Suicide in Vietnam

One of my students has asked me about "the role" of suicide in Vietnam-

- if it is socially condemned or approved.

In our first 2 1/2 weeks of class we have met it in Kieu, in the self-

immolation of monks and nuns, and at the end of the second episode

of "Song of the South" (Dat Phuong Nam).

So far I have been explaining it on a case by case basis--trying to

understand the particular circumstances of each event. But if someone

has another answer, I'd be grateful to hear it.

best,

Diane

Hi Diane:

This is a broad subject which relates to many aspects of the culture. It would take some time to come up with a good answer. Let me just give a “bad” answer, listing quickly a number of categories as they come to mind.

We can start by looking at the way language is being used to describe the act of suicide:

1) tu+. tu+?: kill oneself, commit suicide

2) tua^~n tie^’t: kill oneself, used only in case of someone doing it to preserve his or her own honor, or the national honor.

3) vi. pha’p thie^u tha^n: self immolate for the sake of the dharma, used only in case of Buddhist monks or nuns who sacrifice their lives for the protection of Buddhism.

Some famous cases in history:

1) The Trung sisters, according to legend, committed suicide by drowning themselves in the Hat river to avoid capture by the invading troops.

2) The suicides committed by General Hoang Dieu after his fort was captured by French troops, by Phan Thanh Gian after the French gained control of a number of Southern provinces, etc.

3) The self-immolation of many monks and nuns in recent Vietnamese history. The most famous case is that of the Venerable Thich Quang Duc in 1963.

4) Legends:

a) Truong Chi: because of his unrequited love for My Nuong, he threw himself into a well (if my memory serves me).

b) The origin of the betel leave, areca nut, and the lime. Deaths due to the misunderstanding among the husband, wife, and the husband’s brother.

In general, killing oneself to preserve one’s honor or the nation’s honor is considered an act of courage and integrity. Or to self immolate to call attention to religious persecution in order to protect the Buddhism is considered an act of supreme sacrifice. Or to atone for one’s error that causes someone else’s death, as in the case of many legends, is used often as a pedagogic device, to warn human beings of the danger of self-deception.

As for the ordinary cases of individual suicide, it is viewed positively or negatively depending upon individual circumstances. In general, suicide is not considered a viable solution according the law of karma, because if one commits suicide to avoid the present sufferings, these same sufferings will reoccur in the next life. When the sufferings are caused others, however, suicide will be looked at more sympathetically; if they are caused by one's own actions, there will be no sympathy. For Vietnamese Catholics, suicide, as in Christianity in the West, is forbidden.

Nguyen Ba Chung

Many thanks, all of you!