IOB Ch 17

Director, don’t get your hopes up too much. It’s really not a big deal. Besides, I’m not a natural storyteller. But I’ll give it a go.

Ah, sex. Yes. We treated it like a ritual. Everyone had to sit around and watch. We were still beings stuck in the realm of desire, and it was a lesson in how ugly and filthy it is to fail to control lust… Well, yes. It’s contradictory. Teaching us to abstain from sex while holding such rituals every day.

The mating rituals were different each time. The Teacher would design the overall structure and framework. Naturally, there were times when it was between people of the same sex. Sometimes several people were involved together. Some days, it was so intense it made you nauseous. Usually, those who broke the community’s rules had to participate in these rituals… Yes, there was no right to refuse. It was a place of practice, after all. No one could escape it.

I was the exception. I observed but never participated as a subject of the ritual. It was the Teacher’s order. They said it was because I was the chosen child. No one could touch me. The Teacher would get angry. They said I was already halfway beyond the realm of desire, so there was no need for me to throw myself into such rituals…

Who was the Teacher, you ask? The Teacher was the Teacher. I’ll tell you about them next time. If I tell you everything today, it won’t be fun, will it? Alright, let’s set some rules.

Here, I’ve started a timer. When the time’s up, the story’s over. While you’re getting mad about how that’s unfair, time’s still ticking, Director. You’d better ask your questions quickly.

No, the Teacher never joined in the mating. Not once. That’s what made the Teacher different from us, everyone said. Yes, it was the Teacher’s orders. You could say they were well-versed in lust… Voyeuristic pervert? Oh, is that what it is? I’m not sure. They were always expressionless. They never took any action.

Me? I’m definitely not like that. I was never aroused. It felt like something forcibly imposed, so it was just exhausting. At first, I thought it wasn’t bad because I could collect various sounds… but that got old faster than I expected. After years of watching, it was just boring, and I wasn’t interested to begin with.

Yes, so I thought I had no sexual desire. You’re the first, Director. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t it proof that we’re fated? I love you. I’m not messing around…

The worst one? Hmm. The strangest one… There was this one brother who did something wrong. He was caught mating outside of ritual time. He was tied up for a week. During that time, as an exception, anyone could approach him and mate with him. Food and water were forbidden. Instead, he had to drink other people’s urine.

Why make him drink urine? Isn’t that strange? At first, everyone hesitated, but by the second day, they all started using him freely. Because it was a period where even the worst acts were forgiven. Both front and back were used.

I was really annoyed back then. The warehouse where that brother was confined was near my room. I had to endure the noise for a whole week. The stench got worse and worse. Yes, there was no designated place for defecation, so he probably did it there. By the end, he wasn’t in any condition for mating, so he was probably used as a punching bag. When I saw the body, it was a mess.

…Someone helping him? If you helped, you’d end up in the same situation.

Me? I wasn’t directly punished. I was chosen, after all. Instead of me, someone else, chosen at random, had to bear the punishment. So I tried not to cause trouble. Yeah, I suppose. It would probably feel better to bear the consequences of my own sins.

Yes, the rules were strict. Should I tell you everything? I wasn’t a deeply devoted brother, but I still remember the 33 Precepts. Oh, next time? You’re right. Time’s almost up.

…Hmm. Was it painful? I’m not sure. Abuse? You could see it that way. Is that what it was?

Do I believe in the Teacher? In what sense? You keep asking about the Teacher. Time’s up. Just their name? The name… No one knows. I only called them Teacher, and the others… they called them the Great Brahma King. The Great Brahma King.