Thich Quang Duc Self-Immolation

[InfinityFlame]

When talking about the power of the mind, the spirit, reality, and all the philosophical concepts and arguments that go along with those things, I'm just curious what you all think of this video of the monk Thich Quang Duc setting himself on fire (self-immolation). In the video he doesn't move, moan, or scream but sits in a meditation posture quietly as his body completely is burned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFO5pM-TwYY

I've heard all kinds of theories, like his spirit leaving his body, or he took drugs before he commited the act. However those are only theories and have absolutely no proof or substance to them. I was just wondering if anyone here had any knowledge on this subject and what buddhists believe about pain and spirituality. Right now this man is regarded as a Boddhisatva because of this act. Whether that is right or wrong can also be debated.

[lycaeus]

Wow that's hot. Maybe it's a scene from a movie? I'm open to that being possible though. I've heard of stories like that. One where a monk was buried 6 feet under for 6 days in a box while meditating and came out fine. I've also heard of Tibetan monks in the mountains sitting in freezing snow, even having snow put on them. They would meditate and melt the snow with their energy. The larger the circle of snow melt around them the higher status they received. It's proven people can walk on coals, but idk about that video, it seems so unbelievable. I wouldn't try the coals though. An old room mate of mine tried doing that and he screamed and ran to the washroom to dump his foot in the toilet. Was very funny lol.

[InfinityFlame]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Quang_Duc
Apparently it really happened. The article says that he commited the act as a form of protest against the Vietnamese Government for persecuting and oppressing Buddhists.

"The act itself occurred at the intersection [10 June 1963] of Phan Đình Phùng Boulevard (now Nguyễn Đình Chiểu Street) and Lê Văn Duyệt Street (now Cách Mạng Tháng Tám Street) a few blocks Southwest of the Presidential Palace (now the Reunification Palace). Duc emerged from the car along with two other monks. One placed a cushion on the road while the second opened the trunk and took out a five-gallon gasoline can. As the marchers formed a circle around him, Duc calmly seated himself in the traditional Buddhist meditative lotus position on the cushion. A colleague emptied the contents of the gasoline container over Đức's head. Đức rotated a string of wooden prayer beads and recited the words Nianfo ("homage to Amitābha Buddha") before striking a match and dropping it on himself. Flames consumed his robes and flesh, and black oily smoke emanated from his burning body.[24][25]

Quang Duc's last words before his self-immolation were documented in a letter he had left:

'Before closing my eyes and moving towards the vision of the Buddha, I respectfully plead to President Ngo Dinh Diem to take a mind of compassion towards the people of the nation and implement religious equality to maintain the strength of the homeland eternally. I call the venerables, reverends, members of the sangha and the lay Buddhists to organise in solidarity to make sacrifices to protect Buddhism.'"
-Wikipedia