RE: Chaos in Vithela and Kralorela

From: simon_hibbs2 <simon.hibbs_at_marconi.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 12:16:58 -0000

Olli Kantola :

> > But the world is not illusion.
>
> Are you saying this to emphasize the fact stated in Storm Tribe,
that
> vithelans do not believe that the world is false in the same
> sense that RW magic is? I thought that vithelans do think that the
world is
> illusion as in illusion is the power that makes the world.
Temporary
> reality. A bit more permanent reality, etc.

I think Greg mean Illusion in the sense of a mere image or projection without reality or substance. The Gloranthan Illusion rune and power is something else. Illusions in glorantha are real and can sometimes even be living, thinking things.

My understanding is that easterners believe that the world is just as real as they are themselves, but that through mysticism it is possible to transcend both the world and the self. This means that ignoring (as against refuting*) the world, or worldly matters is dangerous because you could end up being destroyed (not just dead), but that ultimately transcending the world is what is important.

• Refuting the world or worldly concerns isn't the same as just ignoring them, it requires insights into the nature of the world, the nature of illusion and the nature of the self that allow the mystic to 'side-step' worldly consequences.

Getting back to Chaos though, I think this is why Lunars (with their slightly different approach to mysticism), are less concerned about the threat chaos poses. If a being transcends, does it matter if that being was chaotic? The taint will be gone from the world, and in this sense will be healed. What other philosophies offer such an elegent solution to the problem of chaos? Certainly not the crude superstitions of the Orlanthi!

Simon Hibbs

--__--__--