized heart Duc shrine and placed it in a glass bowl, which was exhibited in the Xia Loy. Untouched heart of the flame (sarira) is considered to be a symbol of the Buddhist culture of compassion. the Duc himself became revered by Vietnamese Buddhists as a bodhisattva ( "Bo Tat"), a man with an awakened consciousness, who decided to become a Buddha for the benefit of all beings. Sometimes referred Duc in the Vietnamese sources as Bo Tat Thich Quang Duc. August 21 Special Republican army forces attacked Xia Loy and other pagodas in different parts of the country. The secret police attempted confiscation of dust Duc, however, two monks were able to escape from the urn, jumping over a fence in the backyard and hiding in the US mission building, located next door. Nevertheless, the military was able to seize the heart of the deceased.

Photo Credit: Memorial Thich Quang Duc, located in the place of his death

Photo Credit:  The Venerable Thich Quang Duc Monument

Source: Wikipedia -Thich Quang Duc