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rally curled and no need to spend hard-earned money to keep it in order!" Among the workshop meditators was a thin and wily nun called Mae Chee Nag. She was one of the most gifted meditators. She had purified her mind to a high degree — so much that she had the power to cause earthquakes and her knowledge of the future was impeccable. Whenever she made a prophecy, it was bound to come true. Thus, on the day when Mae Chee Nag said that she herself would be bitten simultaneously by three cobras, before 7.00 p.m., the temple attendant Uncle Plaeng was very concerned and immediately prepared an antidote for cobra bites. Between the kutis at Wat Paknam there was an expanse of long grass on either side of the path to the meditation workshop. Mae Chee Nag ordered that no one should leave their kuti before 7.00 p.m.. She herself retired to her kuti and performed her evening chanting — in those days, the recitation of 'Itipiso...' 108 times. She was well practiced and knew intuitively, without counting, when she had reached the last verse. This evening was no different — she finished her chanting and looked up at the clock. The clock said 7.00 p.m.. She put on her shawl and went down the stairs to the path. She had walked only a few steps when she was bitten on the arm by three cobras. Her cry roused the others to her rescue. Everyone was surprised to find that Mae Chee Nag was the only one to disobey her own orders. When they took her back into her kuti, they noticed that the clock did not yet read 7.00 p.m.. Apparently, in spite of Mae Chee Nag's wisdom, bad karma had undermined her vigilance, causing her to read the time wrongly so that she fell prey to the very misfortune.