Rambuchan
The Funky President
Shameless promotions out the way first (don't worry this is mainly intended to be history):
Some of you will know that I am busy finishing off a Mughal Era mod with Luddi. This sees many medieval Indian and Persian units. One of these is the "Fakir" - an invisible, holy man unit that requires no support. It is auto-produced by the "Fakir's Lodge" improvement, which requires the "Opium" resource in its radius to build.
Well I was just doing some writing up for the Pedia, as we reach close to release, and it struck me what fascinating characters Fakirs (Muslim, mostly Sufi) and also Saddhus (Hindu ascetics) are historically, socially, religiously, morally and in so many other ways. I'm going to lay out some of the Pedia write up, to give you an impression of what a kick ass mod this will be and also to share some info on these characters. Here's the Pedia entry, with some photos added to give more of an idea:
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Fakirs Lodge: Requires Opium in the city radius in order to build. Once youve hooked up the narcotic supply, the mystics will come flocking and a Fakir will be auto-produced every 8 turns. NOTE: You can share one source of opium between a number of cities (if youre not so anal as to insist on giving cities optimum spacing that is).
The Fakirs Lodge introduces the colourful, mysterious, inspiring and frankly bizarre holy men of the Hindu and Muslim faiths. The Saddhu and The Fakir. It also makes for some seriously cool gameplay with auto-produced invisible units!
A Saddhu (Saah-doo) is a Hindu ascetic or monk.
The Saddhu or Sunyasin tradition has a long history. It consists of renouncing worldly ties in pursuit of higher values of life. Ideally a Saddhu lives in the society but is detached from its pleasures and pains. Saddhus typically survive on bhiksha (alms) provided by families, and on natural resources, and they spend most of their time in meditation. Saddhus are holy men, and are revered as possessing special knowledge and power, but they are often feared as well for their strange practices.
Saddhu with begging bowl
There are many sects devoted to different deities, but the most gruesome is the Aghori, whose members frequent crematory grounds, drink from skulls, and even eat human flesh - along with other taboo-breaking, they believe that these transgressions will speed up enlightenment. Whatever does it for you, as they say.
Fakirs were / are Muslim ascetics, most typically Sufi mystics.
These were actually known to engage in medieval warfare, unlike the Saddhu. Being holymen, they were not really meant to be killing people. So they developed a number of cool weapons in disguise, such as:
The Fakir's crutch.
A rather rare form of Indian mace or pick used, as the name implies, mostly by religious mendicants forbidden by law to carry arms. Usually made from a solid piece of steel, it has a short handle on one side of which is a head shaped like a hand holding an antelope's horn and, on the other, a serpent with a tiger's head. This 'crutch' is placed under the arm when a fakir is seated, and, should the need arise, can be a very efficient weapon.
Fakir's horns.
A rare form of Indian weapon used by some fakirs, who as holy mendicants have never been allowed to carry ordinary weapons. It consists of a pair of black buck horns fastened together with their points going in opposite directions. The tips of the horns are sometimes furnished with steel spikes.
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Armed with that intro, now on with the thread:
I have spent quite a bit of time with Saddhus in India. I learnt a lot of yoga and meditation from these guys. They are wonderful, gentle, inspiring and magical people. My facination with them was the reason for me growing dreadlocks when I was younger, not some reggae fetish.
(I also smoked loads of very fine hash in chillums with them - like this guy is doing.)
For those not in the know: Saddhus are often also called Sunyasins. This is the fourth and final stage in a man's life according to Hindu beliefs. After the first three, a man must then leave behind him all his worldly belongings, family, job etc and train himself for union with the divine - the purpose of life itself in Hindu belief.
This detachment often means mutilating, piercing, burning or scarring the body. The whole idea being to overcome the material.
I believe the writing in this picture sums up what they are about quite well.
Also worth mentioning the the Buddha Gautama was of course following the way of the Saddhu / Sunyasin when he gave his preachings that gave birth to Buddhism.
What more do you know of the Sufi and Hindu traditions of these holymen? I really don't know as much about the Sufi mystics.
