Forum:What's the Buddhist/Hindu elements in the Cult of Gaia?

In Shin Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei II, Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE, and Shin Megami Tensei IV, the Gaians can be seen wearing robes that resemble a Buddhist religious attire (albeit with a Satanic flair), operating in temples that resemble Shinto/Buddhist temples. When fighting the bosses Asura, Arioch, Astaroth, Surt, and Beelzebub in Shin Megami Tensei, the rooms they are in contain a Buddha statue, banners with the Om symbol on them, and there are statues of guardian deities from Buddhism. In the same game and its sequel, some of the Gaians you encounter resemble Buddhist priests and Shinto/Buddhist practitioners. Not to mention the Hindu and Buddhists deities that are often Chaos-aligned.

I find it slightly odd considering Buddhism advocates a detachment from desire and compassion for others over self-interest, while in the games Chaos tends to advocate living for yourself, which fits their ideal of freedom, as well as personal power. So how does Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto fit in the Gaian/Chaos, considering they seem more like Satanists and Luciferians (they have elements of both, which you can see in the games). GalaxiaWild (talk) 23:00, June 19, 2013 (UTC)