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The Charlotte Observer Buddhist monk burns himself to death at temple Followers say act was a protest by man who wrote out final wishes ROBERT F. MOORE Staff Writer A Vietnamese monk, who had written his final wishes on a paper scroll, doused himself with gasoline and then burned himself to death as he kneeled in front of a Buddhist statue at a temple in east Charlotte Wednesday. Followers said Thich Chan Hy, 74, committed an act of self-immolation, a form of protest that first gained worldwide attention in Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, a monk set himself on fire...

Shaolin Monks Fight to Protect the Temple's ReputationMonks of China's famed Shaolin Temple, which is commonly considered the birthplace of Chinese kung fu, a unique combination of Buddhism and Chinese martial arts, have been more and more aware of safeguarding the temple's reputation by legal means. "The Shaolin Temple is an important piece of cultural heritage for all human beings. To protect it, we must propose draft legislation to ensure appropriate action," said the abbot of the Temple, whose religious name is Shi Yongxin. Located in Dengfeng County in central China's Henan Province, the Shaolin Temple was built in the...

Sat Jan 4,12:23 PM ET World-famous Shaolin monk warrior group from central China's Songshan Shaolin Temple perform Hard Qi kungfu named 'Lying On Spears' during the Shaolin Charity Tour in Kuala Lumpur Saturday, Jan. 4, 2003. The Hard Qi kungfu is one of the Shaolin external kungfu works by directing the inner Qi to a certain part of the body to make this part produce extreme power. (AP Photo/Teh Eng Koon)

Divorce Trouble Among Details Emerging About Man Who Shot Two Monks, Self at Abbey CONCEPTION, Mo. (AP) - The man who killed two monks and wounded two others at a Roman Catholic abbey before killing himself had been upset with the church over his divorce, The Associated Press learned Wednesday. Investigators had been struggling to find information about 71-year-old Lloyd Robert Jeffress as they searched for a motive in his attack on Conception Abbey, a rural monastery in northwest Missouri. Jeffress' first victim, Brother Damian Larson, pleaded for his life before Jeffress shot him, Abbot Gregory Polan said Wednesday. "He...