“His wish was to offer his head and his soul. So that the Lord could help him reincarnate as a higher spiritual being in the next life.”
YouTubeThammakorn Wangpreecha had been plan his rite for five class .
A Buddhist Thelonious Sphere Monk in Thailand hop to be reincarnated as a “ high spiritual being . ” So , he establish a closure by compartment and chop up off his own head .
The monk , Thammakorn Wangpreecha , carefully planned his sacrifice for five years . On his 68th natal day , he lead his makeshift closure by compartment to a Buddhistic statue of Indra , which depict the god hold its own head , and decapitated himself .
YouTubeThammakorn Wangpreecha had been planning his ritual for five years.
“ Chopping his head off was his room of praising Buddha , ” said Wangpreecha ’s nephew , Booncherd Boonrod . The military personnel come across his uncle ’s decapitated body on April 15 at the Wat Phu Hin temple in Nong Bua Lamphu province , in northeastern Thailand .
The Thelonious Sphere Monk go forth behind a letter explaining his action , and eveninscribed his architectural plan in marblebefore he died .
“ His indirect request was to offer his head and his individual , ” explained Boonrod . “ So that the Lord could aid him renew as a higher spiritual being in the next life . ”
YouTubeThe homemade guillotine the monk used for his self-decapitation.
Buddhism emphasizes the thought of “ Renaissance ” — that is , that after one dies in this spirit , one is reborn into the next .
Wangpreecha would have hump Buddhistic teachings well . He had served as a Buddhistic Thelonious Sphere Monk at a Thai tabernacle for 11 class . latterly , he had evidence other Thelonious Sphere Monk of his plans to provide the monkhood . But he never mention his plans to decapitate himself or how he had establish a closure by compartment to do so .
YouTubeThe homemade guillotine the monk used for his ego - decapitation .
YouTubeThe statue where Wangpreecha’s body was found.
Such an act is rare among Buddhists . Wangpreecha vindicate his actions by following a dogma of Buddhism called “ create merit . ” This states that making a sacrifice can convey near portion in the afterlife .
Other Buddhist monks have made news in modern story by performing utmost acts of self - sacrifice . The act of self - immolation — burning one ’s ego alive — has been used by Buddhistic Thelonious Sphere Monk as a political tool . Famously , Thich Quang Ducburned himself alive in 1963 in Saigonto protest the Vietnam War .
Self - immolation is different than what Wangpreecha did , however . Setting one ’s ego on fire is more tightly tied to political protest , especially in recent years . Wangpreecha ’s self - decapitation was more religious in nature , focused on the mind of reincarnation and pleasing the Buddha .
For most Buddhists , however , making merit can be achievedby fall in alms or praying . Good deeds like this effect in good karma — from which Buddhists believe they benefit in the afterlife .
However , many who knew Wangpreecha witness something to admire in his ritual killing . After his body was try by police , some 300 people flocked to Wat Phu Hin tabernacle to pay their regard and to prepare the monastic ’s body for entombment .
“ He execute his goal and met enlightenment,”said one of his following , named Yu .
Wangpreecha ’s admirer placed the Thelonious Monk ’s dead body in one coffin and his head in another . Then , they burned both coffins in the forest nearby .
YouTubeThe statue where Wangpreecha ’s body was found .
But Buddhist organisation have stressed that they do not excuse behavior like Wangpreecha ’s .
The National Buddhism Office spokesman Sipbowon Kaeo - ngamcalled the action at law of Wangpreechaa “ secret topic ” since Wangpreecha had pull up stakes the monkhood before his death .
However , Sipbowon Kaeo - ngam went on to say that ritual like ego - beheading — alongside disastrous thaumaturgy and spells — were inconsistent with Buddhistic teachings . Such practices should be debar . Kaeo - ngam articulate that politics religious authorities in Thailand would make an effort to redistribute “ correct ” Buddhistic teachings .
“ Temple executive director and abbots should survey their exercise and await after other monks in their tabernacle , ” Kaeo - ngam state . “ This incident is possible evidence of neglecting to do so . ”
The National Office of Buddhism insisted that Buddhist can “ make merit ” and gain karma in other way . Buddhist can give money or free captive hiss , for good example .
What Buddhist organizations need to make clear is that anyone seeking to gain Age of Reason should n’t go to the extremes that Wangpreecha did . It ’s not necessary to chop off your head to order to make karma and to have a ripe afterlife .
“ We have to forbid such unpleasant situation from happening again , ” Kaeo - ngam said .
After reading about the Buddhist monk who chopped off his own head , watch about theSokushinbutsu , Japanese Buddhist Monk who mummify themselves . Or , check out these darkBuddhist teachingsthat Westerners often overlook .
