Self-Immolation; Tibet; Buddhism; Sacrifice; Political Violence; Nationalist Struggle
摘要
Self-immolation is not an ordinary suicide or self-destructive act, but has a religious dimension since one’s own body is seen as a gift for a greater cause. This article highlights the specific Buddhist ritual and textual heritage when analyzing the recent wave of self-immolations in Tibet, and incorporates the act in a wider Buddhist set of practices called ”gift of the body”. The first political sacrifices made in the 1960s intended to save Buddhism at a time when it was perceived as being threatened in South Vietnam, and later focus shifted towards bringing an end to the Vietnam War. As a result, their sacrifices were addressed to Vietnamese politicians and to the global community. Nearly fifty years later, a new wave of self-immolations have occurred in Tibet – with previously no tradition of self-immolation – and this time, the fiery suicides by Tibetan monks and former monks can be seen as an expression of the nationalist struggle for a free Tibet.
目次
Self-immolation – Sacrificing One’s Own Body for a Greater Cause 345 Self-immolations in Tibet 347 Lama Sobha’s Last Message 350 The Gift of the Body in Buddhist Literature 351 Auto-cremation as Religious Practice in Buddhist Tradition 355 The prototype of auto-cremation as political protest–the death of Thich Quang Duc 357 Conclusions 359 References 361
