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"How about renting1 the robes we need for ordina- tion?" Even the lack of the necessary requisites could not stand in the way of their determined wish. They shaved each others' heads and ordained that very evening. Their decision to ordain brought a favour- able response from the Great Abbot because he hadn't wanted them to go home at the end of the month either. He was reassured that his 'volunteer soldiers' had now become 'regulars'. The next morning Khun Nai Liap called at the tem- ple to fetch Chandra home, but was taken aback at Chandra's transformation — no more long hair, pure white robes and a complexion more radiant than ever. Khun Nai Liap guessed that Chandra had intended this all along, but was afraid to say anything out of consideration for the Great Abbot. She just glared at Chandra without saying anything. Later when the Great Abbot had left the pavilion, she turned to Sister Chandra2 and asked in genuine disbelief, "How come you said you'd come back? Why have you gone and ordained?" Khun Yay didn't reply but maintained noble silence. She was normally a person of few words anyway. In fact Khun Nai Liap had been very attached to her. Keeping the pure Precepts of a nun, it was much easier for Khun Yay to study the high-level Dhamma that the Great Abbot taught. He had them conduct foundation research the Five Aggregates [khandha], __________ 1. The obstacle of wanting to take ordination but not being able to afford the simple robes to allow one to do so was a symptom of the everyday hard- ships commonplace to people of that time. 2. From here on, Chandra, Mae Chee Chandra etc. will be referred to as 'Khun Yay', or 'Khun Yay Chandra' where necessary to distinguish her from other nuns.