The Monastery provides unique Monk improvements as well as training mercenary units, therefore serving as the Asian civilizations' equivalent of the Saloon. The only difference between mercenaries trained in the Monastery with the ones in the Saloon is that the former will have "Repentant" added before their names, although both have same statistics.
All Asian nations are able to ship the Atonement card in the Colonial Age which enables the hiring of Iron Troopers for the Chinese, Jat Lancers for the Indians, and Yojimbos for the Japanese, as well as reducing the population cost of outlaw units.
The Japanese technology Reiki is anachronistic, since the Reiki technique was invented in 1922 (20th century, more than half a century after the end of Age of Empires III timespan) by Mikao Usui.
"“Monastery” derives from the Greek word “monasterion,” and describes a group of people, usually monks or nuns, who live a life apart from the rest of society because of their devotion to a religion and its ascetic principles. This community often shares the common goal of striving to reach spiritual perfection and wisdom, often taking vows of celibacy, poverty, and obedience.
Monasteries were first built in the fourth century BCE to accommodate pilgrims during their annual retreat, or vassa, a period lasting from July to October. The vassa took place during Southeast Asia’s rainy season. The monks, who were typically a migratory group, were expected to remain in a single place out of the weather, and under intense meditation. Early retreats were held in pavilions and parks that had been donated by wealthy benefactors. These vihara, Sanskrit for “refuges,” became popular, and as time passed the custom of permanently residing in communal dwellings became more desirable.
One of the most famous Buddhist monasteries is the Shaolin Monastery, located in the Henan province of China, founded in 495 CE. The edifice is associated specifically with Chan Buddhism and the martial art of Kung Fu. Monastery legend states that the Indian monk Bodhidharma visited the temple in 527 CE. During his time meditating on the mountain overlooking the monastery, Bodhidharma taught himself a form of martial arts to defend against wild animals and bandits. He stayed at the temple for nine years, and before his departure he taught his disciples the skills he had learned, creating the martial arts legend that surrounds the Shaolin monks to this day."
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