MP: 3 Blog: 5
So, John was totally right about the Monks. I read on BBC that during the past year, more than twenty-five monks set themselves on fire in protest of religious repression and this is considered to be a large increase from past years. After the monk lit himself on fire, many other monks and people from the surrounding area went to protest China's rule in Tibet.
The monk is said to have survived, suffering from major burns and was hospitalized, but was shortly returned to the monastery by fellow monks "for his safety." Since the protest, troops have been sent to the area and China's Premier said that Tibet would remain an inseparable part of China and that the self-immolation demonstrations. Also,in light of the upcoming anniversary of the rioting in Lhasa in 2008, security has been severely tightened in Tibet and many military trucks have been reported to have arrived in the town. He seems to have no compassion for these monks or capability of understanding their distress.
The protest also included students who called for freedom to study in Tibet.
Does anyone thinks it's crazy to have severe security for a monastery? The monks are setting themselves on fire as a severe form of self-expression to show their complete contempt for and dissatisfaction with Chinese rule. The monks aren't harming others, they're harming themselves and it is their conscious decision. If the monks are willing to go to that extreme level to show their extreme unhappiness, shouldn't there be a red flag that goes up to the government that's like "Hey, monks are setting themselves on fire. Maybe we should listen to what they have to say"? Does China really need Tibet? Didn't Tibet have high levels of autonomy in the past? Why does China all of a sudden (relatively speaking, considering it's all relative) need Tibet?
I really hope John didn't phrase this as a "fun fact"... I'm not sure who thinks burning to death is a fun thing.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I do agree that's crazy to have severe security to the monestary. I mean obviously if monks are lighting themselves on fire there's an issue causing them to do it.. because that'd be a stretch to assume they were all just insane. Some change definitely needs to happen in China..
Poor sad monks :(
As I said on Teresa's blog, these acts were based off of the story of Buddha sacrificing himself to be eaten by a tiger, so that the tiger wouldn't eat her own children. The moral to be taken from this is that self-mutilation or suicide is okay in the Buddhist faith if it is for the greater good. As I also said, I don't think these types of protests accomplish much as they don't really effect the Chinese government much and it doesn't force them to listen to what the Buddhists want.
ReplyDeleteI feel like though the monks may not accomplish anything with the Chinese government through their acts, they feel they are staying true to their faith by doing this. Buddhism, as Hannah knows (Dr. Fox!!! <3 ), is not concerned with earthly possessions, and the teachings of the Buddha dictate that those are truly in tune will be able to regard their bodies as earthly possessions. These monks don't think that burning their bodies is necessarily as horrible as what is being done to their society and their religion, so in protest they light themselves on fire. In their faith this an ultimate act of "releasing earthly pleasures."
ReplyDelete