The World of Courtesans c6.10

c6.10

The Jain monks had their own tale of woe as far as prostitutes were concerned. When the monks saw lascivious men and women embracing one another, and heard the sounds they made as they continued their love-play, their ascetic resolve tended to weaken. These poor monks were after all human beings and though they had given up worldly pleasures, they were tempted to listen to lascivious songs or peep surreptitiously through holes to find out what was happening inside a closed room. The monks had to fight against another potent menace Prostitutes sometimes entered their monastery and asked permission to stay there overnight. If this was allowed, they made overtures to the monks, putting them in a very difficult position. The monks at first tactfully persuaded the uninvited guests to leave, but if they failed they thought the wiser thing to do was to make a hasty retreat and quit the building.