Tibetan Suicide Protests Violate Buddhist Ethics

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New America Media, News Report, Yoichi Shimatsu, Posted: Oct 05, 2011

In just this year, five monks have torched themselves in protest at Kirti monastery, in the Aba district of China’s Sichuan Province. Prior to self-immolation, each monk called for Chinese authorities to permit the homecoming of the 14th Dalai Lama. The burnings follow upon earlier suicides by a dozen monks and a nun.

Although the Dalai Lama, for whom these lives were sacrificed, voiced opposition to an act of suicide years earlier, with 17 followers dead and counting, his present silence implies self-immolation is a commendable action.

All religious movements have martyrs who died at the hands of an intolerant foe rather than betray their faith. Deliberate self-sacrifice in religious warfare, as practiced by Muslim suicide bombers, is controversial and opposed by more rationalistic preachers. In totally different circumstances of peace and prosperity on the Tibetan Plateau, the resort to self-immolation raises hard questions about Buddhist attitudes toward suicide.

The infrequent suicidal protests in modern China and Vietnam have been solitary actions and not a policy of Buddhist sects. The most famous incident, broadcast worldwide over television, was the self-torching of 66-year-old Vietnamese monk Thich Quang Duc to confront persecution by the Catholic-run government of South Vietnam. His suicide in 1963 prompted President Ngo Dinh Diem to personal remorse, even if it did not lead to the desired reform.

The Tibetan immolations fail to get across the message. In recent years, Chinese society has developed a phobia toward religious fanaticism, largely due to online images of an alleged Falun Gong member's self-immolation at Tiananmen Square, which the sect claims is a fake, promoting the stereotype of religious extremism as a form of psychosis." Instead of arousing compassion for their cause, human torching led to ostracism.

End of Boyhood

A troubling question concerns the age of the suicide victims- all young, some still teenagers, rather than elderly men past the prime of life. With Tibet prospering and monks having the chance to study in India, why would anyone so young throw away a promising future? As told to me by an ethnic Tibetan detective in Aba county, a police raid on Kirti monastery in the wake of the 2008 riots resulted in the seizure of rifles, ammunition and a trove of pornographic DVDs. The community of 2,000 monks, as provincial officials discovered to their shock and dismay, had been tolerating the banned traditional practice of pedophilia.

Tibetan families tend to nervously laugh off the molestation issue since monasteries are respected institutions. The psychological effects of sexual abuse under a monastic seniority system are undoubtedly similar to the lifelong trauma experienced by some victims of the Catholic priesthood. Aggressive acts against minors have likely contributed to the depression and low self-esteem that allowed some youngsters to be manipulated into volunteering for suicide.

Morality and Law

Sichuan police officers and paramedics intervened in every immolation event, dousing the gasoline flames and rushing the patient to a hospital and later to a morgue. In this year's first case, the police arrested three older monks who had encouraged a novice to suicide. If found guilty for prompting the victim's death, they will be sentenced for murder.

The ethical argument for the state to intervene against religion-sanctioned suicide, which is today universally upheld, was first formulated by Augustine, the bishop of Hippo in 4th century North Africa. As social pessimism gripped the collapsing Roman empire, the Catholic theologian criticized rival Gnostic bishops for urging suicide as a release from the material world, which in their cosmology is a prison confining the free soul. Augustine, an advocate of separation of religion and state, nevertheless called on the Roman governor to arrest the offending prelates since the suicides were not actually voluntary and therefore unlawful.

Augustine, whose reasoned arguments were later twisted by the medieval church for repressive purposes, explained that spiritual experience requires the care and maintenance of the body. A similar doctrine of reasonableness toward biological necessity was developed a millennium earlier by Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, whose "middle way" opposed excessive asceticism and mortification of the flesh.

Buddhism subdivided into three major movements: Hinayana, based on the exemplary life of the Buddha; Mahayana, incorporating pre-Buddhist divinities and rites; and Vajrayana, practicing anti-dogmatic rituals. Tibetan Buddhism is a branch of Vajrayana, also called Tantrism, which emerged as a distinct school in the 8th century along the Silk Road.

Bodily Consumption

Early Tantric practioners, who assailed the constrictive rules of orthodox Buddhism, pushed the boundaries with sexual rituals and marathon meditation for attainment of visions. In consecrations more literal than the Christian communion with bread and wine, Vajaryana devotees ingested morsels of flesh (hair and nails) and body fluids from their teachers to symbolize the transmission of teachings. These ritualized feasts were a faint echo from the pre-Buddhist past when divinities were appeased with burnt offerings of sacrificial victims.

Sacrifice of one's body by fire is, therefore, seen as the ultimate tribute to a higher cause. This sort of primitivist thinking puts extreme Tantrism and Gnosticism into the category of heresy against the rigorous logic and progressive outlook of original Buddhism and early Christianity.

