Thích Quảng Đức
ⓘ (tʰɪ̌t kwɐ̂ːŋ ɗɨ̌k; born Lâm Văn Tức, (Hoi Khanh, French Indochina; 1897-Saigon, South Vietnam; June 11, 1963) was a Vietnamese Mahāyāna Buddhist monk who burned himself to death on a very street. Saigon transit on June 11, 1963.
Thích Quảng Đức did so as a sign of protest against the persecution suffered by Buddhists by the government of Ngô Đình Diệm. Photographs of the event went around the world and served to question the policies adopted by the Diệm regime. Malcolm Browne won a Pulitzer Prize for the photograph of the burning monk, and David Halberstam reported on the event. After his funeral, in which his remains were finally reduced to ashes, Quang Duc's heart was not burned; it was recovered and treasured as a relic. This fact was taken as a symbol of his compassion and led to the Vietnamese Buddhists to honor him as bodhisattva.
Thích Quảng Đức's act increased international pressure against Diệm, so he announced various reforms with the intention of appeasing the Buddhists. However, these measures were not fully implemented, generating a deterioration in the dispute. The protests continued, and Special Forces of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ERVN), loyal to Diệm's brother, Ngô Ðình Nhu, attacked several Buddhist pagodas causing numerous deaths. Several monks followed Thích Quảng Đức's example and burned themselves to death. Finally, a coup d'état overthrew and assassinated Diệm in November. The immolation was seen as a crucial moment in the Vietnamese crisis, which led to a change in the regime.
The repeated practice of this sacrifice by Buddhist monks (also called bonzes) led to the act being known as "burning yourself in a bonze" or "committing suicide in a bonze style."
Biography
Details about Thích Quảng Đức's life derive from information disseminated by various Buddhist organizations. They maintain that he was born in the village of Hội Khánh, located in Vạn Ninh county of Khánh Hòa province in Vietnam. He was born under the name Lâm Văn Tức, and was one of the seven children of Lâm Hữu Ứng and his wife, Nguyễn Thị Nương. At the age of seven he began to study Buddhism under the teachings of Hòa thượng Thích Hoằng Thâm, who was his maternal uncle and spiritual guide. Thích Hoằng Thâm raised him as a son, and Lâm Văn Tức changed his name to Nguyễn Văn Khiết . At 15 years of age, he received the vows of samanera (novice) and was ordained as a monk at the age of 20, under the name Thích Quảng Ðức. After his ordination, he moved to a mountain near Ninh Hòa, where he remained for three years living as a hermit. Some time later he returned to open the Thien Loc Pagoda, located on the mountain where he lived.
After his isolation ended, Thích Quảng Đức traveled to different places where he spoke about the dharma. After two years, he made a spiritual retreat at the Sac Tu Thien An Pagoda, near the city of Nha Trang. In 1932, he was elected inspector of the Ninh Hòa Buddhist Association, before becoming inspector of the monks of his native province, Khánh Hòa. During this period in central Vietnam, he was responsible for the construction of 14 temples. In 1934, he moved to southern Vietnam where he spoke on Buddhism in various locations. He also traveled to Cambodia, where he studied some texts from the Theravāda Buddhist school. Upon his return from Cambodia, he oversaw the construction of another 17 temples during his stay in the south. The last of the 31 temples he built was the Quán Thế Âm (Avalokiteshvara) Pagoda, located in the Phú Nhuận district of Gia Dinh province, outside Saigon. The street where the temple is located was named in his honor. After its construction, Thích Quảng Đức was appointed president of the Ceremonial Rites Commission of the Congregation of Vietnamese Monks, and abbot of the Phuoc Hoa Pagoda, the first location of the Association of Buddhist Studies of Vietnam (ABSV). When the ABSV offices were relocated to the Xa Loi Pagoda, the most important pagoda in Saigon, Thích Quảng Đức resigned from his position in order to concentrate on his personal practice of Buddhism.
