In addition to these criteria, one important requirement that may sound weird to you is being humans. The following legend will put you out of doubt. Legend has it that a naga (or nak in Thai meaning a huge mythical serpent), who was a devout admirer of the Lord Buddha and his Teachings, once disguised himself as a young male human and was ordained as a monk. One night the magic lost its power and he turned to his natural serpent form, to the horror of his fellow-monks. It was said that the Buddha summoned the naga and sternly told him that only humans were allowed in the monkhood. The serpent sadly asked the Buddha to use his name "naga" or "nak" to call a young man who was about to be ordained so that his name would remain in religion for ever. The Buddha consented, and a monk-to-be has been called "nak" up to the present time.