Dalai Lama Displeased with Selfish Self-Immol​ations

Marquel TPVs Times Karma correspond​ent had a major heart burn while reading in the New York Times: Dalai Lama Urges Outside Inquiry Into Spate of Self-Immolations Among Tibetans.

Kenneth Starr backs down after burning himself on his barbecue. “Conflict of interest,” he insists.

Marquel has seen these burning Buddhists and it’s not a pretty sight although on a cold winter night, it can make things cosier. But the Dalai Lama made an interesting even inscrutable religious or ethical distinction. Those who burn themselves out of anger commit a wrongful act. But those who combust out of compassion can be forgiven and understood.

I had always thought that these people were angry. Why else commit such an unimaginable act? But compassion? That’s like when you feel sorry for someone. “Oh I feel so sorry for him. Time to pour some petrol on my head and light this Zippo. Just for him.” Does this work for you? It doesn’t for Marquel.

He went to the local Buddhist temple which is less a temple and more a community center. He found many eager to speak.

“Tell me,” I asked one, “what’s with the burning up?

He answered, “it is a very peaceful non-violent form of protest.”

“It’s a peaceful , non-violent, final form of protest.” I corrected him. “You don’t get to do it again”

“Yes,” he said sadly, “I miss some of my friends.”

“Friends?” I asked, “you know people who have done this?”

“Only recently,” he said, “there has been a wave of self-immolations overseas where we come from.”

“Why so suddenly?” I asked.

“We don’t know. There was a festival, songs, movies, and then people started burning up.” He said.

“The Dalai Lama said you shouldn’t do it out of anger,” I said.

“That is true,” he confirmed, “you should never act out of anger.”

“In fact he said he disapproved of burning up,” I added, trying to avoid the term self-immolation and all its sexual overtones, “but that if done out of compassion, it could be understood and forgiven.”

“That, too,” he said, “all acts regarding others should be done with compassion. But it is very complicated. For many of my friends it seems  accidental.”

“How can you burn yourself up out of compassion?” I asked. “Forgive me if this seems disrespectful but I’d have to be pretty goddammed mad and angry to do that.”

“I understand your confusion,” he said. “As I said it’s very complicated.”

“But just tell me how you could burn up out of compassion.” I asked.

“Let me see,” he said pursing his lips, “if I can explain this more simply. Say you were part of a group that was mistreated. You might protest out of compassion for your fellows,” he said.

“Hmmm,” I said, realizing I am too anger oriented to see that, “I see that makes sense although it asks a lot of someone. Any other examples?”

“Oh yes,” he said, “but this then might be even tougher for you. You might feel compassion for your tormenters and protest against the empty unhappiness that forced them to act inhumanely.”

“So I might burn myself up feeling sorry for the cop who killed my sister?” I asked, “you’re right. That’s so tough it could never happen. To me.”

“I can see that,” he said, staring at me with increasingly wide eyes. “But my friends burnt up accidentally and I don’t know how to understand it. This is the wave of self-immolations the Dalai Lama is talking about.”

“I don’t understand how this can happen accidentally.” I said.

“They had the festival, saw the film and then two, one of them my friend, burnt up.” He said. “Since then, seven more.”

I thought this over. Then I asked, “what film did they see?”

He shrugged. He looked so sad. But I continued. Get the story first, they teach you in journalism school, where I never went. But I’ve seen every movie ever made and I had a feeling I had this case cracked. “It wouldn’t be,” I went on, “an American movie, called Spinal Tap, was it?”

“Spinal Tap,” he said in recognition, “yes that was it. Very funny.”

“But,” I said, “don’t you remember what happened to all their drummers, one after another? It’s a major part of the movie.”

He shrugged.

I said, “spontaneous combustion! They just burnt up. Nobody knew why but one after another, pphhhhtt… they burst into flames.”

“You really think so?” He asked, adding very, very slowly, “spontaneous combustion….”

Suddenly there was a spark and a whiff of smoke. His pinky had turned crimson red and was glowing. I threw my jacket over it and poured his glass of water on his hand.

“My Icee!” He exclaimed.

“But your hand…” I said.

“It’s fine,” he said.

“It was burning,” I said.

“No,” he said. “You just destroyed my votive candle. I brought it back from Myanmar.”

“Sorry,” I said. Now he really was burning up. With anger. Which is unforgivable according to the Dalai Lama.

He said, “I think you should go now. You’ve made me angry. I must pray.”

“Well when you do,” I said, “be sure to send a message to the Dalai Lama.” He looked up at me. “Tell him it’s spontaneous combustion and that Marquel said so.”

We bowed.

***

BY MARQUEL

Dalai Lama Displeased with Selfish Self-Immol​ations