Thich Quang Duc

One of the more famous shocking events that led up to the Viet Nam war was the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc, one of the country's leading Buddhist teachers.  The U.S.-supported president of partitioned South Vietnam had been cracking down on monks and monasteries, closing whole monasataries and temples.  Many were protesting.  This monk set himself on fire in front of the Foreign Correspondents headquarters to draw international attention.  The president was assassinated soon after, enmeshing the country in war.  Thich Quang Duc is seen today as a brave protest leader and also an enlightened boddhavista.  Supposedly, while his body burned, his heart remained.  He's revered and even literally worshipped as an enlightened master. We visited the corner where he died, and the OKC memorial and the new large stone memorial park dedicated to him and his protest.