The various religions of Nowapan present a complex and difficult to summarize picture. Many people adhere to at least two and occasionally three religions. Families typically have a small shrine in their house in which incense is burned to various divinities. Small villages and towns will often have a shared temple pyramid, used by the various religions.
The center of spirituallity and the closest thing to a true
holy city is Zapoþán (ancient Rajak). Here
are
found the dominant and oldest Dteza and Za Buddhist
universities and monasteries.
Buddhism arrived in Pan in the year 857 AD. The first
importation was of the Theravada sect of Buddhism and this still
forms the dominant core of beliefs. Zen influences were brought
in during the period 1300-1400 AD, but these are largely limited
to a belief in sudden enlightenment and the practice of studying
koans. The temples designed by Za Buddhism reflects Dteza
models rather than Asian designs. Thus the three sided, three
step pyramid of 10th-12th century Dteza became the
standard for Buddhist temples in Pan.
Dtepul
At the core of Dteza is the belief in one,
all-encompassing and ultimately, unknowable God, Dtepul
(the Complete/Whole God). Dtepul is the Universe and the
Universe is Dtepul. And they believe this literally,
every part of the natural and the supernatural universe are
conflated as Dtepul. Neither Dtepul nor its
avatars (discussed below) are thought of as personal beings.
They are without gender and generally, without human wants and
needs.
Only certain aspects of Dtepul are knowable by humans, mostly those that are identified as natural laws. Dtepul has many, some say an infinite number, levels of avatars. At the most fundamental, Dtepul has two basic aspects, Dteyén and Dteyóng which are crudely translated as God of the Masculine Aspect and God of the Feminine Aspect. There is a fundamental belief in an underlying duality in the cosmos, but it is a duality of a single Absolute Unity. Dteyén and Dteyóng are not worshipped as such, no more than Dtepul is. Dteza holds that they exist at a level where they can be only crudely understood and comprehended by humans.
The most important avatars, at least to man in the street, are the three Dtehúl. These are known as Dtehortt'e (the Awakener God), Dtemimpir (the Sustainer God), and Dtemolnál (the Absorber God). Dtehortt'e is believed to give form to things in the material universe, Dtemimpir shapes their existence, and Dtemolnál takes them back into the 'body' of Dtepul as their material existence fades.
At the next level are the 20 Dtelong (demigods). The Dtelong are avatars of the Dtehúl and have various responsibilities and attributes of the world and life. Below the Dtelong are the Dteran (local spirits) who manifest themselves in particular geographic focii. There is no set number of these. Below the Dteran are various Dtemogé (literally, Little Gods). These include the Dtett'i (Dwelling Spirits) who manifest themselves in oddly shaped rocks or trees, in especially beautiful waterfalls, in some caves, etc.
Finally, each living being is believed to have a personal
spirit, a ttirdte, (sometimes translated as 'soul' but
also akin to the Ancient Norse 'fylgja') who may act for either
seeming good or seeming evil in one's life. In a real sense, the
ttirdte is the real person, not the fragile shell of flesh
and blood. One of the goals of Dteza rituals is to keep
the flesh and the spirit in harmony.
Ttan
Ttan is a Nova morpheme which is usually translated as
Tao because of its perceived similarities to the Chinese word.
Indeed, ttan is an idea which appears to have entered
Nowapan many centuries ago. It is generally conceded that the
Nova root ttan is an ancient loanword, one of the few that
can be identified in Nova. Pressed further, a Nowan scholar will
offer more readily comprehended meanings; ttan is the
Natural Way, it is Harmony with Dtepul and thus Nature, it
is the force or purpose or identity underlying the Universe. In
many respects ttan is God. This leads to one of the most
commonly used synonyms for Dtepul, Dtettan.
The most common Nova words for Tao are ttanshí
and ttanwil, literally Tao Effect and Tao Rhythm. The
former emphasizes ttan as a force in the universe, the
latter reflects the cyclical view held by Nowan theologians.
