Open Relations

Open Relations is concept in Monism, which holds that natural, complete sexual intercourse should be had with as many partners as possible, without regard for consanguinity or marriage, so as to produce as many children as possible, that they be brought up as Monists.   Monism regards venereal pleasure as superfluous and vain, and the seeking of it as evil. Because Monism rejects the goodness of being and holds the material world to be evil, all material acts (from eating and sleeping to sex) are considered either explicitly evil (if done with pleasure) or simply distracting from enlightenment (if done with disdain). Because of this, sexual intercourse is seen as having only one good purpose: to create children who can then attain enlightenment. Since Monism holds that all souls are continually reincarnated until they escape and attain enlightenment, the soul of one who rejects Monism may be saved if he is reincarnated as the child of a Monist and raised to seek enlightenment. From this comes the doctrine of Open Relations, which was not taught by Mon himself (who castrated himself and lived a life of celibacy), and it is not found in the Book of Mon, coming some hundred years later out of the School of Parth, and accepted by the wide majority of Sages. The contrast between the rejection of pleasure and simultaneous advocacy for frequent, casual sex tends to make outsiders perplexed. Open Relations does not include any sexual act other than intercourse, and those caught engaging in any other sexual act are punished with death, in the hope they reincarnate and are raised better next time.   It should be noted that Monists do not practice marriage, and consider the exclusivity of it an error in the category of jealousy, holding that all persons are totally individual and that one person should hold power over another's body. As a result, most children in Monist realms are raised by their mothers alone with unknown fathers, and often enter the Monasteries as young as seven.   The nobility of the Empire of Mides does not partake in this, instead keeping to the ancient practice of intra-clan monogamous marriage.