Beheaded Buddhist monk with a guillotine in search of reincarnation | the Chronicle

Thammakorn Wangpreecha, a 68-year-old Buddhist monk, was found lifeless in the Wat Phu Hin temple in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast of Thailand, after having beheaded with a guillotine for the apparent purpose of reincarnating into a “higher spiritual being”.

The monk’s nephew, Booncherd Boonrod, discovered the body on April 15 and said his uncle’s plans were inscribed on a marble plaque, local media reported.

“In the letter, he said that cutting off his head was his way of praising Buddha and that he had planned it for five years.“said Boonrod who also argued that the wish of his uncle “It was to offer his head and soul so that the Lord could help him reincarnate into a higher spiritual being in the next life.”

Supposedly, the monk would have placed a makeshift guillotine next to the statue of a Buddhist deity in such a way that his head, when cut off, appears to be supported by the religious figure.

Wangpreecha’s body was placed in a coffin and her head in a jar. The remains were then taken to a forest, where they were cremated. More than 300 faithful participated in the funeral rite.

“He fulfilled his purpose and found the light”, said one of the monk’s disciples, who served at Wat Phu Hin for eleven years.

However, while some praise Wangpreecha’s decision, the National Bureau of Buddhism has requested help from the local government in explaining to locals that such practices are not encouraged by religion.