[Jagash]

I had a new mage game start up last night and the ST decided that he would provide a number of bonus point at character creation should we be the same select tradition. The leading contender was the Brotherhood, which led me to scramble towards crafting a character of that tradition.

It was then that i realized i didn't grok the Akashics. The book says effectivly that they run off buddhist principles in part and i do comprehend that everything started as the one then fractured into dissonance but beyond that?

Can anyone explain the alure of this tradition (other then Do?)

[Insect King]

Can anyone explain the alure of this tradition (other then Do?)

No Manga Plastic! Favourite Cruelty!

There's something fantastic about inscrutable, casual arrogance, a yellow jumpsuit, and a fist that can punch through your skull.

Glamourous fighting attractive!

Chris, Mastery the King Fu.

[Annael]

Their introspective nature interests me. I see a successful Akashic as holding a small part of himself separate from the world around him. She should forever be studying herself and her interactions with the world around her to try and learn more about her own mind, to grow and improve.

I seem them as a good excuse to explore the more esoteric aspects of the Mind sphere. Of all the Traditions, they seem the most likely to explore the line between mind and spirit, soul and body, and so on.

Akashics try to find the uniting thread in all things. They're into gestalts. They try to see themselves in the perspective of their past lives, for example, uniting it all into a greater sense of 'self.' They try to find their own place in the greater world, and the place of the world as it is in the greater scheme of things. In a way, maybe they're trying to know God's mind. They think that if they can figure out how it all fits together, that's Ascension. Knowing your place perfectly, fulfilling your role perfectly, perfect understanding and control of self, that's Ascension. And if they can nudge the world along toward a greater unity and harmony, then that's a step toward global Ascension.

There are a lot of different takes on it, of course, just beginning with the Eastern philosophies. But Buddhism teaches mastery of the self, denial of physical pains and pleasures in order to come to an understanding that the world has no real power over you. The world, indeed, is not real. Only you are. If you can come to understand this well enough, then you reach Nirvana, unification with the All. It's a loss of self in one sense, because 'you' as you know and understand it ceases to exist.

Gosh, they're hard to explain, aren't they? In terms of their Sphere, are you familiar with the Ahl-i-Batin idea of Correspondence as Connection? The all space is one space idea. Well, Akashics think that's true, but they think that it's Mind that's the key, not Correspondence. All reality is perception, and perception is Mind. If you can master your mind well enough, then you become all of reality. Or something like that.

Um...I hope that helps...

[zenten]

Do you want to grok it, or to like it? Because those are two different things completely.

[Jagash]

I would prefer to Grok it, though Annael's post did help atleast some.

[Jahanjahan]

More info on the Akashic Brotherhood and its various sects can be found in "Dragons of the East". I like this book, it's chock full of Asian goodness....Mmmm Akashilicious.

J

[Insect King]

Do you want to grok it, or to like it?  Because those are two different things completely.

If I remember many Asian languages are all in the present tense, thus when they speak of the past, they retell it like it is really happening right now, everything is happening now, everything is energetic and full of action (even if it appears motionless or static).

Unlike us English speakers with our dead and slow past tense. Just like I'm speaking to you right now.

This sense of everpresent time also warps their perceptions of space, unifying it into their mastery of Correspondence.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Deimos_Masque]

Okay I'm going to make a very (what many people will think) poor analogy for an Akashic

The Chow Yung Fat's character in Bulletproof Monk. Now give me a moment before I'm lynched:

He was a man who respected all life and looked inside for solutions to his problems. He respected all religions and seemed to know their practices rather well. And used his martial arts for focus and completion. That's what an Akashic is like to me.

[Jagash]

Im still only partially understanding the nature of the brotherhood's paradigm. Little help?

[sandchigger]

The AB? Reality is an illusion, by Awakening you now have the power to see what's really real. If you focus your mind, you can change how others see the illusion.

[Rekka No Ryo]

Akashic Brothers (and Sisters) believe in, and strive to attain, the perfect harmony of one's individual mind with the One Mind. While this is quite Buddhist concept, this tradition doesn't limit itself to Buddhism, although it is intended to reflect an eastern way of mystical thinking. It includes elements of Vedanta Hinduism, Taoism, Zen Buddhism and variations thereof.

