> However, I still disagree that all mysticism will be (or even seem like)
> asceticism.
>
I agree. There are probably mystical practices out there that seek to destroy/suppress the Self through sex, drugs and rock-n-roll (or pain, or whatever) in order to gain mystical insights. You could probably invent mystical traditions within the Bentus or Ikadz cults, for instance. I doubt these would be mainstream in most places, though.
IMHO stories about full time mystics (monks, etc) are about the choice between the Path and the World. In this they fall into the same category as other stories where the protagonist has to choose between two things of great value - love, loyalty, religious purity, status, etc. The story forces the character to choose, and then explores the ramifications of that choice.
These are usually great stories to read, but some players really *hate* being forced to choose and will fight the story tooth and nail. I have found that for my group any story that starts with the heroes being captured is doomed to fail. My players would generally rather have their character's die than get captured by anyone for any reason. I don't have the psychological training to understand why this is so, but it most definitely is! YGWV
-Kevin McD
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