LP Kasem Khemako (B.E.2455~2538) was the descendants of Lampang's King from Lanna Period. LP was born on Wednesday, 28th November 1912 (BE2455) in Jangwat Lampang.
He became a novice monk in B.E.2468 after the dead his uncle, the abbot of Wat Bunyeun. In B.E.2470, he went to Bangkok to study Pali language. He returned to Lampang and further his Pali studies in Wat Seelom and Wat Bunyawaht.a
In B.E.2475, he passed his Pali examination with good results and came in first in class at Wat Setuwan. In B.E.2476, he was ordained as a monk at Wat Bunyeun at the age of 21 years old. His preceptor was Tahn Jow Koon Tammajindah. His ordained name's was Khemako Pikkhu. After he entered monkhood, LP Kasem went to Jangwat Chiang Rai to further his Pali studies. He met LP Krubah Gaen, a very famous Tudong monk in North Thailand who was very good in Sammadhi. LP Kasem became his disciple and went Tudong with his teacher in forests and cementries.
LP Kasem continued his learning in dhamma and sammadhi practise even after he became the abbot of Wat Bunyuen. He left Wat Bunyeun in B.E.2492, and went to stay at Sasahn Sahlahwangthan (a cementry at another place in Lampang). LP Kasem was determined to practise the highest level of Sammadhi at the cementry. He would sit in front of the burial place and watched the burning of corpse. Whether in hot sun or raining, Luang Phor would just sit quietly and watched the corpse being burned to ashes.
LP Kasem ever sat in Sammadhi for as long as three months, without shelter under hot sun or heavy rain. He would just sit quietly and not asked for anything. He had let go of everything in his practise of Dhamma and Sammadhi. He ever went without food for 49 days even. Since B.E.2514, LP Kasem only bathed once a year, but there is no stench or foul odour from his body. More surprisingly, without shelter and mosquito net, LP Kasem never suffered any bites from mosquitoes at the cementry.
LP Kasem carried nothing with him. His only possessions are his alm bowl, his robe which he was wearing and a piece of human bone for him to practise Sammadhi. He did not even wore any footwear. LP Kasem ever mentioned that he is a forest monk and does not required any possession. Whatever things that people gave to him, he would give away to other monks. LP Kasem never used a pillow to sleep, because to him, a pillow is a luxury. He would sleep with his body in full protrate position and would sleep at the same spot where he sat in Sammadhi. He was very determined to find the truth of life. He asked for nothing in life though he can enjoy the luxuries in life as he was the descendants of royal blood in Lampang.
Luang Phor Kasem passed away on 15 Jan 1996 (BE2539) (7:42 pm) at the Lampang hospita at his age of 84.
*** "Khemako" meaning person of happy and well contented in Dharma.
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