BHODDIDSATVA "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing". [Ecclesiastes 1.7-8] "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit". [Ecclesiastes 1.14] Humanity suffers. It suffers because it has unfulfilled desires. These desires cannot be fulfilled - no matter how much you have, you always want more. The only hope lies in humans ridding themselves of the desires. The Bhoddidsatva aim to help them. REQUIRED ADVANTAGES: Alertness +3 (-15 pts), High Pain Threshold (-10 pts), Unfazeable (-15). REQUIRED DISADVANTAGES: Truthfulness although can be evasive without trouble. In this circumstance (+15). CELESTIAL BHODDIDSATVA Known for their air of peaceful serenity, Celestial Bhoddidsatva are never the less creatures of strong passion. They are driven by a deep compassion for the human condition, and a desire to help humanity rise above the earthly desires that torment it. Stereo-types Apocalypt: To be extinguished from outside is not to be freed. It is to be murdered. Bachae: Degenerates. They do not help humanity by encouraging it to want. Why are they not dissuaded by the fact that no human has ever turned to them and said "That's enough pleasure. I'm satisfied now"? Infernal Bhoddidsatva: The whole point of being Bhoddidsatva is to delay your own self-annihilation by retaining enough compassion to help others reach their self-annihilation. To let your compassion die, and yet never the less remain in the world is perversion beyond belief, and has predictably catastrophic results. Children of the Crucible: What are these "higher forms" of life of which they speak? If they mean Angels, then that is pure arrogance, for half of the angels have turned to evil, and most of the others are wildly deluded. Fury: Nothing more evil can be imagined than these Angels of pure cruelty. How dare any of them call themselves Celestials? Justicar: Their rewards are not really rewards and their punishments only encourage. They are just part of the problem. Lamenter: No one can doubt the honesty and depth of their feelings. However, they would do better to concern themselves with effective help for humanity than with constantly pursuing their own martyrdom. Narcissite: If they no longer see helping humanity as their goal, then they can no longer be considered Celestial. It's as simple as that. Mammonite: Can any pursuit be more obviously pointless than trying to fulfill people's lust for material things? If they really want to help humanity, they should take their possessions away! Muse: Sometimes people use business in order to avoid doing anything important. Reaper: Their actions are exemplary. It's a shame that their motives never involve anything higher than envy, though. Tiamatic: Being a slave to your own base desires is not freedom. INFERNAL BHODDIDSATVA Infernal Bhoddidsatva's have taken their own advice. They have rid themselves of all compassion, and seek to bring humanity to a living oblivion by laying waste to the soul and all its feelings. They don't really care whether they succeed or not - they act out of pure reflex and have no emotional attachment to their own goals. There is no clear distinction to be drawn between the paths of the Celestial and the Infernal Bhoddidsatva. The line is hazy even the Bhoddidsatva's themselves. The easiest distinguishing mark is that the Celestial Bhoddidsatva's believe that the abandonment of desire must be achieved via the right route, whereas the Infernal Bhoddidsatva's believe that the quickest route is best. The "right" route requires that one fulfills one's obligations, and that one does not mistreat other people. A Celestial Bhoddisatva would not encourage a mother to leave her children in order to search for enlightenment, whereas the Infernal Bhoddidsatva would see nothing wrong with this. The "right" route also requires that at no stage is the will abandoned to something external. An Infernal Bhoddidsatva might encourage people to deaden their senses with heroin, or to deaden their minds by watching television all day. The Celestial Bhoddidsatva would not find this acceptable, and would recommend meditation instead. Infernal Bhoddidsatva are known for their blank expressions and dead, glazed eyes. Stereo-types Apocalypt: They have the right basic idea, but no sense of appropriateness. To destroy from the flesh in is crude and unworthy of Angels. To destroy from the spirit out is refined and respectable. Bachae: Degenerates. Filling their days with earthly pleasure - they are worse than humans. Celestial Bhoddidsatva: They see the truth, but are too weak to embrace it in full. Children of the Crucible: Vain fools who wish to recreate man in their own image. If they wish to recreate them, then surely they should recreate them in the image of God - i.e. nothingness. Fury: With God out of the way, they enjoy flouting and abusing what they take to be their power. But what power lies in those who cannot even control their own hearts? Justicar: They are the most ridiculous of all, for instead of seeking the middle road of moderation, they seek to propagate both extremes, both joy and despair. Lamenter: If they were truly concerned with relieving suffering, then they would realize that sympathy only encourages it. What they are really concerned with is letting everyone know how "virtuous" they are. Narcissite: Their lust for power has led to divisions which leave them weaker than any other Choir. What more needs to be said about lusting for power? Mammonite: Whether they accept it or not, they serve our cause. There are few ways to deaden a human's soul so effectively as to swamp it in material goods until it forgets everything else. Muse: Frequently, work overwhelms and deadens, which is good. Alas though, usually the Muse's use work to inspire. Reaper: Although the flip side of Mammonites, they are no less effective. Where the Reapers rule, hope is banished. Tiamatic: Of all Choirs, they are the most dangerous, for their inappropriate aims are the most realistic.