Abstract:
This thesis examines the tragedy of Tibetan self-immolation through the perspective of
Tantric Buddhism’s understanding of human potential. Such a perspective includes three
topics that formulate the individual chapters in this work. They are (1) the result of the
tantric path in the form of the bodies of a buddha. (2) The basis of purification in the form
of the human body’s mental and physical properties, which tantric aspirants manipulate to
produce an enlightened mind and body, and (3) the path—or the specific sequence of
yogas—that culminates in the attainment of complete buddhahood. Altogether, these
topics emphasize the profound potential of human life, and its ability to generate an
altruistic, eternal, and god-like embodiment of enlightenment. Thus, this thesis argues
that—when understood from the viewpoint of tantra—the sacrifice of self-immolation
has a deeper and more significant meaning than it initially appears.
