Asceticism
Raktayana: Hindu magicians believe in a subtle magical energy called prana ("breath") that permeates all existence. Magicians accumulate prana through special breathing exercises called pranayama. Vampires, however, have no prana of their own. They take prana from the living, as blood. Since the Kindred do not breathe, they cannot use pranayama to convert blood in magical energy. Instead they practice an art called raktayana. The ascetic practices moving blood through his body, while preforming various yoga postures, This transforms prana into a form the magician can use. The mystical energies accumulate at the base of the spine. As a student sadhu performs stronger austerities, a stream of magically potent vitae trickles up her spinal column, energizing mystical power centers called chakras as it goes. When the prana inbued blood reaches the seventh chakra at the crown of the head, the student attains the power to perform paths and rituals.
Dietary Restrictions: Hindus also believe that they can gain merit through what they eat. A vegetarian, for instance, possesses greater ritual purity than a person who eats meat, because she avoids the karma of causing death to animals. A period of fasting confers merit; so does eating a limited range of foods of an extended period of time. The resemblance to Ventrue feeding restrictions should be obvious, and the Davanas gain prestige through move limited prey profiles. Sadhus believe they gain power through unusual feeding restrictions. For instance, a vampire who wished to learn a new ritual might only feed from barren cattle, or vegetarians, or only from the left arm of his vessels. Sadhus also practice fasts. Several potent rituals require that the magician fast almost unto torpor. The Dakini, however, have a weakness, they can only feed off of dead or undead blood.
Mantras: A mantra is a magic formula or incantation, or phrases or syllables used in meditation. The famous mantra "aum" is an example of a seed mantra: a single syllable that represents a phase that itself encapsulates whole volumes of mystic doctrine. "Aum," for instance, stands for Aum Mani Padme Hum, "Ah! the Jewel in the Lotus, amen!" Not only does the sorcerer meditate on the mantras, he may unleash his sendings through the powerful syllables. Mantras gain much of their power through repetition. Hindu magic texts promise that a person can gain one power through 10,000 repetitions of a mantra, another through 20,000 repetitions and so on. A sorcerer who learns a new ritual spends much of his time dutifully chanting a mantra thousands of times, building up all the merit needed to work the sending. In order not to lose count of his repetitions, a Hindu employs a type of rosary.
Mudra: A mudra is a gesture. Like mantras, a magician performs a mudra over and over again--perhaps tens of thousands of times in the course of learning a new ritual or mastering a path. Some mudras call for the manipulation of the sacred or symbolic implement such as the dorje (thunderbolt-scepter), kalipa (skull cap), rattle or drum. Many implements symbolize divine power, as shown in a god's picture or idols. Vishu, for instance, holds a discus, a conch shell, a mace and a lotus flower. A part as a ritual that invokes Vishnu, therefore, a sadhu might gesture with one of those implements.
Meditation: Blood magic requires great concentration, and the sadhus have spent millenia perfecting their techniques for developing the will and focusing the imagination. A magician must keep his mind on his work: In Sadhana, a single extraneous thought could ruin the preformance of a sacrifice or disrupt the flow of magically changed vitae in the magician's body. A would-be sorcer
Tapas: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Defilement: Paradoxically, the austerities practiced by austerities by sadhus often include elements that Hinduism normally defines as defiling a Brahmin's ritual purity. Normal rules, however, do not bound ascetics. They do things for different reasons. This goes double for undead sorcerers. As demons, they have a divine mandate to engage in behavior forbidden to mortals. Needless to say, many of these practices require some alternate form of mortality, or at least the strength of purpose to maintain a dwindling humanitas.
Corpses: Indian normally avoid contact with the dead. Cremation, however, contitutes of the most sacred rites that a Brahmin performs. Buddhism teaches students to meditate upon the images of rotting corpses as a way to break attachment to life and the fear of death. A Sadhu goes beyond this.
Unclean Diet:
Gifts: A Brahmin, Sadu, etc, does not seek payment for his services. People do give them other gifts and other boons that are worth the services rendered.
Astrology: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Jewels: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Mandala: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Alchemy: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Dietary Restrictions: Hindus also believe that they can gain merit through what they eat. A vegetarian, for instance, possesses greater ritual purity than a person who eats meat, because she avoids the karma of causing death to animals. A period of fasting confers merit; so does eating a limited range of foods of an extended period of time. The resemblance to Ventrue feeding restrictions should be obvious, and the Davanas gain prestige through move limited prey profiles. Sadhus believe they gain power through unusual feeding restrictions. For instance, a vampire who wished to learn a new ritual might only feed from barren cattle, or vegetarians, or only from the left arm of his vessels. Sadhus also practice fasts. Several potent rituals require that the magician fast almost unto torpor. The Dakini, however, have a weakness, they can only feed off of dead or undead blood.
Mantras: A mantra is a magic formula or incantation, or phrases or syllables used in meditation. The famous mantra "aum" is an example of a seed mantra: a single syllable that represents a phase that itself encapsulates whole volumes of mystic doctrine. "Aum," for instance, stands for Aum Mani Padme Hum, "Ah! the Jewel in the Lotus, amen!" Not only does the sorcerer meditate on the mantras, he may unleash his sendings through the powerful syllables. Mantras gain much of their power through repetition. Hindu magic texts promise that a person can gain one power through 10,000 repetitions of a mantra, another through 20,000 repetitions and so on. A sorcerer who learns a new ritual spends much of his time dutifully chanting a mantra thousands of times, building up all the merit needed to work the sending. In order not to lose count of his repetitions, a Hindu employs a type of rosary.
Mudra: A mudra is a gesture. Like mantras, a magician performs a mudra over and over again--perhaps tens of thousands of times in the course of learning a new ritual or mastering a path. Some mudras call for the manipulation of the sacred or symbolic implement such as the dorje (thunderbolt-scepter), kalipa (skull cap), rattle or drum. Many implements symbolize divine power, as shown in a god's picture or idols. Vishu, for instance, holds a discus, a conch shell, a mace and a lotus flower. A part as a ritual that invokes Vishnu, therefore, a sadhu might gesture with one of those implements.
Meditation: Blood magic requires great concentration, and the sadhus have spent millenia perfecting their techniques for developing the will and focusing the imagination. A magician must keep his mind on his work: In Sadhana, a single extraneous thought could ruin the preformance of a sacrifice or disrupt the flow of magically changed vitae in the magician's body. A would-be sorcer
Tapas: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Defilement: Paradoxically, the austerities practiced by austerities by sadhus often include elements that Hinduism normally defines as defiling a Brahmin's ritual purity. Normal rules, however, do not bound ascetics. They do things for different reasons. This goes double for undead sorcerers. As demons, they have a divine mandate to engage in behavior forbidden to mortals. Needless to say, many of these practices require some alternate form of mortality, or at least the strength of purpose to maintain a dwindling humanitas.
Corpses: Indian normally avoid contact with the dead. Cremation, however, contitutes of the most sacred rites that a Brahmin performs. Buddhism teaches students to meditate upon the images of rotting corpses as a way to break attachment to life and the fear of death. A Sadhu goes beyond this.
Unclean Diet:
Gifts: A Brahmin, Sadu, etc, does not seek payment for his services. People do give them other gifts and other boons that are worth the services rendered.
Astrology: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Jewels: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Mandala: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice
Alchemy: Page 57, Blood Sacrifice