Menihova prisega čistosti

Besedilo

Menihova prisega čistosti

This, too, is a tale of long ago. There lived a man known as the Minamoto Grand Counselor of Kyōgoku (Masatoshi). When he held a Buddhist service, he had the monks strike a bell before the Buddha, choosing for the ceremony those who had remained chaste all their lives. One monk mounted the ceremonial dais, but his expression grew rather strange. He took up the bell striker and waved it about, yet for some time could not bring himself to strike the bell. The Grand Counselor wondered what was wrong. Still the monk stood there without a word, until everyone began to feel uneasy. At last, in a trembling voice, he asked, “What about pleasuring oneself?” Everyone threw back their heads and laughed. One of the samurai present asked, “And about how old were you when you did that?” The monk cocked his head. “Well, I did it just last night, too.” At this, the whole gathering roared with laughter, and in the confusion he made his escape—or so the story goes.