Self Immolation: A history and A sad story

We are discussing Tibetan Buddhism this week in class and have been asked to read/watch some "In the news" articles...I have been interested in this already, as the more I study Buddhism, the more interested I become in both the ideology and teachings of The Buddha,  the spread , slow show of disinterest and recent resurgence of interest in all things Buddha. 
In Kathmandu, Nepal, a recent self-immolation has occurred,  (Feb 3rd, 2013) where a monk has lit himself on fire in protest of the Chinese treatment of Tibet, he died at the scene. He is the 100th self-immolation reported since a new wave of such actions began in 2009. His Holiness (HH) Dalai Lama has asked his followers not to take such drastic actions, but even-so this is ongoing.

The event took place beside the famous Buddhist stupa in Kathmandu,  considered one of the seven wonders of the Buddhist world. 
   Lobsang Namgyal was  a former monk from the Kirti Monastery in Dharamsala, India (where HH The Dalai Lama has been in exile since 1959, along with thousands of Tibetan refugees), where he was held in high regard and working on the highest qualifications in Tibetan Buddhism. He disappeared in September last year. 
(Feb14th, NYTimes)

Since the publication of the NYTimes story I discussed above, there have been 10 more self-immolation's, the latest one occurring yesterday, March 24th in Dharamsala, India. 
Kal Kyi, a thirty year old mother of four is the latest in this epidemic of fiery deaths. The local Tibetans took her body into the Monastery in order to keep it safe. Fourteen Tibetans have self-immolated since the beginning of this year. Eight of them happened in February alone.

Kal Kyi

Although the path to nirvana can be blocked by suicide, it depends on the thoughts at the time of death. For Buddhists, since the first precept is to refrain from the destruction of life, including one's self, suicide is seen as a negative form of action. If someone commits suicide in anger, he may be reborn in a sorrowful realm due to negative final thoughts. However, unlike Christianity and other religions, Buddhism does not condemn suicide, but rather states that the reasons for suicide are often negative and thus counteract the path to enlightenment.

The Dalai Lama

Tibetan Buddhism

The Dalai Lamas

No.	Name	Birth Place
1.	Gedun Drupa (1391-1474)	Shabtod (U-tsang)
2.	Gedun Gyatso (1475 - 1542)	Tanag Segme (U-tsang)
3.	Sonam Gyatso (1543 - 1588)	Tolung (U-tsang)
4.	Yonten Gyatso (1589 - 1617)	Mongolia
5.	Lobsang Gyatso (1617 - 1682)	Chingwar Taktse (U-tsang)
6.	Tsangyang Gyatso (1682 - 1706)	Mon Tawang, India
7.	Kelsang Gyatso (1708 - 1757)	Lithang (Kham)
8.	Jamphel Gyatso (1758 - 1804)	Thobgyal (U-tsang)
9.	Lungtok Gyatso (1805 - 1815)	Dan Chokhor (Kham)
10.	Tsultrim Gyatso (1816 - 1837)	Lithang (Kham
11.	Khedrup Gyatso (1838 - 1856)	Gathar (Kham)
12.	Trinley Gyatso (1856 - 1875)	Lhoka (U-tsang)
13.	Thupten Gyatso (1876 - 1933)	Dagpo Langdun (U-tsang)
14.	Tenzin Gyatso (1935 - )	Taktser, Kumbum (Amdo) These are the Dalai Lama's taken from dalailama.com

His Holiness (HH) The Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, born in 1935 and proclaimed the next Dalai Lama when he was two. 
MORE TO ADD HERE, CLEARLY :) 

After his exile from Tibet to India on March 30th, 1959, at the age of 24,  He took up residence in the Tsuglagkhang Complex in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala which consists of a monastery, Tibetan Museum, cafe, book shop, library and is also the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

Sacred Sites, Buddhist and others...in the News

There is a place in Afghanistan where hundreds  of Buddha statues stud the streets of an ancient city. Near it, or under it, I suppose, is copper. Enough copper to bring Afghanistan out if the financial ruin it has been in for years. The site is believed to be the largest copper mine in the world and if the salvage of the city is not done beforehand, more Buddhist history will be lost. 

Mes Aynak, which translates into "little copper well" is located approximately 40 kms from Kabul, Afghanistan and contains the worlds second largest copper deposit, the first being in Largest Copper Hostile Takeover . 
Amongst the statues and relics is a 100 acre monastery complex, with various buildings and out buildings. 
In 2007, Afghanistan and China entered into a 30 year lease contract for 30 Billion dollars, which sparked an intense outpouring from Buddhists far and wide, comparing the devastation to that of the Taliban's devastation of the world's tallest statue of Buddha, measuring 53 meters tall, in Bamiyan, Afghanistan. They managed to stop the mining until Dec 12/12, this date has come and gone and they are still unearthing thousands of relics and ancient art pieces. As of this month, March 2013, they are still working the site. 

Sikhism and the 5 K's

The 5 Ks taken together symbolize that the Sikh who wears them has dedicated themselves to a life of devotion and submission to the Guru.

The 5 Ks are 5 physical symbols worn by Sikhs who have been initiated into the Khalsa.