Religious context
In a country where polls indicated that Buddhism corresponded to 70 or 90 percent of the population, President Ngô Đình Diệm was a member of the Catholic minority, and implemented policies considered unbiased in the country. His government was accused of favoring the Catholic population in public and military services, as well as in land allocation, trade agreements, and tax benefits. This behavior was reflected in comments Diệm made to one of his officers — without knowing that he was a Buddhist -, explaining that Catholic officers were much more trustworthy so he assigned them to important tasks. Several members of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam converted to Catholicism believing that their aspirations as soldiers depended on that. Furthermore, the distribution of weapons for village militias was carried out only among Catholics and Buddhists who adopted this religion. Some Catholic priests formed their own private armies, forcibly converting people, carrying out looting and destroying pagodas in certain areas, acts that the government did not stop.
Some Buddhist villages converted en masse in order to receive aid or avoid being deported by the Diệm regime. The "private" status that Buddhism obtained from the French, which required official permits to carry out religious activities in public, was not revoked by Diệm. Catholics did not perform the forced labor to which the rest of the citizens were obliged, in addition to receiving disproportionately humanitarian aid from other countries. The Catholic Church was the owner of large extensions of land within the country, enjoyed certain benefits such as facilities in the acquisition of property, and its territories were not included in the agrarian reform. The flag of Vatican City was raised in the most important public events of the Republic of Vietnam, and Diệm "gave" his country to the Virgin Mary in 1959.
Buddhist discontent erupted when in early May 1963 it was prohibited to raise the Buddhist flag on Vesak, the day on which the existence and enlightenment of Gautama Buddha is celebrated. Days ago, Catholics had been allowed to raise the flag of Vatican City to celebrate the anniversary of Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc, Diệm's brother. Large numbers of people protested against the ban, raising Buddhist flags at Vesak and marching in front of the government broadcasting station. On May 8, 1963, government forces fired into the crowd, resulting in the deaths of nine people. Diệm's refusal to take responsibility—blaming the Viet Cong for the deaths—led to further protests.
Death
On June 10, 1963, a Buddhist spokesman informed American correspondents in Vietnam that "something important" would happen the next day in front of the Cambodian embassy in Saigon. Several journalists ignored the message, since the conflict had lasted about a month. Therefore, only a small number of correspondents reached the scene, including David Halberstam of The New York Times and Malcolm Browne, president of the Associated Press news agency in Saigon.
Thích Quảng Đức arrived at the scene along with a procession that began at a nearby pagoda. Around 350 monks and religious marched in two groups, preceded by an Austin Westminster car, carrying banners written in Vietnamese and English. They complained against Diệm's government and the policies adopted against Buddhists, demanding that he fulfill his promises on religious equality. Although another monk had offered to perform the sacrifice, Thích Quảng Đức's decision prevailed.
The incident occurred at the intersection of Phan Dinh Phung and Le Van Duyet streets. Thích Quảng Đức got out of the car along with two other monks. One of the companions put a pillow on the street while the other opened the trunk of the car and took out a can of gasoline. As the crowd gathered around the venue, Thích Quảng Đức sat on the pillow in the lotus position. After the contents of the drum were emptied over his head, Thích Quảng Đức recited the words “Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật” (“Homage to Buddha Amitābha”), then lit a match and threw it at his body. The fire consumed his clothing and flesh, while smoke emanated from his burning body.
Thích Quảng Đức's last words were recorded in a letter he wrote before committing suicide:
Before I close my eyes and head towards the Buddha figure, I respectfully apply to President Ngô Đình Distillm who has compassion on the inhabitants of the nation and develop a religious equality that will maintain the strength of the homeland forever. I call on the venerable, Reverends, members of the sangha and Buddhist preachers to organize and make sacrifices in order to protect Buddhism.
Journalist David Halberstam wrote:
I was gonna see the scene again, but once it was enough. The flames came from a human being; his body withered and dried slowly, his head became black and charred. It felt in the air the smell of human flesh burning; human beings burn surprisingly fast. Behind me I could hear the solitudes of the Vietnamese who gathered around. I was too horrified to cry, too confused to take notes or ask questions, too puzzled even to think... While he was burning he did not move a muscle, he did not pronounce a sound, his compost contrasted with the laments of the people around him.
