Tenzin Phuntsog – a Buddhist monk in his forties from the Monastery of Karma – set himself on fire this week as an act of self- immolation. He is the twelfth Buddhist monk to attempt self- immolation this year, an observance that the Chinese Communist government describes an act of terrorism. Tenzin Phuntsog survived his voluntary religious ceremonial act of setting his body on fire, now he is identified by the Chinese government as a terrorist. Self- immolation is an expression of prayer in self- sacrifice intended to spread the message that the ideals of Buddhism are being brutally suppressed by the government of China.
(Read more)