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it. When the meditators used them for research at night, because the platforms were of the minimum size, they forced the meditators to sit bolt upright, because if one leaned even slightly to either side, one would touch the mosquito net and would be bitten instantly. The upright sitting-posture Chandra acquired in her years of night-time research, was to stay with her even until her old age. To qualify for such work, the meditator had to bring their mind so firmly to a standstill that their mind would break free of their physical body, unifying instead with the body of enlightenment — letting go of external knowledge to become immersed in internal knowledge for as long as the research session lasted. Thus, those able to do such research had to have a mind of the utmost purity and power. They had to have a faculty of seeing and knowing that was inordinately precise allowing then to understand in depth the nature of life and the world. Chandra had never had the wish to settle down and have a family like her contemporaries. Although she couldn’t become a monk, still she wanted to make the utmost devotion to Buddhism possible for her, and become a nun taking vows of celibacy. Once Chandra had come to the end of her month of leave — when all things being equal she would have to go back to her domestic duties — she made up her mind never to return. She divulged her intention to Upāsika Thongsuk, saying, “You know? I’m not going back.” Upāsika Thongsuk said, “I was thinking the same. Let’s ordain as nuns instead.” “And how are we going to afford that?” Page 44