Firefighters and police officers who tried to reach the scene were delayed by the crowd of Buddhists surrounding the scene. One of the police officers threw himself on the ground in front of Thích Quảng Đức, bowing. Most of the witnesses They remained silent, while the rest sobbed or prayed. Several priests and religious, as well as some passers-by, bowed in front of the burning monk. While this was happening, a monk repeated in Vietnamese and English into a microphone: "A Buddhist priest has burned himself to death. A Buddhist priest has become a martyr.
After approximately 10 minutes, Thích Quảng Đức's body fell and the fire decreased in intensity. A group of monks approached the corpse and covered it with yellow robes, they lifted it up and tried to put it in a coffin, but its limbs did not bend, so one of the arms stuck out while they carried the coffin to the Xa Loi pagoda, located in the center of Saigon. Outside the pagoda, they displayed banners written in English and Vietnamese with the words: "A Buddhist monk has burned himself for our requests." About a thousand monks gathered at the pagoda, while a crowd of students made a human barrier outside the building; When the meeting ended, they went to the place of sacrifice. The police blocked the place, and arrested thirty nuns and six monks who were praying on the street in front of the pagoda.
Funeral and repercussions
After this event, the United States pressured Diệm to reopen negotiations. Diệm had planned an emergency cabinet for June 11 to discuss the Buddhist crisis, which he said was easing. However, after the death of Thích Quảng Đức, Diệm canceled the meeting and spoke individually with his ministers. The US ambassador to Vietnam, William Trueheart, alerted Minister Nguyen Dinh Thuan that the government must reach an agreement, as the situation was "dangerously approaching the breaking point", hoping that Diệm would accept the demands of the Buddhists. Dean Rusk, United States Secretary of State, warned the Saigon embassy that the White House would publicly sever relations with the regime if this did not occur. The agreement between the government and the Buddhists was signed on June 16 of that year. same year.
Thích Quảng Đức's funeral was set for June 15, and although nearly 4,000 people gathered outside the Xa Loi pagoda, the ceremony was postponed. Finally, on June 19, his body was transferred to a cemetery located 16 kilometers from the city, where he was cremated. After the agreement was signed, the police and Buddhist leaders decided to limit the number of attendees at the funeral to only 400 monks.
Intact heart and symbolism
Although the body was cremated during the funeral, Thích Quảng Đức's heart was supposedly kept intact. The organ was considered sacred and kept in a glass chalice in the Xa Loi Pagoda. The relic was seen as a symbol of compassion and Thích Quảng Đức became revered by Vietnamese Buddhists as a bodhisattva (Bồ Tát), receiving the nickname Bồ Tát Thích Quảng Đức.
The funeral was not the last event involving the remains of Thích Quảng Đức. On August 21 of that same year, Nhu's Special Forces attacked Xa Loi and other pagodas in Vietnam. The secret police had intended to confiscate Thích Quảng Đức's ashes, but the urn had been taken by two monks, who fled from the soldiers. Despite this, Nhu's men managed to seize Thích Quảng Đức's heart.
Government reaction
Diệm addressed the country via radio on the day Thích Quảng Đức died, stating that he was concerned about the nature of the event. He appealed to the "serenity and patriotism" of the citizens and announced that he would reopen negotiations with the Buddhists. He explained that the negotiations were progressing well and emphasized the importance of personalism as a method of dealing with the religious crisis. He further warned that extremists had distorted the facts and claimed that Buddhists could "trust the Constitution, in other words, me."
The Army of the Republic of Vietnam responded to the call, supporting Diệm to keep the dissident officers isolated. Thirty officers led by General Le Van Ty expressed their decision to carry out all the missions entrusted by the armed forces to protect the Constitution and the republic. However, the declaration was only a way to hide plans to overthrow Diệm. Some of the signatories actively participated in the coup d'état and subsequent death of Diệm in November of that year. Generals Duong Van Minh and Tran Van Don, military advisor to the president and head of the army who were going to lead the coup, were abroad and did not participate in this engagement.
