The Burning Monk

Okay, this one may be a bit of a surprise. Many people in many countries have heard of or even witnessed the horrific self immolation of those who, whether monk or civilian, have set themselves on fire to make an indelible statement. In Buddhism, centuries ago, some monks took as their justification, the story of the Medicine King, as their inspiration and mistaken belief that this was not only a method for quickly attaining the Buddha state, but additionally,  as a powerful rebuke to political oppressions of the time. This is soooooo distorted, and actual proof of the terrible consequence of mistaken views and misunderstanding of expedient means.