Some of you will know that I am busy finishing off a Mughal Era mod with Luddi. This sees many medieval Indian and Persian units. One of these is the "Fakir" - an invisible, holy man unit that requires no support. It is auto-produced by the "Fakir's Lodge" improvement, which requires the "Opium" resource in its radius to build.
Well I was just doing some writing up for the Pedia, as we reach close to release, and it struck me what fascinating characters Fakirs (Muslim, mostly Sufi) and also Saddhus (Hindu ascetics) are historically, socially, religiously, morally and in so many other ways. I'm going to lay out some of the Pedia write up, to give you an impression of what a kick ass mod this will be and also to share some info on these characters. Here's the Pedia entry, with some photos added to give more of an idea:
-----------------------------------------
Fakirs Lodge: Requires Opium in the city radius in order to build. Once youve hooked up the narcotic supply, the mystics will come flocking and a Fakir will be auto-produced every 8 turns. NOTE: You can share one source of opium between a number of cities (if youre not so anal as to insist on giving cities optimum spacing that is).
The Fakirs Lodge introduces the colourful, mysterious, inspiring and frankly bizarre holy men of the Hindu and Muslim faiths. The Saddhu and The Fakir. It also makes for some seriously cool gameplay with auto-produced invisible units!
A Saddhu (Saah-doo) is a Hindu ascetic or monk.
The Saddhu or Sunyasin tradition has a long history. It consists of renouncing worldly ties in pursuit of higher values of life. Ideally a Saddhu lives in the society but is detached from its pleasures and pains. Saddhus typically survive on bhiksha (alms) provided by families, and on natural resources, and they spend most of their time in meditation. Saddhus are holy men, and are revered as possessing special knowledge and power, but they are often feared as well for their strange practices.
Saddhu with begging bowl
There are many sects devoted to different deities, but the most gruesome is the Aghori, whose members frequent crematory grounds, drink from skulls, and even eat human flesh - along with other taboo-breaking, they believe that these transgressions will speed up enlightenment. Whatever does it for you, as they say.
Fakirs were / are Muslim ascetics, most typically Sufi mystics.
These were actually known to engage in medieval warfare, unlike the Saddhu. Being holymen, they were not really meant to be killing people. So they developed a number of cool weapons in disguise, such as:
The Fakir's crutch.
A rather rare form of Indian mace or pick used, as the name implies, mostly by religious mendicants forbidden by law to carry arms. Usually made from a solid piece of steel, it has a short handle on one side of which is a head shaped like a hand holding an antelope's horn and, on the other, a serpent with a tiger's head. This 'crutch' is placed under the arm when a fakir is seated, and, should the need arise, can be a very efficient weapon.
Fakir's horns.
A rare form of Indian weapon used by some fakirs, who as holy mendicants have never been allowed to carry ordinary weapons. It consists of a pair of black buck horns fastened together with their points going in opposite directions. The tips of the horns are sometimes furnished with steel spikes.
-----------------------------------------
Armed with that intro, now on with the thread:
I have spent quite a bit of time with Saddhus in India. I learnt a lot of yoga and meditation from these guys. They are wonderful, gentle, inspiring and magical people. My facination with them was the reason for me growing dreadlocks when I was younger, not some reggae fetish.
(I also smoked loads of very fine hash in chillums with them - like this guy is doing.)
For those not in the know: Saddhus are often also called Sunyasins. This is the fourth and final stage in a man's life according to Hindu beliefs. After the first three, a man must then leave behind him all his worldly belongings, family, job etc and train himself for union with the divine - the purpose of life itself in Hindu belief.
This detachment often means mutilating, piercing, burning or scarring the body. The whole idea being to overcome the material.
I believe the writing in this picture sums up what they are about quite well.
Also worth mentioning the the Buddha Gautama was of course following the way of the Saddhu / Sunyasin when he gave his preachings that gave birth to Buddhism.
What more do you know of the Sufi and Hindu traditions of these holymen? I really don't know as much about the Sufi mystics.