The Buddha opposed suicide, considering it a self-deceptive escape from the human condition of suffering and therefore undeserving of karmic merit. In only two rare cases did he exonerate - but not endorse - euthanasia by monks who were physically incapable of caring for themselves due to chronic illness and advanced age.

The Buddhist Eight-fold Path explains that a troubled world can be positively influenced only through clarity of mind, considerate behavior and ethical relationships. Suicide is off the moral map, since it leads nowhere but back to suffering by others. To young Tibetans and the Buddhist community, the Dalai Lama should therefore be teaching not why to die but how to live.

Yoichi Shimatsu, former associate editor with Pacific News Service, is a Hong Kong-based journalist who produced the video documentaries "Flight of the Karmapa" and "Prayer Flags." He has worked in the Aba Tibetan autonomous district in China’s Sichuan Province as an environmental consultant.

Ed. Note: An earlier version of this article left out reference to allegations disputing the authenticity of images involving the self-immolation of members of Falun Gong. The current version has been revised to offer a more accurate reflection of the issue.

Comments

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

It is hard to say wether the Dalai Lama is saying nothing as a form of endorsement. When the Buddhas' home town was later wiped out by invaders with its residents massacred, he too received the news in silence.

There is many cases of self immolation in the later Buddhist schools - both Mahayana and Vajrayana, although it is seldom found in Theraveda. Hinayana as a school as such is extinct, although as it existed only within the Mahayana and later schools, it does exist metaphorically - Hinayana seems to be the monsters under the bed. Theravada is not Hinayana and does not ever appear to have been Hinayana - it left India well before Hinayana.

The methodology of sacrificing oneself to become a future Buddha does not make much sense in the practical path and in comparison to what the Buddha taught from what you could call the early schools and writings.

This perhaps explains some of the scorn reserved in these later schools for arahants / arhats (ironically, the Buddha by definition was an arahant) who worked for their enlightenment in this life. Working for enlightenment literally means you must put your play-things behind you and strive on.

Those who wanted to forsake their own enlightenment until others had been enlightened first seemed more compassionate, but even with all the love in the world, really how can the blind help the blind? It is said the first Zen Patriarch saw more compassion and benefit to others in self enlightenment here and now (as arahants) as opposed to working towards a lofty future goal and not following the path in this life. We must ask would the Buddha have become Buddha without the "right effort" and "right view" or "conviction" of the 8 fold path that the ancient arahants were later scorned for having used?

These immolation cases in modern times can be found not just in protest in Vietnam and Tibet but even during the ancient Bactrian Kingdom (before Christ) were a wall carving record the self immolated of a visiting Mahayana monk in Greece.

The more we love something, the harder it is to let go and the more it hurts when we lose it - and we will lose everything over in our lifetime. This is what the Buddha taught - it is as it is, it is what it is, it is how it is. Extremes of uncontrolled and misunderstood love and compassion always turn to self sacrifice or worse - altruism from the dark side.

Those too "young" in terms of insight to understand the way things are -that we simply don't get what we want and that there is nothing wrong in that, as it is how it is, can be easily misled into thinking they are doing a noble thing. Perfection of understanding comes at the price of choosing facts above personal feelings and preferences.

There is a well known story in Buddhism where 3 monks were confronted by a bandit who insisted on killing one of them. The one who tried to save himself betraying the others was not following the path, the one who betrayed himself to save the others were also not following the path. The one who taught the bandit why he wanted to kill them, saved them all.

Accumulating rifles, pornography, manipulation and so on is so far removed from the Buddhas' path, its not even remotely funny, there is nothing that can shine a less than dark light on it. It breaks the vinaya (these actions would mean the monks would be forced to disrobe and is disqualified), goes against the Buddha and what the Buddha taught. Such terrible harm is the result as heresy is perhaps the best way to describe it.

It gives China's Leadership sudden validity in arresting monastics, even innocent ones simply because the guilty and corrupt have been shown to exist - on their heads are the other ones hanged.

That within a Dalai Lama supporting Tibetan monastary such a thing happened allows people to really start questioning who and what the Dalai Lama really is and what he stands for, even if he had nothing to do with it and does not support it. To claim perfection as a living Buddha does not give any room for human error in the eyes of their detractors.

The Buddha went against the ancient practices simply because there was no benefit in them. They do not lead to the goal, to release and the abandonment of delusion, rituals and beliefs. While Buddhist nations for many years were isolated and turned more towards ritual and deity worshipping, perhaps it is this formulative period we can call the Buddhist dark ages?

The real Dharma-ending age?

Perhaps Buddhism needs to go back to its roots of virtue, mental development and wisdom.

