Luang Pho Chaem (Solos)

Phra Athikan Chaem — reverently called by the local people Luang Pho Chaem — was a revered master of the old era of the Mae Klong basin, who revived Wat Chulamanee from a state of near abandonment to renewed prosperity, and was the teacher of Luang Pho Nuang Kowitho, the abbot who followed him.

Birth and Ordination

The early life of Luang Pho Chaem — his year of birth, his birthplace, and the names of his parents — is not clearly recorded.

When he reached the age for ordination, he was ordained as a monk within the ordination boundary (phatthasima) of Wat Bang Kaphom, Amphawa Subdistrict, Amphawa District, Samut Songkhram Province, receiving the dhamma name "Solos" (appearing in some documents as "Sorasa"), with no record of his preceptor's name surviving. After ordination he resided studying the Dhamma-Vinaya and esoteric lore at Wat Bang Kaphom, and was one of the close disciples of Luang Pho Khong Thammachoto, the renowned master of Mae Klong.

Coming to Govern Wat Chulamanee

After Phra Athikan Niam, the learned abbot, passed away around B.E. 2459 (1916), Wat Chulamanee — once prosperous — fell into a state of near abandonment, with only a few monks in residence and most of its buildings and structures fallen into ruin.

For this reason, the kamnan (headman) of Pak Ngam Subdistrict (today Bang Chang Subdistrict) respectfully invited Luang Pho Khong of Wat Bang Kaphom, in his capacity as ecclesiastical head of the subdistrict, to help find a capable and learned monk to govern the temple and restore it to prosperity. Luang Pho Khong therefore entrusted his close disciple, Phra Chaem Solos, to come and take up the position of abbot — the 7th abbot of the temple.

Works of Development and Maintenance

After taking office, Luang Pho Chaem devoted himself to developing the temple to the utmost — constructing monastic dwellings and permanent structures so that monks and novices would have secure lodging, and so that the temple would once again become the heart of the community. His principal works, in order, were as follows:

• B.E. 2463 (1920) — built a new sermon hall (sala kan parian) to replace the old, dilapidated one, completing it in good order

• B.E. 2484 (1941) — donated the temple's unused land as a site for building the Wat Chulamanee community school

• B.E. 2488 (1945) — built the Wat Chulamanee community school with his own funds to completion, together with a celebration to inaugurate the school

Teacher of Luang Pho Nuang Kowitho

One reason the name "Luang Pho Chaem" has been remembered ever since is that he was the teacher of Luang Pho Nuang Kowitho (Phra Khru Kowitsamutkhun), the next abbot of Wat Chulamanee, who later became greatly renowned.

At the ordination of Luang Pho Nuang on 29 July B.E. 2475 (1932) at the ubosot of Wat Bang Kaphom, Luang Pho Chaem Solos was invited to serve as the ordination-proclamation teacher (kammavācācariya), with Luang Pho Khong Thammachoto as preceptor and Phra Achan Plong of Wat Bang Kaphom as the announcing teacher (anusāvanācariya). Luang Pho Nuang studied both insight meditation and Buddhist esoteric lore from these teachers until he mastered them.

Passing Away

Luang Pho Chaem continued to govern Wat Chulamanee until he passed away from an abdominal abscess on 17 September B.E. 2489 (1946), at the age of 84, having served as abbot for about 30 years. After his passing, the villagers were of one mind in inviting Luang Pho Nuang to act as abbot in his stead, and the temple held his cremation in B.E. 2491 (1948).

Sacred Amulets

The best-known amulets of Luang Pho Chaem were mostly created by his disciple Luang Pho Nuang after his passing, as keepsakes and to carry on his master's barami (spiritual potency). They include:

• Glass-pressed photographs (B.E. 2491 / 1948) — created to be given out at the cremation; the front bears a half-length image of Luang Pho Chaem in his robes with the saṅghāṭi cloth draped across, encircled by yantra characters, with a commemorative inscription beneath the image

• Neck-worn photographs (B.E. 2512 / 1969) — created in the time of Luang Pho Nuang, about 3,000 in number; the front bears an image of Luang Pho Chaem with yantra characters, and the back is stamped with a yantra in red ink