Understanding a good death at a Buddhist temple’s end-of-life care centre

The Palliative Care Centre for Vulnerable Groups at Wat Pa Non Sa-at in Korat follows the Buddhist principle of "dying well". It offers patients the chance to become "spiritual teachers" before passing on with a peaceful mind. 

This centre is more than just a place for end-of-life care. It serves as a home and family for vulnerable patients who may have never experienced such care before. 

The Buddhist approach to end-of-life care at Wat Pa Non Sa-at in Chok Chai district, Nakhon Ratchasima province, provides a refuge for terminally ill patients, vulnerable groups, the impoverished, the elderly without caregivers, and sick monks. 

Here, they can receive treatment guided by Buddhist teachings, following the concept of "dying well in the Buddhist way".

Patients have the opportunity to act as "spiritual teachers", and their care also creates merit by freeing up intensive care unit (ICU) beds for others. It's estimated that each ICU room costs around 100,000 baht, turning the act of relinquishing the bed into another form of merit-making.

“Terminal patients also include the impoverished who do not have a family or relatives to care for them. For example, at Chok Chai Hospital, there was a poor patient who had been hospitalised for six years. When this centre was established, we took him under our care,” Phra Saenprach Panyakamo, the abbot of Wat Pa Non Sa-at, said. “This represents a collaborative effort between the hospital and the temple. In the future, hospitals will undoubtedly face an increase in cases of impoverished patients whose relatives won’t take them back. So, if there are no palliative care centres like this to provide support, what will happen?”

In bringing terminal patients to this Buddhist care centre, Phra Saenprach emphasises that it is not about the hospital pushing them to the temple. "We cannot stand in opposition to them. We can’t just say, ‘Come to the temple to prepare for death’. Instead, we must introduce a new perspective using Buddhist teachings. Everything presents an opportunity, and spiritual practice is one such opportunity. Doctors continue to monitor the patients, so maintaining morale is crucial."

Currently, the Buddhist care centre has 74 volunteers, including monks, nuns, and laypeople, who provide care for terminally ill and vulnerable patients. 

The centre's monthly expenses average around 500,000 baht, with no fixed budget from the government. Funding comes from the faith and donations of the public, inspired by Phra Saenprach's teachings broadcast on Suranaree University of Technology's (SUT) radio station every morning. 

Additional funding comes from projects supported by the National Health Commission Office.

The Buddhist Palliative Care Centre at Wat Pa Non Sa-at is planning to expand its care for terminally ill and vulnerable patients to accommodate an additional 100 beds, with a budget of around 70 million baht. 

Additionally, they offer an online Dhamma course, allowing patients and the elderly at home to participate without needing to visit the centre.

For those interested in receiving care, volunteering, or contributing to the centre’s operations, please call 08-3125-6375 or contact via the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sati2560/ Wat Pa Non Sa-at, Buddhist Palliative Care for Ailing Monks and Terminally Ill Patients.