[Buddha-l] more tibetan self-immolations

[Richard Basham]

1. Years ago the JBE published on this topic.

2. Thich Nhat Hahn speaks of identical actions in Vietnam.

3. In the canons, or so I have heard, sacrifice can be perceived as for
the greater good though additional re-births are incurred. For example,
murdering a tyrant might be viewed as reasonable but force re-birth as a
future autocrat who is murdered, and so on. Often such acts are
justified by their impacts, real or imagined. 

4. I view such self-sacrifice as the ultimate complaint, one would
rather be dead than enable or endure more dragon-shit tyranny. These
acts are not justifications but I-statements of very sincere
individuals. 

5. Prior postings on the topic are in the archives, aren't they? 


Richard Basham