Why do Buddhist monks kill themselves by setting themselves on fire?

Question

I know its only happened a few times but they were always making a statement. What was the statement? Why do they choose such a horrible painful way to die? Why didn't people put them out?

I beleive the first one to do it did so during Vietnam, to protest the war. It happened again in Tibet to protest the communist invasion. A lot of people protested the war but not like that.

Answer 1

Not all Buddhists follow the non-violent path, however. A Buddhist monk, Phra Kittiwutthi of the Phra Chittipalwon College in Thailand, is noted for his extreme right-wing views. He said that it was not a breech of the first precept to kill communists. He said that if Thailand were in danger of a communist takeover, he would take up arms to protect Buddhism. Sulak Sivaraksa, a Thai peace activist, reports in his book, "Seeds of Peace" that Phra Kittiwutthi has since modified his stance by declaring "to kill communism or communist ideology is not a sin". Sulak adds that the monk confessed that his nationalist feelings were more important than his Buddhist practice and that he would be willing to abandon his yellow robes to take up arms against communist invaders from Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam. By doing so, he said, he would be preserving the monarchy, the nation and the Buddhist religion.

In contrast to the views of Phra Kittiwutthi, Sulak Sivaraksa reports that the Vietnamese monk, Thich Nhat Hanh is of the view that 'preserving Buddhism does not mean that we should sacrifice people's lives in order to safeguard the Buddhist hierarchy, monasteries or rituals. Even if Buddhism as such were extinguished, when human lives are preserved and when human dignity and freedom are cultivated towards peace and loving kindness, Buddhism can be reborn in the hearts of human beings.
The Buddha's teaching was that Bhikkus should advise rulers to guide them on the correct path and not to behave violently.

The idea of sacrifice is a key in Buddhist thought and self-immolation could be thought of as the ultimate form of sacrifice. However, it is hard to totally embrace such a violent act, even if it is directed on the self.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a well-known authority on Buddhism, believes that the practice of self- immolation may be connected to the ritual of burning incense on one’s body as a form of vow taking. Several sources point to Buddhist scripture, especially the Lotus Sutra, as one possible origin of the practice.

No matter what the specific historical origins are for self-immolation, there is a definite connection between fire and the act of sacrifice. Many stories come to mind about pagan rituals in which plants or perhaps animals are sacrificed to the gods by fire. Self-immolation can be best thought of as a way of sacrificing one’s self in the name of ending suffering. In that sense, self-immolation transcends the idea of a religious practice or a political statement and becomes a spiritual plea for peace.

Answer 2

They were protesting the Vietnam War.

One monk who self-immolated in Saigon had these demands of the Catholic Diem regime:

1. Lift the ban on flying the traditional Buddhist flag;

2. Grant Buddhism the same rights as Catholicism;

3. Stop detaining Buddhists;

4. Give Buddhist monks and nuns the right to practice and spread their religion; and

5. Pay fair compensations to the victims' families and punish those responsible for their deaths.


They choose such a horrible, painful way to die so that people cannot ignore them. That is, a conflagration is certainly a statement.

People didn't put them out because they respected their choice, I guess. I really don't know, being as I wasn't there.

Answer 3

At least they are careful not to include innocent people. Anyway, to answer your question, it is not the way of the Buddhist. What those monks did from time to time is not part of the teachings but those are their individual choice to make their point. The statement is that life made of matter is temporary that can cease to exist anytime and spirit within lives forever. As Buddhist monk, they are trained by way of yogic meditation not to feel the pain while getting burned. If it will be painful for them then somehow they choose to feel it as a significant sacrifice for the cause.

Answer 4

Buddhism is a very logical and a very peaceful religion .

The first precept IN buddhism is

"NOT TO KILL OR HARM HUMANS OR ANY ANIMAL."

In Buddhism it is clearly stated killing or haming your self or any other man or an animal is a SIN.

Those monks who have commited suicide only for the reason to stop the war in Vietnam and to stop people specially AMERICANS ILLTREATING peaceful innocent Buddhist monks and to prevent destroying the Buddhist temples in Vietnam due to war.

Answer 5

They really do something like that??? I've never heard that Buddhist's principle allow any people to kill themselves.

One of a Buddists

Answer 6

They are insane and noone wants to save them because theyre afraid of what insane people who are capable of doing that to themselves might be able to do to the general public.

At least they dont take out other people with them when they kill themselves.

Answer 7

That is another example of religious zealots being fanatical and brainwashed. At least those monks just kill themselves, unlike radical Muslims, who murder innocent people as they commit suicide.

Answer 8

They are pacifist. What else could they do when their country was over run with communist, they don't believe in killing others.

Answer 9

Couldn't they have a heart attack during sex? That way they could come and go almost simultaneously. Sounds kinda metaphysical, huh!

Answer 10

It happens in countries with gun control.