Speak up if anyone has a problem with this

[Yllyrryon]

I want to emphasize to everyone that I do +not+ claim the prayers I posted here,

http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=17043&posts=7#M102982

as completely original content, but rather, they are based on prayers I know through my own practice of meditation in rl.   Presenting the modified versions in the Layo context is fine with me; it does not offend my personal beliefs in any way.  I sufficiently modified each one to make it significantly different from the rl counterparts.

In rl, I am very much into meditation and martial arts, and both of these interests lead me to want to play a monk character.  And for me, using my knowledge in those areas to enrich my rp of Ael is something fun and acceptable.  But I don't want to be accused of proselytizing in any way: I am not trying to convert any body - I am adding to my rp, as I just indicated.

Yet if any +single+ person has a problem with this, I will ask the posts be deleted.

Another related topic: what if we are all cool with this - but in a week or a year someone joins who +does+ recognize the prayers and takes offense?

Anyway - I want to be fair and so I have stated my position here candidly.  What do you all think?

[Acacea]

I think it'd be pretty weird if someone took offense to it, personally. But I also offend people fairly regularly. *nods*

[Vyris]

I don't think IC prayers to imaginary dieties in a game world are going to offend anyone...

Though if you were to pray something like...

"Oh mighty Corath, I beseach your aid,
I ask for you to cast down your powerfull
vengance on the insignificant worm that
is my employer, as his demands are weighty
and persistant. I ask lord Corath that you
infest his bowels with the rot of a thousand
maggots, split his waxy flesh with boils from
his balding head to the soles of his feet,
and purge from him any energy he may possess
that he be too weak of will to prevent me from
leaving early to rush home and play Layonara."


People might think you are a bit wierd. but probably still not be offended... unless one of them is your employer


Vyris

[Tedulas]

People shouldn't take an offence anyway, because it is your belief and not really any of their buisness, it doesn't effect them entirely either. If they get angry just tell them OOC that this is your belief, if they don't like it, then they will put up with it or come to some agreement.

[Yllyrryon]

Lol Vyris!  :-)

You know, when I was thinking about this, it came to mind how monks in NWN and their use of ki is completely based on my principle art, Aikido.  I would even bet that whoever put the monk ki concepts into D&D and NWN knew aikido.

And so this incorporation of aikido into NWN is not much different than what I have done here.

[Wintersheart]

Acacea - 9/6/2005  9:45 AM

I think it'd be pretty weird if someone took offense to it, personally. But I also offend people fairly regularly. *nods*

*grins*

Rolf is secretly building a halfling sized barrel to further his studies in the ocean currents. For reasons he himself is not aware off he has branded *belongs to Pandora* on it.

[Acacea]

Wintersheart - 9/6/2005  1:32 AM
*grins*

Rolf is secretly building a halfling sized barrel to further his studies in the ocean currents. For reasons he himself is not aware off he has branded *belongs to Pandora* on it.

Hah. Rolf is now forever referred to as "The Misty with the Gnoll?" by Acacea.

And yeah. No one would recognize it IC, and OOC no one usually knows or cares what your beliefs are, anyway. Not much to get offended about, really...

[Harloff]

Hmmm.... I think we all have to be inspired by things we know, be it prayers, the bible, the Koran or other religious works. Furthermore, as I see it you are a "believer" yourself and I cannot see how anyone could possibly offend their own religion. That is a contradiction in my world view. Even though the inquisition had another opinion on that matter.

If anyone later on has a problem with something the community as a whole has decided, then it must be their problem and something they will have to deal with. My experience is that the normal reaction here on layo is that people who disagree with the way things a run leave after a VERY short while.

-Harloff

[regnus]

Vyris - 9/6/2005  3:56 AM

"Oh mighty Corath, I beseach your aid,
I ask for you to cast down your powerfull
vengance on the insignificant worm that
is my employer, as his demands are weighty
and persistant. I ask lord Corath that you
infest his bowels with the rot of a thousand
maggots, split his waxy flesh with boils from
his balding head to the soles of his feet,
and purge from him any energy he may possess
that he be too weak of will to prevent me from
leaving early to rush home and play Layonara."

Vyris

Ok that right there made my morning.  I was up entirely too late last night/this morning and when I saw this I busted up laughing.  Now I am ready for work.

//On side note, remind me never to make Vyris mad.  "split his waxy flesh with boils"  Sheesh!

[FraterAudcal]

Yllyrryon, where is that prayer from in RL? I'm very much into meditation, Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga (Asana, Pranayama, Yama and Niyama, Pratyahara, etc.) and ceremonial magick (Thelemic, Enochian, Goetic, Golden Dawn, etc.), and I know those ride over to my character's personality and and IC prayers very overtly so lol.

[Yllyrryon]

FraderAudcal -

Check out

http://www.lucistrust.org/invocation/

This is a Theosophical movement.  One of their fundamental focuses is working to +begin+ building bridges between all of the world's faiths and mystical traditions.  And I re-emphasize "begin", as they have quite a task set before them.  They also argue that everyone, even the non-religious, are on a spiritual path, whether or not they realize it - a path that is valid for the sake of the person who is on it.

Like you, I am an eclectic, and I have not committed to any particular group or school of thought.  Yet the group to whom I refered you, above, has been very helpful in my studies and practice: given their interest, as I just indicated, above, they have a great deal of information at their disposal.

The meditation prayer is from a Hindu prayer.  Again, I found this in materials I obtained from the above group. *laughs at himself* Yet I cannot find a quote for you, as I have it by memory.  I believe it is called the Bhagavad Ghita, and this is probably spelled wrong.

[FraterAudcal]

Ahh, Theosophy. Have you read Madame H.P. Blavatsky's "The Secret Doctrine", or "Isis Unveiled"? Blavatsky was one of the founders of the Theosophy Society. I've found this site very helpful when reading Theosophical material: http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/ocglos/og-hp.htm , here's a lot of the early Theosophical writings of various occultists, including Blavatsky: http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/occult/ot-selec.htm

And I believe you spelled it right lol, Bhagavad Gita, Bhagivad Ghita, something to that effect. I'd recommend Swami Vivekanada's "Raja Yoga". I haven't read it myself, but I've heard that it's quite good, and it'd be pertinent to the topic at hand.

[Yllyrryon]

Yeah, I know of those two works you mentioned.  Very difficult reads.

To be accurate, the Lucis group originated from the Theosophical schools, but has evolved into its own movement.  So if you want to learn about their group, you need to go to their sites, and those related.

Unless folks want to turn this into a thread about meditation and/or mysticism and/or martial arts, I'll pm or email you for more discussion.  :-)