The five Ks are:

Kesh (uncut hair)
Kara (a steel bracelet)
Kanga (a wooden comb)
Kaccha - also spelt, Kachh, Kachera (cotton underwear)
Kirpan (steel sword) 
Kesh: A symbol of your devotion to God, your hair is left uncut your entire lifetime, combed twice a day with the Kanga, and held in place by it also. It is then covered with a 

These 5 K's are considered kakkars and are all worn as part of the proof of baptism by the Sikh's. All Sikhs who have taken Amrit were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear a small comb called a Kanga at all times.

Interesting facts I have found about India, Hinduism, etc

In the 11th month of the Hindu civic calendar, which starts mid Feb and ends mid March. It is based on the new moon, which in 2013 in March, starts on the 10/11th.

In the Vaishnava (the followers of Vishnu) calendar, Madhava governs this month, as seen below.

Krishna Paksha	Shukla Paksha
1. Prathama	1. Prathama
2. Dwitiya	2. Dwitiya
3. Tritiya	3. Tritiya
4. Chaturthi	4. Chaturthi
5. Panchami	5. Panchami
6. Shashti	6. Shashti
7. Saptami	7. Saptami
8. Ashtami	8. Ashtami
9. Navami	9. Navami
10.Dashami	10.Dashami
11.Ekadashi	11.Ekadashi
12.Dwadashi	12.Dwadashi
13.Thrayodashi	13.Thrayodashi
14.Chaturdashi	14.Chaturdashi
15.Purnima	15. Amavasya

           "Madhava (Sanskrit: माधव) is another name for Vishnu or Krishna and appears as the 72nd, 167th and 735th names in the Vishnu sahasranama. (the 1000 names of Vishnu)

From the Bhagavad Gita it is understood to refer to Vishnu being the husband of the goddess of fortune (Lakshmi). Arjuna addresses Krishna in the first chapter as follows:

"What should we gain, O Krishna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?" (Bhagavad-Gita 1.36)" (wiki)

The Buddha

I have been watching an amazing documentary called "The Buddha -- The Story Of Siddhartha", narrated by Richard Gere, a Buddhist himself, and produced by David Grubin. I am really enjoying the depth and information in this video, including some amazing cinematography. 

Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi district of Nepal,. It is the place where Queen Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, who as the Buddha Gautama founded the Buddhist tradition. 

The Buddhas mother, Queen Mayadevi had a dream in which a white elephant entered her side. He turned into a white lotus flower and blossomed into a son in her womb. When she gave birth to her son; from her side also, she only lasted one week herself, dying and leaving Siddhartha alone, to be raised by Mayadevi`s sister, Mahaprajapati. 
The name Siddhartha means "one who has accomplished his aim", Gautama being the family name. His father was a king, named Suddhodana, he was told by astrologers that his son would either become a universal monarch (which his father wanted) or become an enlightened soul who would teach mankind how to become enlightened, a Buddha, a monk. 
There were four signs that would start the events happening, predicted that Siddhartha would see “A decrepit old man, a diseased man, a dead man and a monk.”, his father the King took great pains in keeping him from the real world and seeing these signs take place. Lavishing Siddhartha in luxury, building giant walls around the palace area, so he could not see out... Suddhodana looked after his son's every whim, supplying him with education, wonderful food, wine and women. When Buddha was 16 years old, he married Yasodhara, whom then gave birth to a son, Rahul. Still living within the enclosed palace walls, he has yet to set foot outside of his luxurious and  indulgent compound, or way of life, until his 29th year. 
In his 29th year, Siddhartha, after much thought and emotional upheaval, decides to leave behind Yasodhara and Rahul, to find out what it is that is needed to reach enlightenment, to stop the cycle of death and rebirth, to become The Buddha. He spends many years wandering as spiritual seekers do, the renunciation of all things self,    from place to place, always asking and wondering just what it is he needs to find, to find out, before becoming enlightened. Asceticism was something he tried for approximately 5 years, depriving himself of everything but one grain of rice per day...

NOTE |TO SELF ADD THIS FARTHER IN: When he has become so emaciated in his quest for this knowledge, he finally understands that it is not the deprivation of food, water and worldly goods will bring him enlightenment, it is from within. So when a young girl comes by with rice pudding, telling him to "eat" , he does. He slowly becomes healthier and ends up in Bodhgaya, where he finds a bodhi tree and sits under it, meditating. Tempted by Mela, the god of desire, he is tormented and tempted by him for hours, never once moving. Siddhartha finally touches one finger to the ground, which causes the earth to tremble, sending away all of Mela's demons and Mela himself. For the rest of that night, Siddhartha meditates and sees for the first time all the lives he has lived previously, but not as in a past dreamlike life, as if they are occurring at that moment, gaining the power to see, birth, life and death as they really are, the continuum of reincarnation, and as he sees these lives, he can finally understand all of this. He remains under the tree all night, and by morning...by the light of the morning star, he roared like a lion," my mind he said, is at peace". shaking the bodhi tree, as the tree rained down flowers upon him... he became, the enlightened one, The Buddha. At the same time, under that tree, the world became enlightened as well. This was approximately 45 days from when he first sat under the tree, in his 35th year.  After Brahma comes and beseeches him to help with the teaching of his enlightenment, that Buddha decides to share his teachings. The first teachings are referred to as "setting in motion the wheel of the Dharma" , and is finally taught to his previous 5 cohorts whom were still living an ascetic life, trying to starve themselves into enlightenment. 

Buddhism is an educational system...(best description I have heard so far)...including the art of meditation as part of the learning. 
106:00 movie time