Thích Quảng Ðức Vietnamese Buddhist monk

[Hsiang-Lin]

This is one of the most powerful stories I have ever heard. Here's a brief excerpt from Wikipedia:

Thích Quảng Ðức (help·info), born Lâm Văn Tức in 1897, was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon intersection on June 11, 1963. His act of self-immolation, which was repeated by others, was witnessed by David Halberstam, a New York Times reporter, who wrote:

"I was to see that sight again, but once was enough. Flames were coming from a human being; his body was slowly withering and shriveling up, his head blackening and charring. In the air was the smell of burning human flesh; human beings burn surprisingly quickly. Behind me I could hear the sobbing of the Vietnamese who were now gathering. I was too shocked to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too bewildered to even think.... As he burned he never moved a muscle, never uttered a sound, his outward composure in sharp contrast to the wailing people around him."

This man's actions just leaves so many emotions within me. This is the ultimate form of self-sacrifice and protest. If even that, I think it serves as such a powerful reminder of how truly great we can be and how we should strive to become the best we can be. No words can describe the respect and awe I feel for this man. Total and utter respect.

[Radical]

There is no dignity in suicide.

[RandomJohn]

To a buddhist of his school, the human body was just a vehicle of life, and Thích Quảng Ðức felt his life purpose was best served by self-immolation. He simply did not identify himself or his life with his body. It wasn't a question of dignity. It was a question of the most effective way to fulfill his life's purpose.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by Radical

There is no dignity in suicide.

On the contrary, some suicides are a last-ditch effort to preserve dignity. Without going into depression, I'll point to seppuku.