10-19-2012, 04:50 PM | #1 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Athens, GA
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Buddhist/Hindu Psi
In one of the Buddha's lectures, he defines the various supernatural powers that can be obtained on the road to enlightenment. Some of these are very similar to the western idea of psi, others less so. For your edification and amusement (and potential game use), I'm going to outline the easy ones before asking for help on the hard ones.
This is from The Six Supernatural Powers of the Buddha 1. Iddhividha - the power of transformation, come back to this one 2. Dibbasota - Celestial hearing, simple Clairaudience 3. Cetopariya - the power of the discernment of the mind of others. Telereceive with Deep Probe, Universal, Full Communion. Presumably also includes Telesend and Mindshield 4. Pubbenivasa - the power of knowing previous existences. Odd version of retrocognition, more later 5. Dibbacakkhu - Celestial vision. This goes beyond clairyovance in a way that is not entirely clear. It also seems to need something like the old Worldsight advantage, but for Dharmic religions. It definitely includes True Sight and the ability to penetrate all illusions. 6. Asavakkaya - Supramundane knowledge or power relating to the destruction of asavas and the recognition of the Four Noble Truths. This one is odd - I've been a Buddhist for 20yrs and I'm not sure I can explain it. Asavas are the destructive impulses that lead one to be trapped in Samasara. As I understand it, this is the power that the Buddha used to defeat his enemies, especially Lord Mara. For game purposes, let's call it True Faith. ------------------------- Quote:
I'm thinking use a modified version of Density (Pyramid Sample) and fold in a limited form of Astral Projection and Duplication with the Psionic Source. In terms of power, this ability replaces Telekinesis and the various mental attack forms. ----------------------------------------------- Quote:
--------------------------------------------- Another page with many more details and various powers: Supernatural Power, Buddhist and Hindu. Most of these I'm making available through Pranayama/breath control . Last edited by tantric; 10-19-2012 at 05:44 PM. |
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10-19-2012, 10:38 PM | #2 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
Quote:
Bill Stoddard |
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10-20-2012, 10:09 AM | #3 |
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: GMT-5
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
The list of Siddhis in Patanjli's Yoga Sutra is similar.
You may enjoy looking at that too. |
10-20-2012, 10:35 AM | #4 |
Computer Scientist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
IDDHIVIDHA - sounds more like a form of astral projection, or Insubstantiality with Projection, and perhaps some cosmetic materialization.
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10-22-2012, 06:06 AM | #5 | |
Banned
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Europe
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
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Some of them are discussed very briefly in GURPS Fantasy, in the "Roma Arcana" chapter. If you don't have that one, IIRC the relevant Advantages are Wild Talent (with one of several Enhancements, or unmodifeid), and the one where you pay 10 CP (effectively an UB) to be able to learn skills without a teacher but not instantly. I can't remember what it is called. |
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10-23-2012, 11:04 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Spain —Europe
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
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This is related to the "descent into hell" that Western esotericism hermetically talked about, since destroying such lesser/inferior/infernal (hell: Latin Infernus) psychic preformations and clots is a necessary, preliminary step that amounts for the first steps in the purification of consciousness, unlinking and freeing it from the lower states of being and their corresponding desires, tendencies, mental states and limits for trying to face the goal of Enlightenment. Regarding "True Faith" for portraying this for gaming purposes, it's good if you like it; however in spiritual works and symbolic literature (e.g. the Odyssey, the Aeneid, The Divine Comedy, and even The Lord of the Rings) there are many different ways —even violent, adventurous ones— of alluding to and representing this purificatory process along with its result, which is only a prerequisite for the positive search of Enlightenment. For instance, since sometimes the destruction of asavas or "the descent into hell" is portrayed by means of successfully traversing a dangerous labyrinth, a character having mastered this "power" or "spiritual knowledge" could be also portrayed as having the Absolute Direction advantage, and or even any kind of destructive ability, since the aforementioned psychic clots can be foes and demons —there is a lot of flexibility in these matters.
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"Let's face it: for some people, roleplaying is a serious challenge, a life-or-death struggle." J. M. Caparula/Scott Haring "Physics is basic but inessential." Wolfgang Smith My G+ |
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10-24-2012, 02:14 PM | #7 | |
Computer Scientist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
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Re: Buddhist/Hindu Psi
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