Shinseism
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
Shinseism is the religion and philosophy devoted to the teachings of Shinsei. Its lessons come from the Tao of Shinsei, the written record of Shinsei's teachings across Rokugan. Though its most obvious practitioners are the monks of the Brotherhood of Shinsei, Shinseism is the state religion of Rokugan, so everyone within the Empire is considered a member.
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[edit] Teachings
[edit] On the elements
Shinseism teaches that the perceived differences between the five elements are an illusion. Everything in the universe comes from the Void, and eventually it will all return to the Void. In embracing the oneness of all the elements and by seeing beyond the illusions that seem to separate the physical and the spiritual, a monk begins his journey to enlightenment.[1]
[edit] On cosmology
Shinsei introduced into the Rokugani psyche several concepts that are today considered key. Shinsei is the one who said that, as chi comes from the Void and returns again to it, the human soul does not linger in Yomi for eternity, but enters into a cycle of rebirth. Shinsei also explained that the kami were not simply random elemental forces, but that they were beings that belonged to courts of elemental powers. These are two of the cornerstones of Rokugani philosophy, and they are two of the things that Shinsei understood before any others.[1]
[edit] Monasticism
In his Sermon on the Path of Purification, Shinsei laid out the rules that govern monastic life for the monks of the Brotherhood of Shinsei. It included instructions for abstinence, poverty, and the shunning of politics. He said for his followers to wander Rokugan and spread his philosophy, though they should meet frequently to consider communal issues. These teachings led directly to the establishment of the Great Convocations.[2]
At one of these Convocations, it was discovered that the monks of the Agasha family had been making incredible progress in their spiritual journeys. The Agasha monks regularly spent a great deal of time in their homes in the lands of the Dragon Clan; at one point, twenty years passed without an Agasha attending a Convocation. Because of their time spent cloistered int their mountains, the Agasha had more time and energy to devote to their studies of Shinsei's teachings. As a result of these incredible achievements, the rules of the Path of Purification were amended by the leaders of the Brotherhood to allow for the establishment of monasteries.[2]
[edit] Sects
In the beginning, the Brotherhood attempted to enforce doctrinal uniformity among its adherents. The five Shinsei Sutra were stressed over any other teachings. Such a state never lasts forever, and nearly from the beginning, various monks had differing interpretations even of the Shinsei Sutra.[2]
[edit] Shingon
The matter came to the forefront of monastic discussion at the tenth Great Convocation in 234[3], when a monk named Basso came forward with what he called the "Diamond Sutra", which appears to be mainly a reinterpretation of the Lotus Sutra. Basso claimed the Diamond Sutra was a "lost" teaching of Shinsei's, though some believe Basso wrote it himself.[1] Basso believed and taught the the Shinsei Sutra and the Tao of Shinsei were "elementary" teachings of Shinsei's, and placed all emphasis instead on the Diamond Sutra.[2]
The leadership of the Brotherhood, at that time, decided to quietly drop their insistence on doctrinal uniformity and accepted Basso's followers as the Shingon sect of Shinseism.[2]
[edit] Shintao
The Shintao sect was formed twenty years after the Shingon, at the twelfth Great Convocation in 254.[3] Shintao does not focus on any of Shinsei's teachings, and instead focuses on attaining enlightenment through meditation. A popular saying among masters of the Shintao sect is, "Shinsei didn't have the benefit of the Tao of Shinsei to achieve enlightenment, so why should you?"[4]
Instead of the traditional study of Shinsei's teachings, lessons of the Shintao sect generally consist of Shinsei as a character in parables. In the Rinzai sect, a sub-sect of Shintao, focuses on the use of koan to adjust a student's perception.[4]
[edit] References
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