Tibet on Fire

'John Whalen-Bridge bravely sets out to answer hard questions: How are we to understand self-immolation? Are there historical and philosophical roots? Is suicide a Buddhist tradition? Is self-immolation politically effective? This spiritually profound book is vital reading in desperate times.' - Maxine Hong Kingston, Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, USA 'Tibet on Fire offers a penetrating and persuasive analysis of a compelling and troubling Buddhist cultural practice. Why have scores of Tibetan monks and other social activists been choosing self-immolation? What are the cultural, political, and religious meanings of such an act? How can we with confidence interpret bodily deployments such as these ones that express themselves without words? John Whalen-Bridge's nuanced and moving interpretation not only explains a little studied but extremely significant transnational practice, but it offers a method of interpretation that is perfectly applicable to understanding every political act.' - Jack Selzer, Penn State University, USA

Using Kenneth Burke's concept of dramatism as a way of exploring multiple motivations in symbolic expression, Tibet on Fire examines the Tibetan self-immolation movement of 2011-2015. The volume asserts that the self-immolation act is an affirmation of Tibetan identity in the face of cultural genocide.Using Kenneth Burke's concept of dramatism as a way of exploring multiple motivations in symbolic expression, Tibet on Fire examines the Tibetan self-immolation movement of 2011-2015. The volume asserts that the self-immolation act is an affirmation of Tibetan identity in the face of cultural genocide.