A mourning period has been set for two months starting on Dec 15 for the public to pay respects to Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, a popular Buddhist nun and founder of the Sathira-Dhammasthan learning centre, who died on Tuesday from cancer. She was 68.
Her death was announced on Tuesday at 8pm on the webpage of the Sathira-Dhammasthan Foundation.
The foundation's announcement said Mae Chee Sansanee had stomach cancer and started receiving treatment in 2017. During the first year of treatment her condition improved. However, a tumour was detected again in mid-2020 and she again underwent treatment in hospital.
On Dec 3, 2021 her condition deteriorated and doctors found the tumour had grown bigger and the cancer had spread. In line with her wishes, her carers on Dec 6 took her back to the Sathira-Dhammasthan centre, where she passed away peacefully on Tuesday at 6.23pm.
Speaking at the Sathira-Dhammasthan in Bangkok yesterday, Saisampan Panyasiri, Mae Chee Sansanee's elder sister, said a private ceremony will be organised for her disciples until Dec 14. A book of condolences will be opened for signing online.
For the public, a ceremony for paying respects to Mae Chee Sansanee has been scheduled from Dec 15 to Feb 15. Participants are asked to wear white and they must be Covid-vaccinated with double doses or undergo an antigen test within 24 hours before attending the ceremony. The number of mourners joining the ceremony will also be limited.
Ms Saisampan will take over the role of supervising the centre. The Sathira-Dhammasthan Centre was founded by Mae Chee Sansanee in 1987. It is on Vacharapol Road in the Tha Raeng area of Bang Khen district and provides a variety of programmes to study dhamma and take meditation courses.