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

You are being fooled by the Chinese communist propaganda, if you really believe this article.
Look from many dimensions, not just one sided view. That is also against the Buddha's teaching
of Right view of holy eight fold path.
To get whole picture, please got o Dalailama.com or phayul.com
Sincer Buddhist.

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

In August, I asked a senior monk at a Tibetan monastery in Ganzi Prefecture about the monk suicides. He explained that while we senior monks teach the younger monks that suicide is against Buddhist teachings, we cannot control them. We can give them guidelines. We understand that the frustrations and oppression the monks suffer is very great and that a monk might kill himself.

My impression speaking with many monks is that the monks do not claim perfection but are trying to do the right thing and improve themselves. The monks, no matter which of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism they belong to, love the Dalai Lama as their religious leader and are dedicated to the survival of their religion and culture. They are frustrated that the religious policies of the Chinese government aim to control the leadership, education and teaching of Tibetan Buddhism. Christians also face this same policy. Both Tibetan Buddhists and Christians worry and feel frustrated that the quality of teaching, religious leadership and religious practice are difficult to maintain under the rules the Communist Party has set. The monk suicides are partly a manifestation of that frustration.

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

Tibetan people want freedom; China will never be a great and lasting world power until the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhism are free from China’s precaution. Long life to the Dalai Lama!

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

Tibetan people want freedom; China will never be a great and lasting world power until the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhism are free from China’s precaution. Long life to the Dalai Lama!

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

Yoichi Shimatsu, a strange guy wants attention at any cost !

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

In the guise of historico-religious discussion, this author whitewashes the Chinese occupation of Tibet and maltreatment of ethnic Tibetans.

(Is he fishing for another consulting gig in the western PRC, once and hopefully again to be known as the independent nation of Tibet? He should hardly be telling the Dalai Lama what to do unless he frees himself of this conflict of interest.)

In the guise of freeing Tibetans from their feudal/priestly oppressors, Mao Zedong conquered them for (a) access to minerals, (b) expansion space for Han, and (c) control of the headwaters of major rivers. Not entirely a Maoist crime: Dr. Sun Yat-sen claimed Tibet as being one of the 5 Chinese ethnicities - over a century ago!

As to Buddhist dogma or teaching, cultural suicide (as once practiced in Japan) is discouraged as an essentially useless exercise: you're coming back again anyway, so don't waste your time copping out. As a didactic effort, Buddhism seems to be tacitly accepting of suicide. Thus, in my interpretation, monks committing suicide may do so to underscore a point otherwise ignored: the Diem family's persecution of Buddhists in South Vietnam was disrupted by the self-immolations of several monks; it is, however, unlikely that the deliberately immoral Chinese Communists will be impressed. We may hope that the lesson of these Tibetan monks will have a positive impact on those who care what goes on in that distant place.

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

Wow, Yoichi Shimatsu. Who would take anything he writes seriously?? He has been consistently writing some really negative things about Tibetan Buddhism for some time. Maybe authentic investigative journalists should be investigating him.

Anonymous

Posted Oct 5 2011

Anonymous

Posted Oct 17 2011

Dalai Lama dont have to say anything.Tibetan inside Tibetan are burning themselves to be heard ,so that Tibetan have freedom from fear and die in peace and do not have to burn to heard.Protest have no language only the message That is freedom for Tibet

Anonymous

Posted Feb 16

Why won't the Tibetan exile community talk about the molestation issue?

Anonymous

Posted Feb 16

The Dalai Lama supporters are rallying to discredit the author and his article, failed to see the real core issue which is the force suicide by senior monks force upon the youngsters.

Anonymous

Posted Feb 16

Dalai lama brand of buddhism give a great great bad name for buddhism world wide. Politic can never be mix with religion.

Religion (holy) + Politic (corrupt) = Devine Corruption AKA EVIL

Anonymous

Posted Feb 17

The problem about resolve the Tibet issue is that neither side is willing to deal with it honestly. Just look at the reactions of Tibetans to a legitimate issue. It's all about PR, spin and message control.

Anonymous

Posted Mar 30

I don't understand the mindset of anyone who encourages and applauds such violent action nor do I feel it is logical to support the preservation ...of Tibetan heritage by supporting the suicides of its monks. Such ill-though-out support only encourages more monks to kill themselves including impressionable young teenagers.

The concerns of these monks and those who support their violent actions is worldly. Specifically, they revolve around delusional notions of nationalism and tribalism. The best way to support Tibetan Buddhist culture, I believe, is to practice Tibetan Buddhism and not by practicing or supporting suicide.

Anonymous

Posted Mar 30

I don't understand the mindset of anyone who encourages and applauds such violent action nor do I feel it is logical to support the preservation of Tibetan heritage by supporting the suicides of its monks. Such ill-though-out support only encourages more monks to kill themselves including impressionable young teenagers.

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