South Viet Nam: The Heart of Quang Due

Heads bowed, palms pressed together in prayer, thousands of Buddhists filed quietly through Saigon's Xa Loi Pagoda last week to witness what most of them believed to be a miracle. Amid the fragrance of incense-burning reeds, yellow-robed priests chanted from sunrise to midnight, laymen gazed in awe, and weeping women held children up to see it all. On the altar, inside a crystal urn, which in turn was encased in a bouquet-flanked glass chest, lay the object of their reverenceĀ—a charred piece of flesh. Over it a hand-lettered sign announced: "The Eternal Heart of High Priest Quang Due."

Two weeks...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!