QUOTE : While meditating late one night, a certain saint saw the ghost of the dread smallpox disease entering the village where he lived. “Stop, Mr. Ghost!” he cried. “Go away. You must not molest a town in which I worship God.” “I will take only three people,” the ghost replied, “in accordance with my cosmic karmic duty.” At this the saint unhappily nodded assent. The following day three persons died of smallpox. But the next day several more died, and each day thereafter more villagers were overcome by the fearful disease. Thinking that a great deception had been played on him, the saint meditated deeply and summoned the ghost. When it came, the saint rebuked it. “Mr. Ghost, you deceived me and did not speak the truth when you said you would take only three people with your smallpox.” But the ghost replied, “By the Great Spirit, I did speak the truth to you.” The saint persisted. “You promised to take only three persons, and scores have succumbed to the disease.” “I took only three,” said the ghost. “The rest killed themselves with fear.