Mystics of the Brotherhood share belief common to most mystic traditions of the world: that internal microcosm of mind is interconnected with macrocosm of nature. However, a difference between European "As above so below" and eastern conceptions of Akashics lies in assumption that all the universe is ultimately an illusion similar to Maya and the reality is rather Akasha or emptiness (named Sunyata in Buddhism, Brahman in Hinduism and Tao in Taoism).

As previously said, the aim of Akashic Brothers is to attain oneness with both internal and external universe, the peaceful transcendence in creative emptiness of One Mind. They accomplish this with variety of eastern practices, most notably: various martial arts – both internal and external contemplations and meditations. Notice however that some martial arts (like Tai Chi) are meditation exercises and some kinds of meditation just foster focus on the here-and-now in mundane life.

[Annael]

Enlightenment is always slippery. It's one of those "you can't really comprehend it unless you've got it" things. We always think we understand what enlightenment is, don't we? But every time we reach for it, we find it slithering out of our grasp. It's not something you can explain...so it's hard to say whether it's even the same thing for everyone, or if each person finds a completely different and individual enlightenment.

Maybe two truly enlightened individuals would simply be able to look at each other and nod knowingly. Or maybe they'd each think the other was full of it. Who's to say? I suspect not even they could. Maybe they'd show their wisdom in accepting that the other person can be just as enlightened, without being able to understand it. Maybe enlightenment is something that all of us possess instinctively, and we just clutter it up with trying to think. Let go of all that crap, and realize that the important thing is that You Are Here (just like a sign in a mall), and now you just decide where to go next.

Simplicity is surprisingly hard to find in a complex world. And it's all in the mind. All the complication is because we're thinking creatures. Lions don't worry about jobs, money, what other lions think of, or much of anything besides "Here I am, and now I need to hunt/sleep/mate/whatever." And they're at one with the world. Their place in existence is instinctive. They don't have to struggle for it.

But humans, we have to master our minds to find that simplicity, to find our natural place. We have to understand ourselves enough to dimiss what we don't need. To understand ourselves, we most often must look at our reflections in others. To do that, we must understand others. Like I said, it's all in the mind.

The thing is, you can take the journey to that state along any one of many, many paths. Traditional Akashics use or combine the various Asian philosophies, among which the Akashic Brotherhood was reared as a Tradition. But modern Akashics can use Western religion, Descartian philosophy, or even individual, custom-made mysticism to do the same thing.

An old Taoist master might work slowly through the Tao te Ching, contemplating passage after passage and applying it to the life he lives. A Buddhist monk might spend most of his life walking the halls of Borodubur Stupa, meditating upon increasingly abstract concepts of Buddhist virtue. Both would stare aghast at a modern Akashic who slams together bits of Christianity, Buddhism, and whatever else comes his way, walking an utterly new path to enlightenment that doesn't even make sense to anyone else. Ignoring all three of them, a fourth Akashic could toss the entire supernatural angle out the window. He finds his place in the world by doing whatever needs doing around the neighborhood, while he studies Jeet Kun Do to strengthen and understand his body.

All of them are concerned with the quest for personal perfection through unity of self. All of them, in the end, search for ways to grow beyond their individual being, to reach out and become one with their world. Wielding magic is their proof that the self can reach out beyond its own boundaries. I think that, in large part, it's more a side effect for them, a useful tool to be sure, but one that only happens to be a sign that they're approaching their destination.

I think that they are a paradigm that wouldn't necessarily find itself at odds with the Technocracy, if it weren't for the fact that the Technocracy largely looks outside the individual for solutions. "Don't worry about improving yourself," the Union says to the couch potato. "This drug will make you stronger and faster without needing all that work!" To the Akashic Brotherhood, it's taking the shortcut that's the sin. The journey is the important part. The lessons you need lay along the path like signs that point the way toward your destination.

They are, in many ways, a fundamentally different paradigm from the other Traditions.

