Forty-one bodies found in Buddhist monastery in Thailand where they would have been used in meditation practices.

Police are now trying to identify the bodies discovered on Saturday and determine whether they were legally obtained by the Pa Nakhon Chaibovorn Monastery in the northern province of Phichit.

Major General Tadej Klomkliang, Phichit provincial police chief, told the Bangkok Post that he was investigating the circumstances of the deceased’s death.

The monastery claimed the bodies, which police said were accompanied by death and body donation certificates, were voluntarily donated by devoted worshipers.

Phra Ajarn Saifon Phandito, head of the monastery, said the use of corpses was part of a “meditation technique“, he explained.

“Many of those who come to learn are abbots and all these monks… pass on their knowledge,” he told Thai PBS, the state broadcaster. “I don’t know how many have adopted my technique.”

This police raid took place a few days after the discovery on Wednesday of 12 mummified bodies in another isolated monastery, in the neighboring province of Kamphaeng Phet.

Officers found the bodies, including that of a child, used in meditation practices at the Siri Chan Forest Monastery. Followers believed the corpses could provide supernatural powers, according to local media.

Ancient ritual

Corpse meditation is an ancient Buddhist ritual, largely limited to Thailand, where practitioners meditate next to corpses in various stages of decomposition in order to sensitize the body to the fact that death can strike at any time.

The corpse is often a child or young adult who died suddenly and whose body was donated to a temple by their family.

Thailand’s population is predominantly Buddhist, but many have beliefs outside the religion, including the worship of spirits and ghosts.

Phichit police said they were working with authorities in other provinces to investigate the extent of the practice of meditation on corpses.

Thailand’s National Office of Buddhism was also investigating whether the monastery’s corpse meditation practices conflict with Buddhist principles.

In May 2022, Thai police arrested Thawee Nanra, a 75-year-old suspected cult leader, whose followers worshiped corpses and consumed bodily fluids in an attempt to cure illnesses.

Police found 11 bodies inside the secret forest camp, apparently those of former supporters of Mr Thawee, who was later accused of illegally transporting corpses.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 3 months with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving deals and more.