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Old 12-24-2009, 05:13 PM   #11
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Sometimes ritual for it's own sake IS the point.
In Buddhism?

Anyway, I thought it was considered a long-awaited realization that all rituals are focusing aids to be discarded later (at best) or a waste (at worst). Of course, I'm no big expert.
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Old 12-24-2009, 07:39 PM   #12
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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In Buddhism?

Anyway, I thought it was considered a long-awaited realization that all rituals are focusing aids to be discarded later (at best) or a waste (at worst). Of course, I'm no big expert.
Good point.
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Old 12-24-2009, 07:50 PM   #13
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

Honestly, it depends on your sect. Tibetans love rituals, Zen has fewer. They all know the rituals lack inherent meaning, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful. The Buddha resisted efforts to establish Buddhist rituals at first, but then have in. A marriage ritual has no inherent meaning, true, but it has lots of symbolic and emotional meaning for the bride and groom. Thus as the Buddha came to understand that his teachings would become a true religion and not just a philosophy, he allowed his followers to make up such rituals, so long as it was done with Right Intention or whatever.

Consider Tibetan sand paintings. Are they pointless rituals? Not so much, became they teach detachment and emphasize the ephemeral nature of beauty and creation. Knowing that beauty fades with times intellectually is one thing, experiences your own hard work, watching your gorgeous creation be blown away - is a deep learning experience, a dharmic lesson.
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Old 12-24-2009, 08:00 PM   #14
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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Honestly, it depends on your sect. Tibetans love rituals, Zen has fewer. They all know the rituals lack inherent meaning, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful. The Buddha resisted efforts to establish Buddhist rituals at first, but then have in. A marriage ritual has no inherent meaning, true, but it has lots of symbolic and emotional meaning for the bride and groom. Thus as the Buddha came to understand that his teachings would become a true religion and not just a philosophy, he allowed his followers to make up such rituals, so long as it was done with Right Intention or whatever.

Consider Tibetan sand paintings. Are they pointless rituals? Not so much, became they teach detachment and emphasize the ephemeral nature of beauty and creation. Knowing that beauty fades with times intellectually is one thing, experiences your own hard work, watching your gorgeous creation be blown away - is a deep learning experience, a dharmic lesson.
Interesting. Then planting the British, Indian, and Nepali flags on top of the highest mountain in the world reminds that all glory is fleeting?
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Old 12-24-2009, 08:07 PM   #15
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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Interesting. Then planting the British, Indian, and Nepali flags on top of the highest mountain in the world reminds that all glory is fleeting?
Just in case I accidently sounded like I was making a sneer, I am interested enough to take it seriously. What I mean is that does seem to follow.
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Old 12-24-2009, 09:39 PM   #16
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

I don't get your point - and I didn't take it as snarky. Are you telling me that most people see those flags as the domination of the mountain by Man? The poor little frozen ephemeral things?

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Old 12-24-2009, 10:45 PM   #17
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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I don't get your point - and I didn't take it as snarky. Are you telling me that most people see those flags as the domination of the mountain by Man? The poor little frozen ephemeral things?

Flag


Mountain
No, I was assuming that you would think that a temporary glory can be used to remind one of the lack of permanent glory from earthly achievement.
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Old 12-25-2009, 02:09 PM   #18
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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If we go back to DF's roots the Martial Artist basically is a Buddhist monk of the cinematic Shaolin variety.
Yes, that was what I'd reply too. The OP should start with the Martial Artist template, then mention those specific elements on it that he doesn't like, and then he can get help on here with changing them.
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Old 12-25-2009, 02:12 PM   #19
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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Thanks for the help. I guess I am hoping to create a DF character with a lot of "historical" and real world elements thrown in to add color. As I look at all the wats here I really begin to think about how cool real world religious stuff is and how it would be fun to incorporate that into a DF world as opposed to a generic "cleric" or "martial artist." White wolf added a lot of pseudo historical touches to their games and I feel it added some ambiance. Anyway thanks.
I opted for real-world religions too, in my Ärth fantasy setting (it's historical fantasy and alternate history), because they're so almost infinitely much richer than anything anyone can make up.

So far, my focus has been entirely on Europe and vicinity, though. I haven't really gotten into the proto(-ninja) hill mystics of Japan and their struggle against the Lich Emperor of China.
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Old 12-25-2009, 02:17 PM   #20
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Default Re: [DF] Help with creating a Buddhist cleric and holy warrior

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But DF is an entirely different cookie. I'd say that Buddhist clerics can't do holy/unholy stuff, but that they can put a serious hurt on the squid-god. Make them immune to mind control magics and have a dispel illusions abilities. Then give them psychic powers instead clerical spells.
Yes, I'm big on the Resistance to Illusion thing (often near-Immunity), as a Buddhist (and Christian) concept, both in Modern Action RPG, and in the historical fantasy Ärth setting.

I'm not sure exactly how Resistance to Illusion should be costed in GURPS. Maybe a PR bonus with a Limitation? And ISTR there's a See Invisibility Advantage too, uncomfortably binary for my taste (you either have it or you don't, there's no middle ground) - I prefer to handle the concept of invisibility as a kind of illusion, so that illusion resistance is a gradual phenomenon - but it works (assuming it is there, and I'm not misremembering).

And yes, psychic powers might work too, as in taking the Martial Artist template and giving it some psionic powering-up options.

I'm also not sure how the "vs Squid" thing would work. Probably some kind of Resistance.
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