[Rekka No Ryo]

The Paradigm
The Way: There are things, and there is a Way to all things. There is a way to paint and a Way to paint; there is a way to shoot an arrow and a Way to shoot an arrow. There is a way to move and a Way to move; your training in Do teaches you part of the Way of moving, as well as the Way of fighting. Do is much more than this, but you must understand the existence of the Way before you can proceed on the Path.
The Way of doing a thing is to do it correctly, so that mind, body, and spirit are one and focused on the achievement of the goal. Masters live their chosen Way at all times, whether it is the Way of painting, shooting and arrow, or Do.

Magick
The Way of Do - Focus: This Way is not magick, though many will call it that. A student of Do is a gifted martial artist with a natural or developed ability to achieve a Way of Being of high order. Mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with each other and the universe, and when this is so, a person is capable of great achievement: to leap great distances, to anticipate others as if reading their thoughts, to sunder unbreakable objects, and many other feats. Nothing is impossible to the Way as long as you accept it can be done and Focus on achieving the goal.
The Way of Sorcery - Magick: There are many other people, on this world and others, who can achieve great acts but do not follow our Way. These others practice Sorcery and Magick. Their Ways are different and many. Do not close your mind to the many possibilities.

Spheres
Correspondence: Distance: The greatest secret of succeeding in combat is the control of distance and space. If you fight barehanded, stay beyond the distance of your opponents longest weapon, the leg. If you fight with weapons, stay beyond their length. If you fight with guns, stay beyond their range. If you fight with armies, the control of paths and territories is essential. Do not the games of Go and Chess teach us this, to force the opponent to commit to territory they cannot adequately defend or control? People of great ability have such a great mastery and control of Distance that they can seem to traverse it in an instant.

Entropy: Weakness: Nothing on this world is perfect, including yourself. You must strive to purge yourself of all weakness. When you do so, you will achieve Enlightenment. Others will try to take advantage of the Weakness of a thing.
Karma, Joss: Fate, in this world, cannot be counted upon, but it can be influenced.


Forces, Matter: The Elements: The Ancients believed the world to be made of five elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Void. You can harness the power of the Elements in your life as you walk the Path. Know the sun and the moon. Study the Way of the storm. Meditate by the ocean, and listen to the power of the waves. You can harness this power with good Focus.

Life: Body: All living things have a body, the plants, the animals, the trees, and the people. When you understand the body of a thing you understand its life--how it can move and how it cannot move, how it can be hurt and how it can be healed.

Mind: This is the seat of the conscious and unconscious. It is the source of Focus and of Will. You must rigorously train your mind to Focus better. If you understand the minds of others, you can glimpse their Way. Profound understanding leads to profound ability; this is why you must study and train always.

Prime: Ki, Chi: There is a flow to all things, a cycle of living and dying, of breathing in and out, of yin and yang, in and yo. Binding this cycle and flowing through it is Ki. Ki is energy, and it is much more. You must learn to sense the flow of Ki within yourself, and through it the world. This is essential to learning Do and to mastering the Elements. By learning to master Ki you will be able to harness the powers in you and the powers of the universe.

Spirit: The study of Spirit is the study of emotion and inner essence. As you learn about yourself through the trials of Do, you will become aware of your own potential, and the potential of the universe. There are spirit realms beyond our world inhabited by our ancestors, kami, demons, and more. To learn of the spirit worlds is a difficult undertaking, for there is much to learn. Spirits can be helpful or vindictive, good or evil or something in between. You will encounter them in your travels; the more you know of them, the better you will be able to come away from your encounters with wisdom and not injury. The world of the spirits is reflected within you. Meditate upon this now.

