Buddhist Monk Who Enlightened A Country With His Dong

According to legend, the unconventional (to say the least) Buddhist monk Drukpa Kunley just kind of arrived in the Southeast Asian country of Bhutan one day in the 15th century. Little about his early life is known, but it's said that he entered a monastery after the murder of his father, although by his early 20s, he was sick of the ascetic life. Unconvinced that adherence to strict piety was the way to enlightenment, he started preaching the virtues of sex and booze to Bhutan's people, who were naturally very into his message. He was like the Jim Morrison of Buddhist monks, which is to say, what Jim Morrison really wanted to be.

Over the course of his time in Bhutan, a number of legends sprung up around the now-saint: He could bring animals back to life. He demanded a beautiful woman and a bottle of wine from anyone who sought his blessing. He peed on the religious banner of a man who sought its blessing, but when the man later presented it to his brother in outrage, the piss had turned to gold. He fought off a demon with his dick, known as the "divine thunderbolt of wisdom." 

His followers in Bhutan started adorning their homes with flying dicks to ward off evil spirits in a similar manner, and a temple absolutely covered in flying dicks called Chimi Lhakhang was built on the spot where the act was said to have occurred. The head monk at this temple wields a wood and ivory dick that he uses to smack women upside the head who come to the temple seeking fertility blessings (this is the blessing, not a punishment), just as Kunley did with his real dick so many years ago. Unfortunately, you really can't do that kind of thing anymore. Not after NXIVM.

Top image: Richard Mortel/Flickr