flâneur

The Sacrifices We Choose to Make

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It is 8 o'clock in the morning of 11 June, 1963. In the city of Saigon in South Vietnam more than 300 Buddhist monks and nuns have gathered inside the largest Pagoda in Saigon, the Xa Loi Pagoda. They emerge, walking in procession, chanting and beating small drums. They follow a pale blue sedan, containing a revered 66 year old monk named Thich Quang Duc1, as well as two attendant monks. They walk toward a busy intersection, a few blocks away from the presidential palace. They arrive shortly after 9am. A large crowd has gathered, attracted by the procession, including two American reporters, tipped off the day before that something newsworthy will happen, although they have not been told what. Thich Quang Duc and his attendants exit the car, and place a small pillow on the ground. He seats himself upright in the lotus posture. He is alert but serene, assured and in full command of his body. His attendants douse him from head to toe with five gallons of gasoline. He takes a single woode

The Sacrifices We Choose to Make tis display July 13, 2025 It is 8 o'clock in the morning of 11 June, 1963. In the city of Saigon in South Vietnam more than 300 Buddhist monks and nuns have gathered inside the largest Pagoda in Saigon, the Xa Loi Pagoda. They emerge, walking in procession, chanting and beating small drums. They follow a pale blue sedan, containing a revered 66 year old monk named Thich Quang Duc 1 , as well as two attendant monks. They walk toward a busy intersection, a few blocks away from the presidential palace. They arrive shortly after 9am. A large crowd has gathered, att

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