Time: Our concept of Time is not the same as the Westerners see it. To them Time is a measurable thing, to be broken down into units and more smaller units to regulate their lives. This way has no meaning, and is futile. Time is infinite and forever. How can you devide the infinite? Time is like a flowing river: it always passes by, sometimes faster, sometimes slower. You must learn to see the river, the whole river in its entirety. When you can grasp all of time you can control how you think of it. You can slow it down so that you can act faster. You can glimpse the past, and the possibilities of the future. The master of Time can even move beyond it...
Arete
The Path : Each member of the Akashic Brotherhood has set themselves upon a path of knowledge and self discovery. On this path each will learn much about themselves, others, and the world. Progress on the path is measured by the amount of harmony between mind, body and spirit. At the end of the path lies Enlightenment.
Skill in Do is not the Path, it is only a part, a tool used by masters to teach certain skills to the Disciples. Physical prowess is easily learned and mastered with practice. Much harder to bring into harmony are the sicknesses of the mind and the power of the spirit. Masters of Do are generally equally matched physically; it is the more subtle development of Willpower, guile (Wits), and Intelligence that will determine the outcome of any contest.

Quintessence
Ki, Chi : The force that flows through and binds the universe can be channeled with the proper Focus. This is why you must learn to sense Ki within yourself and in the world. In the world you will find places where the flow is very strong, and even the springs from which this flow comes. These are places of great importance in the world. You should take time to meditate in places such as these. This will greatly help you to Focus.
Paradox
Incorrect action : if an action is taken with improper Focus, there is the possibility of error. To make an error is a Weakness, and Weakness opens up oneself to the consequences of their incorrect action. Sometimes an opponent will take advantage of the opportunity. Perhaps the universe will attempt to deny your success and you will accumulate Bad Karma. Ultimately, it is your failure that will allow others to harm you. Do not fail!
Ascension
Enlightenment : This is the goal of your studies, the total harmony of body, mind, and spirit. When you have achieved Enlightenment, you will have mastered the Way. You will truly understand who and what you are, and your place in the scheme of things. It is said that the Masters are capable of great feats. It is also said that the Masters have achieved a great sense of peace, of harmony with all things. This is the goal of Do, and of the Way.

[sandchigger]

Minor quibble, isn't "the way of do" redundant? Do means "the way" doesn't it?

[Rekka No Ryo]

I tried to make that paradigm an eastern one using Western terms to describe Eastern concepts. When this is not possible, I have tried to include both Japanese and Chinese terminology. These concepts are found in most Eastern societies, and I apologize for my lack of familiarity with the terminology of the other major Eastern cultures. The Mage books, by the way, are heavily biased towards Japanese terminology, despite the fact that the Japanese did not develop many of these concepts until far after the mainland peoples did (in fact, many of the concepts were imported). Even Do is a Japanese term meaning "The Way." If the Akashic Brotherhood really is as old as they seem, a reasonable explanation for their use of terminology must be the more recent refinements (1500 AD to present) to martial arts that the Japanese have introduced. This would imply an evolution of the Paradigm to its present form.

[Malcolm Sheppard]

I tried to make that paradigm an eastern one  using Western terms to describe Eastern concepts. When this is not possible, I have tried to include both Japanese and Chinese terminology. These concepts are found in most Eastern societies, and I apologize for my lack of familiarity with the terminology of the other major Eastern cultures. The Mage books, by the way, are heavily biased towards Japanese terminology, despite the fact that the Japanese did not develop many of these concepts until far after the mainland peoples did (in fact, many of the concepts were imported). Even Do is a Japanese term meaning "The Way." If the Akashic Brotherhood really is as old as they seem, a reasonable explanation for their use of terminology must be the more recent refinements (1500 AD to present) to martial arts that the Japanese have introduced. This would imply an evolution of the Paradigm to its present form.

A couple of things:

1) Your posts are substantially reproduced from this source: http://hem.bredband....ge/ak_page.html

Clarify that you are either the author (since the source is a Usenet post from the mid-90s) or not.

2) No, the mage books are not "heavily biased," toward Japanese culture any more. I know this, as I wrote Akashic Brotherhood Revised. Comprehensive paradigm information is there. And incidentally, "Do," is not a exclusively Japanese term. It's also Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean, making it broader than Dao, which is straight putonghua.

3) The Akashic paradigm is, as of Revised, fairly complex in implementation and is largely based on Vajrayana Buddhism (Mikkyo and Tibetan), Zen/Chan, Daoism and certain elements of Confucianism, Legalism (Han Feizi and Sunzi) and Moism.