In 1963 a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk set himself on fire in protest of the persecution of Buddhists by the government of South Vietnam. Malcolm Browne was there to photograph it, and received a Pulitzer Prize for it. The body of the monk was re-cremated, however his heart remained intact. Buddhists saw this as a symbol of compassion, and saw in him a bodhisattva (enlightenment-being), which made an even bigger impact on the public.
Year: 1963
Photographer: © Malcolm W. Browne
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