Deepa Mehta's _Fire_

[N. Ganesan]

>> Can anyone cite an early Tamil, or
>>  Sanskritic textual reference to the latter practice.

N. Subrahmanian, Self-immolation in Tamil society
is a good essay. Probably, Ms. Mary Storm can say
more on voluntary suicides in Dravidian societies
using art history.

Kalingattup Parani, of Kulottunga Chozan I, 11th century AD, says
people voluntarily cut heads and submitted to Goddess
Durga/KoRRavai.

In fact, the Lotus sutra chapter on BhaiSaajyarAja:
"He lives in the time of a Buddha, whose preaching
fills Him with such adoring gratitude that He can
render adequate thanks only by burning His own body
on a pyre. The story is filled with fantastic details.
He is said to have burned for 1200 years ...
The Bodhisattva, filled with grief, cremated His Lord's
remains, collected the relics and divided them in 84000
urns, ...Then as a final offering to the relics
He set fire to His own arms .."
(p.206, A. C. Soper, Literary evidence for early
Buddhist art in China).

This self-immolation theme, along with three others
present throughout the history in Dravidian South,
shows that the Lotus sutra was written in the South.
(Are there any works showing the origin of Lotus sutra?)

Self-immolation, self-mutilation in kalingattup paraNi
and contemporary piercings in Murukan temples,
people setting themselves on fire for MGR, so on
can be found in the South even today.

Much like Japanese businessmen after losing money
commiting suicides. Is it called 'hirakari'?
To save family honor.

Regards
N. Ganesan


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com