A SILENCE I ADMIRE
Googling ‘leader’ gave me a set of standard definitions, some iffy infographics and a lot of self-help leadership books available at a competitive rate on Amazon.
Adding ‘famous’ to the search just muddied the waters. The offerings were broad, from Julius Caesar and Martin Luther King Jr. to Mahatma Ghandi and the Dalai Lama. Even Joseph Stalin and Adolf Hitler snuck in there. Safe to say, I’d have to think a bit harder.
I consider travelling to have been a big influence on my adult life, so I looked back at my various trips to find some form of leadership figure I admired.
And there it was from my month in Vietnam. I booked a walking tour of the Ho Chi Minh city (formerly Saigon) and I stood where history was made by Thích Quảng Đức — someone I’ve come to admire as a leader.
WHO WAS THÍCH QUẢNG ĐỨC?
June — 1963, seven years into the Vietnam War. A senior Buddhist monk seated himself in the middle of a busy Ho Chi Minh intersection surrounded by 350 monks and bystanders. Adopting the lotus position, the monk sat and began his prayers and meditation.
His name: Thích Quảng Đức.
Two monks then doused Quảng Đức with gasoline whilst onlookers stood and waited for him to finish his ritual. Once done, he struck a match and was instantly engulfed in flames.
For ten minutes the silent monk endured; an act of defiance against Ngô Đình Diệm’s southern Vietnam regime. A regime that banned the Buddhist flag. A regime that suppressed those faithful to Buddhists teachings in favour of minority Catholicism. A regime supported substantially by United States aid.
Major protests and marches had already taken place, but Quảng Đức’s self-immolation became a major political moment for Vietnam; it was the catalyst for the fall of the Diệm regime.
“No news picture in history has generated so much emotion around the world as that one.” — John F Kennedy, U.S. President
Although time often brings replacement images that shock the world (9/11, for instance), Thích Quảng Đức’s ‘burning monk’ is etched vividly in my mind.
AN INCREDIBLE FACT — POST SELF-IMMOLATION
Self-immolation is a recognised ritual within Buddhist communities. Amazingly, whilst Quảng Đức’s body perished, one organ remained intact — his heart. Even after a second cremation of his remains, Quảng Đức’s heart was largely undamaged and became a holy relic for the monks.
How about that for strength of character and spirit.
WHY DO I ADMIRE HIM?
I have no religious affiliations, however, Quảng Đức’s example leaves me with much admiration:
- I admire his strength of faith. Although Buddhists were the majority, they fell victim to persecution under a corrupt Catholic regime. Even with his last moments alive, Đức chose to pray and worship peacefully.
- I admire his courage. His sacrifice demonstrated that not all people could be silenced by the regime. His act of martyrdom served as an inspiration for many in Vietnam.
- I admire his anti-violent approach which led the way to a political revolution. His demonstration saw the Diệm regime crumble and the U.S. reconsider policies in support of Vietnam.
ĐỨC LEADERSHIP LIVES ON
Quảng Đức was a leader of political and social change in Vietnam. His leadership, however unorthodox to many, was based on his strength of faith, his courage of self-sacrifice and his belief in anti-violence to change Vietnam for the better of the masses.
The fact that his heart did not perish with his body goes some way to symbolise how strong this man really was.
What’s not to admire?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Associated Press (2013) The Burning Monk, Associated Press. Online: https://www.ap.org/explore/the-burning-monk/
History Pod (2018) 11th June 1963: Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself to death, YouTube. Online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBPFw0lnevY
Worth, R. F (2011) How a Single Match can Ignite a Revolution, The New York Times. Online: https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/weekinreview/23worth.html
