Mmm, yes, close enough. In many ways, they are much like priests.
[At least, some of them. She's met so many over the centuries. Tempted several into breaking their vows, too.]
The preach the word of... well, not "God", but their Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They immerse themselves in study of their sacred texts. They ought strive ever to serve as shining examples to their community. They seek to humble themselves and live in devotion to pursuit of Enlightenment.
Which, naturally [she says it like "somehow"] means no meat, no garlic, no liquor, and no fucking.
[Her rich, earthy chuckle fills the line.]
And yet this particular fellow, Ikkyu... He spat in the face of monastic tradition. When his master passed him the certification of his Enlightenment, he ripped it up and left his temple. When other holy men sat in their esteemed studies, he mocked them with the poem:
Stilted koans and convoluted answers are all monks have, Pandering endlessly to officials and rich patrons. Good friends of the dharma, so proud, let me tell you: A brothel girl in gold brocade is worth more than any of you.
And my, did he know his brothel girls. From the Shimabara pleasure district in the capital to Sakai by the ports, Ikkyu indulged himself whenever his passions took him. He even put his lecherous activities into his poetry... and I admit, I was quite fond of some of them. Which was my favorite... If I must pick one--
A woman is Enlightenment. When you are with her, And the red thread of your combined passions Flares inside... then, you shall see!
You can imagine he was somewhat infamous. So when a man claiming to be Ikkyu showed up at the Hell Courtesan's brothel asking for an evening with her, the attendants were shocked to see a shabby excuse for a man looking as if he did not have two coins to rub together, let alone the amount to pay for a prostitute of her rank. They called him a liar and were going to beat him if he did not remove himself from the doorstep, but our dear courtesan was intrigued.
She invited him in to her parlor, and sent for the sort of food a monk ought to prefer... the sort which required no killing of anything living to create it. But he asked instead for fish soup and alcohol. Surely, she thought, this man truly is a charlatan and not a true monk! To put in front of him another test of virtue, she summoned her young and beautiful attendants to dance and entertain him, and watched as he grew increasingly drunk and joined the girls prancing about the room. Disappointed, the Hell Courtesan excused herself, but after she closed the paper screens and went to depart...
She saw something uncanny casting shadows upon screens. Confused, she opened them once more, just the smallest bit to peer inside... and can you imagine what it is she saw within... ?
[She is terribly good at it- the pause, heavy and thrumming with excitement before Charlie will feel almost as if she has leaned in to whisper directly in his ear, her breath tickling over the shell.]
Skeletons.
... And Ikkyu, drunk off his ass and dancing amongst the skeletons of the young woman as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
no subject
[At least, some of them. She's met so many over the centuries. Tempted several into breaking their vows, too.]
The preach the word of... well, not "God", but their Buddhas and bodhisattvas. They immerse themselves in study of their sacred texts. They ought strive ever to serve as shining examples to their community. They seek to humble themselves and live in devotion to pursuit of Enlightenment.
Which, naturally [she says it like "somehow"] means no meat, no garlic, no liquor, and no fucking.
[Her rich, earthy chuckle fills the line.]
And yet this particular fellow, Ikkyu... He spat in the face of monastic tradition. When his master passed him the certification of his Enlightenment, he ripped it up and left his temple. When other holy men sat in their esteemed studies, he mocked them with the poem:
Stilted koans and convoluted answers are all monks have,
Pandering endlessly to officials and rich patrons.
Good friends of the dharma, so proud, let me tell you:
A brothel girl in gold brocade is worth more than any of you.
And my, did he know his brothel girls. From the Shimabara pleasure district in the capital to Sakai by the ports, Ikkyu indulged himself whenever his passions took him. He even put his lecherous activities into his poetry... and I admit, I was quite fond of some of them. Which was my favorite... If I must pick one--
A woman is Enlightenment.
When you are with her,
And the red thread of your combined passions
Flares inside... then, you shall see!
You can imagine he was somewhat infamous. So when a man claiming to be Ikkyu showed up at the Hell Courtesan's brothel asking for an evening with her, the attendants were shocked to see a shabby excuse for a man looking as if he did not have two coins to rub together, let alone the amount to pay for a prostitute of her rank. They called him a liar and were going to beat him if he did not remove himself from the doorstep, but our dear courtesan was intrigued.
She invited him in to her parlor, and sent for the sort of food a monk ought to prefer... the sort which required no killing of anything living to create it. But he asked instead for fish soup and alcohol. Surely, she thought, this man truly is a charlatan and not a true monk! To put in front of him another test of virtue, she summoned her young and beautiful attendants to dance and entertain him, and watched as he grew increasingly drunk and joined the girls prancing about the room. Disappointed, the Hell Courtesan excused herself, but after she closed the paper screens and went to depart...
She saw something uncanny casting shadows upon screens. Confused, she opened them once more, just the smallest bit to peer inside... and can you imagine what it is she saw within... ?
[She is terribly good at it- the pause, heavy and thrumming with excitement before Charlie will feel almost as if she has leaned in to whisper directly in his ear, her breath tickling over the shell.]
Skeletons.
... And Ikkyu, drunk off his ass and dancing amongst the skeletons of the young woman as if it were the most natural thing in the world.