Man on Fire

Wikipedia, the next-best thing to the Hitchhiker's Guide, tells us that Thich Quang Duc was a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk who burned himself to death at a busy Saigon road intersection on 11 June 1963. 

It's one of the most famous images of the Vietnam War era, along with the photos of a naked Vietnamese girl running down a road after her village was napalmed, and a Viet Cong officer being executed in the street in broad daylight.

One might think things like this speak for themselves. Then you find this.

Burning Monk

Shin Yu Pai

From the remains 
of his cremation, 
the monks recovered


the seat of Thich Quang Duc's 
consciousness—


a bloodless protest 
to awaken the heart 
of the oppressor


offered 
at the crossing of 
Phanh Dinh Phung 
                           & Le Van Duyet 
doused in gasoline & 
immolated by 4-meter 
flames the orange-robed


arhat folded in 
the stillness 
of full lotus


his body withering 
his crown blackening


his flesh charring 
his corpse collapsing


his heart refusing to burn 
his heart refusing to burn 
his heart refusing to burn