[Buddha-l] Extreme practice

[Dan Lusthaus]

> The Theravada vipassana teacher Anagarika Munindra who lived in Bodhgaya
> told me that, when the Tibetan refugees first arrived in India, he
> several times saw Tibetans at the Mahabodhi stupa hold fingers up and
> burn them as offerings, like offering butter lamps.
>
> Other fairly extreme forms of practice include Tibetan pilgrims going
> right across Tibet and round Mt Kailash doing full length prostrations
> all the way.

Ch. 23 of the Lotus Sutra is the locus classicus for the practice of
self-immolation. Full body prostrations as a mode of travel and penance is
found throughout Mahayana countries. Middle aged Taiwanese women can often
be seen engaged in that "practice." The famous Chinese monk Xuyun (Empty
Cloud) traveled to Burma from China that way. How damaging and detrimental
is it? He lived to 113.

Dan