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because she knew they would just pick on her. She simply said, "I don't know," and paid them no attention. They would soon give up on her. She didn't even build up their hopes, remaining in complete control of the situation. Chandra used to ask her father whether he wasn't afraid of the evil of killing animals on the farm. He would reply, "I only kill for food to support the family. I never sell the meat for a profit and I would always go to make merit at the temple on Buddhist holy days." He thought that doing good would somehow make up for the evil he had done. Although the family's life was generally peaceful and harmonious, father *would* drink his ten satang’s worth of liquor along with the other men every day. The children respected the way, unlike other drinkers, that he would generally never return home angry, cursing or of a mind to reprimand them.2 If the parents cursed their children, it was doubly traumatic because the children were bound to accept their parents' word. Thus, Thai parents had a great responsibility to set a good example to their children. Chandra's father was good-natured when sober, but would pick arguments with the mother if drunk. It was circumstances in this context of parental respect which awakened Chandra, at the age of twelve, to her spiritual vocation. It was about --- 1. about a half-bottle 2. In days gone by, out of filial piety, Thai children had to persevere no matter how their parents treated them. They believed the parents' word to be sacred, accepting it without any doubt as to its truth. The belief in the inevitability of rebirth and karma was also accepted without doubt.