Reply #11: It staggers me to think of the mental/emotional discipline and ethical commitment.

[TahitiNut]

In this and other instances, the monks did not scream or struggle or thrash in agony ... their meditation and mental integrity was so profound that they could endure the most unendurable pain I can imagine.

It's really beyond what any mind not well=educated in Buddhist philosophy can comprehend, I think. What studies I've done and meditation I've practiced only offers a whiff of a hint.

As we contemplate the mere idea of PROTESTING the criminal acts of our own government, these men serve as a model of what (I believe) protest can be. As we take a mere stroll in the sun, together with friends, maybe we need to ask ourselves what more we could do.

After all, over a million lives have been eradicated in this regime's lust for power and wealth. Is our own blood so precious that it cannot be shed in opposition?

(That's what I think about. Not much fun at parties.)