Trần Lệ Xuân, wife of Diệm's younger brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, and considered the first lady of the Republic of Vietnam during that time, stated that "she would applaud if she saw the spectacle of another monk at the barbecue"; This comment increased discontent among Buddhists. In late June, the government claimed that Thích Quảng Đức was drugged before being forced to commit suicide. The regime even accused Browne of having bribed the Buddhist monk to carry out the act. act.
Political and media impact
The photographs taken by Malcolm Browne went around the world through news agencies and occupied the front page of several newspapers. The sacrifice was considered a crucial point within the religious crisis and as the breaking point that meant the collapse of the Diệm regime. Although the idea of overthrowing the president had already been taken, the suicide of Thích Quảng Đức was seen as the trigger for such an act. Historian Seth Jacobs stated that Thích Quảng Đức had "left Diệm's American experiment in ashes" and that "No amount of pleading could improve Diệm's reputation" once Browne's photographs were in the public eye worldwide. Ellen Hammer maintained that the event "showed the dark images of persecution and horror corresponding to a reality of Asia that Westerners did not know." John Mecklin, a US embassy official, noted that the photograph "had an invaluable effect on the Buddhist cause, becoming a symbol of things happening in Vietnam." William Colby, who was in charge of a division of the CIA, maintained: "[Diệm] handled the crisis poorly and allowed it to grow. But I don't think he could have done much after the monk burned himself alive.
US President John F. Kennedy, whose government supported the Diệm regime, learned of Thích Quảng Đức's suicide through newspaper photographs, while speaking on the phone with his brother, Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy interrupted the conversation about segregation in Alabama when he saw the images. He later declared to the media: "no other photograph in the history of the press has generated as much commotion in the world as this one." US Senator Frank Church, a member of the Senate International Relations Committee, maintained that "such horrifying scenes like these have not been seen since the Christian martyrs marched through the Roman arenas." In Europe, the photographs were sold as postcards during the 1960s, while the People's Republic of China distributed millions of copies throughout Asia and Africa, claiming that It was evidence of "American imperialism."
The photographs of the event were a marketing success for Browne and the Associated Press (AP). Ray Herndon, the United Press International (UPI) correspondent who forgot to bring his camera that day, was harshly criticized by his employers. The same UPI agency estimated that about 5,000 readers in Sydney, with a population of 1.5 to 2 million at the time, had switched to AP. Following the sacrifice of Thích Quảng Đức, theTimes of Vietnam newspaper , loyal to the Diệm regime, launched attacks against American journalists and Buddhists.
Browne's photograph of the death of Thích Quảng Đức has been used on several occasions. The American musical group Rage Against the Machine used it as the cover for their album of the same name in 1992. The photograph also appeared in the episode Chef Goes Nanners of the animated series South Park, where Chef's character burns a Buddhist monk as a sign of protest.
Precedents and influence
.jpg)
Despite the impact generated in the West, this type of sacrifice was not uncommon among Vietnamese monks. The act had been performed in Vietnam for centuries, usually in honor of Gautama Buddha. The case closest to Thích Quảng Đức occurred in 1950 in the north of the country. French authorities had tried to eradicate the practice since their conquest in the 19th century, but to no avail. In the early 20th century, Saigon newspapers reported numerous such cases. The practice has also been seen in China: in 1949, a monk burned himself to death in the city of Harbin, this as a sign of protest against the treatment received by Mao Zedong's government.
The sacrifice of Thích Quảng Đức was copied by five other Buddhist monks in October 1963 as protests continued. The repeated practice of this sacrifice by Buddhist monks (also called bonzes) led to the act It was known as "burning yourself" or "committing suicide." On November 1 of that year, the Vietnamese Armed Forces carried out a coup against Diệm, which resulted in his imprisonment and subsequent murder.