Eihei Dogen, the founder of the Soto Zen school in Japan, was born on this day in 1200; his writings continue to shape Buddhist practice.
Elder Tibetan monk self-immolates to protest Chinese policies, leaves explanatory note; other monk-scholar beaten to death by Chinese police
Radio Free Asia and other sources report that a respected 43-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monk named Tsultrim Gyatso burned himself to death Thursday at a crossroads in Gansu province, in protest of Communist China’s oppressive policies in its ongoing occupation of Tibet. By RFA’s count, Gyatso was the 125th Tibetan since 2009 to use the extreme […]
New self-immolation protest in Tibet as Chinese religious policies condemned in human rights report
News of a Tibetan father of two becoming the 122nd person to set himself on fire in protest of the Communist Chinese government’s policies in Tibet came simultaneously with the release of a detailed report by human rights groups on China’s repressive measures to control Tibetan Buddhism. Tibet Post International and other sources report that […]
Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi address Buddhist violence in Burma
Nobel Peace Prize laureates Aung San Suu Kyi and HH the Dalai Lama, together at the 17th Annual Forum 2000 conference in Prague this week, have both weighed in on the recent violence in Burma by Buddhists — stoked by some monks’ nationalist rhetoric — against ethnic Rohingya Muslims. Agence France-Presse reports that in answering […]
Teenage Tibetan monk Kunchok Sonam dies in self-immolation protest of Chinese occupation
Numerous outlets are reporting that Kunchok Sonam has become the 121st Tibetan to protest the Chinese occupation of his homeland by self-immolation. The 18-year-old monk was described as having shouted slogans for a free Tibet before setting himself on fire in front of his Thangkor Soktsang monastery, located in the area of Ngaba, where there […]
Tibetan man dies in self-immolation protest
In reports coming out of Tibet, a man self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation in the Adril region of Eastern Tibet on Monday. Tenzin Sherab, 31, died at the scene. His body was confiscated by Chinese police but returned to his family the next day. Phayul reports that Sherab had spoken about China’s human rights […]
Two Tibetan monks die in double self-immolation; possible third immolation unconfirmed
Two young monks are dead after self-immolating at the Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Zoege, Eastern Tibet, on Wednesday evening, Phayul reports. Lobsang Dawa, 20, and Kunchok Woeser, 22, set themselves alight outside the monastery’s main prayer hall. Both of them died at the scene, and their bodies were taken back to their rooms for […]
Young Tibetan woman dies in self-immolation protest
Reports are just coming in that a 20-year-old woman set herself alight and died in Zamthang county, in the Ngaba region of Northeastern Tibet, Tuesday afternoon. Chuktso (also identified as Jugtso) self-immolated near Zamthang Monastery around 3 p.m. and died at the scene. Chuktso leaves behind a husband and a 3-year-old child.
Tibetan monk dies in self-immolation protest
A monk is dead after self-immolating in the Luchu region of eastern Tibet last week. Reports have emerged that Kunchok Tenzin, 28, set himself on fire at an intersection near Mogri Monastery in Luchu last Tuesday, March 26. He died at the scene, and Tibetans brought his body inside the monastery and cremated it so […]
2012 deaths of Tibetan monk and nun officially ruled self-immolations
The number of Tibetans who have self-immolated in protest of Chinese occupation since 2009 has grown to at least 113, as the deaths of a Tibetan monk and nun last year have officially been ruled immolations. Tulku Athup (also known as Thupten Nyendak Rinpoche), 45, and his niece, 23-year-old nun Atse, died on April 6, […]