I don't understand this aspect of Buddhism. Should I want to?

"Yesterday, on Earth Day, a man named Wynn Alan Bruce set himself on fire in front of the Supreme Court Building, in Washington DC. Those who knew Wynn describe him as very kind, someone who cared about the devastating suffering that climate change is bringing and will continue to bring with greater severity.
I did not know him personally. Friends of mine did know him. I do not know why he chose to do this. But I do want to share two things. First, I will share the words that Wynn posted on his Facebook site that express his faith in the Shambhala tradition of Buddhism. Second, as I thought of this when reflecting on Wynn's action, I will share words of Thich Nhat Hanh about the monks and nuns who burned themselves in Vietnam.
First, the words that Wynn shared on December 25, 2021:
I have lived in Boulder, CO since 2000. I share a few words from the spiritual tradition that I learned of here - Shambhala.
Now I awaken basic goodness in my heart.
I confidently awaken my innate qualities —
Goodness, wisdom, kindness and strength —
Within the sun of basic goodness.
Society is basically good.
May the basic goodness I discovered today continue to grow and grow. May its brilliant rays shine through my life. May this primordial truth, the inheritance of all humanity, be a brilliant torch to guide all beings. May the warm-heartedness, I have discovered, be a parasol to protect all beings. May the love that I have tasted be shared with the entire world.
May the courageousness of this moment never be forgotten. May there be harmony between biospheric family, friends and nations. May the Earth be healed. May the elements be balanced. May humanity have-peace. May enlightened society manifest on this Earth. May all see the Great Eastern Sun of Shambhala.
And here are the words of Thich Nhat Hanh:
"The press spoke then of suicide, but in the essence, it is not. It is not even a protest. What the monks said in the letters they left before burning themselves aimed only at alarming, at moving the hearts of the oppressors, and at calling the attention of the world to the suffering endured then by the Vietnamese. To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance…. The Vietnamese monk, by burning himself, says with all his strength and determination that he can endure the greatest of sufferings to protect his people…. To express will by burning oneself, therefore, is not to commit an act of destruction but to perform an act of construction, that is, to suffer and to die for th
e sake of one’s people. This is not suicide."

From a Facebook post on the page of the late Wynn Bruce

quote:

this aspect of Buddhism

I don't know a lot, or rather, I know zero about the Shambhala tradition.

But a lot of Buddhist sects are against suicide as part of their commitment to non-violence and to respect all living things.

Having said that...

quote:

To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance

I think this says more about the rest of us than it does about Buddhism.... By which I mean, these examples of people who have set themselves on fire are showing us that the situation is so dire, that no one approach has gotten enough attention to make a difference...

Just my thoughts after not very much reflection, I'm sure there are aspects I'm missing...

Thought the Prague Spring self-immolation person was a Buddhist. Just checked and there was no mention of that. Found there was another about a month later.
Once stood on the steps where that happened. It was also in The Incredible Lightness of Being.
With a little Googling I found that self-immolation is not rare. There was one in D.C. in January.
I wonder whether the media avoids sensationalizing it to avoid popularizing it.

No,I don't even own a gas can.

The saddest part is that this barely made the news. The next day was business as usual at the courthouse, there was even a family picnicking on the steps.

Someone I only knew of as,"Dave," burned himself to death in front of Charles Ringling's mansion the year before I started going to school in Sarasota.

I never met anyone who could say why. I didn't ask. People didn't talk about it much.

Incidentally, I read about it in the Tampa paper at the time.