Monk Chopped Off His Own Head

It is alleged that a Buddhist monk in Thailand chopped off his own head as a way to bring him luck in the afterlife. The UK's Metro reports that the 68-year-old, who had been a monk for 11 years, built a guillotine and left behind a note. It stated that he had done the act on his birthday as a way of praising Buddha, hoping that the "sacrifice" would allow him to reincarnate as a higher being. In response, the National Office of Buddhism urged local officials to clarify that giving money or freeing captive birds can be done as a spiritual sacrifice instead.