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a major patron of Wat Paknam, having brought the midday meal for the monks and novices there regularly for more than twenty years. Khun Nai Liap’s family was an influential and wealthy one. They were landlords for many kilometres of shopfronts and had their own import-export business. Chandra saw that this family would be the connection she needed to introduce herself to Wat Paknam. After due consideration she decided to seek employment with this family and was accepted as a maid. Although from a relatively well-to-do family herself, Chandra had to stoop to being a maidservant in order to give herself the chance to attain the Dhamma, her ultimate aim. For her part she saw the family as a stepping stone by which she could make her way to Wat Paknam as soon as possible. When Chandra started to work for Khun Nai Liap, although for her domestic service was only a means to end, nevertheless she showed her willingness in all her duties without considering them chores. She thought of her work as merely helping to keep her mistress’s home in order and being a steward for that family’s wealth. By habit, Chandra was diligent anyway, with discipline and perseverance engrained in her character. She loved cleanliness. Her honesty shone forth to others, to the point that it was not long before she was loved and trusted by all in the household. She was promoted from maid to head of the domestic staff within the space of her first week. Khun Nai Liap felt reassured that any task delegated to Chandra would be fulfilled without disappointment. With Chandra at home, Khun Nai Liap could leave