Harmony
Harmony, within the family, with one's surroundings, with
local and hierarchical aspects of Dtepul, is a key aspect
of Dteza. Although they believe that all the universe is
a part of Dtepul they also recognize free will and the
ability of animate beings to do things not in their own best
interests. The Dtelan urges people to strive for
kolq'a, a not easily translated Stative root, but which
means something like 'harmonious existence'. kolq'a is
achieved through introspection, ritual practice, right (i.e.
natural) action, and opening oneself to one's own natural being.
It is, in effect, an aligning of the individual with the whole of
God.
Kolq'a is not a formula for passivity. It is balanced by the idea of dóxhu, 'Strong Life' or 'Living Strong'. This is at first glance a call for survival of the fittest, a war of all against all. This view is wrong. It is rather a call for self reliance as well as for strength, both from within and from one's fellows.
In sum, Dteza believes that an individual should never
lose sight of his/her membership in a social species but should
never so submerge his/her identity that s/he is not tested and
strengthened by life. Live boldly, but wisely might very
well be the credo of Dteza.
Reincarnation
Reincarnation was an all but universal belief in ancient
Nowapan. The Nova term is Ttérgo, 'Deathbirth'.
Dteza believes that the ttirdte is literally
sloughed off the 'body' of Dtepul. It is minute, nearly
if not actually invisible. With each successive rebirth, the
ttirdte becomes larger, initially in the natural universe,
then in the supernatural universe. Ttirdte 'grow' by
several processes. Partly it is by aligning oneself with
ttanwil, partly it is by kolq'a and
dóxhu, the cumulative effects of which are termed
loshí (see below). And partly it is by re-merging
(sódte) with other segments of Dtepul.
Eventually the individual itself undergoes molhor,
absorption and unification into and with the deity.
Loshí
Loshí is roughly equivalent to Asian ideas of
Karma. It literally tranlates as 'Effects of Action/Doing". It
is one of the goals of kolq'a and dóxhu to
build up positive loshí. Negative
loshí prevents sódte with other
elements of Dtepul and thus from 'growing'.
Loshí is not cumulative across lifetimes or
existences, every rebirth is a fresh start.
Temples
There are three primary temple forms in Dteza. The
Ñobdepon is the most common. It is a three sided,
three step 'pyramid'. These pyramids are not solid objects, most
contain several rooms where classes are conducted, rituals
performed and where monks sleep. The largest
ñobdepon are the three identical examples in
Zapoþán, each of which are 165 meters tall.
Those in smaller cities and towns rarely reach 1/4 of that
height. Smaller towns generally have only one
ñobdepon but the ideal is to have one dedicated to
each of the Dtehúl. The different temples are
associated with different rituals, that of Dtehortt'e is
used for Naming Rituals, that of Dtemimpir is used for the
first part of Marriage Rituals, and that of
Dtemolnál is used for Funerary Rituals.
Another form which figures prominently in fertility/agricultural rituals is the Zakong. This is a circle of 12 standing stones with one in the center. It is vaguely Stonehenge like in appearance. The stones represent the months of the year and specific rituals are centered around each of them throughout the year. Zakong are usually 30-50 meters in diameter.
A third common form is the Zañí, usually a 3 step, low raised platform, rarely more 1-2 meters in height. Certain public rituals including marriages, are performed on these platforms.
Finally, there is a fourth kind which is sometimes referred to
as a temple, the Ngoza, a simple
stela/altar. Ngoza are single, cyclindrical, carved
stones, 2-3 meters in height and 65-100 cm in diameter. At their
base is a small altar for the offering of incense or flowers. It
is usually erected as a form of thanks to Dtett'i and
engraved with words of praise. They can be found in across
Nowapan in many, seemingly very wild and natural places.
Priests and Monks
The generic term for priests is dtenálpir, 'one
who occupies him/herself with God'. Priests and monks may be
either male or female. There is a multi-level hierarchy of
religious officials;
Monasteries
Monasteries dtepozhíngór are scattered
across Nowapan. They are,
in part, retreats from the material world where priests may
mediatate and study. They are not intended to be perfect
retreats though and to become a monk, one needs to have served in
public temples for a number of years. Additionally, monks and
abbots train new novitiates and are encouraged to take part in
local rites. A priest with no knowledge of the natural world is
not considered able to understand its supernatural portions.
Monasteries typically are associated with gardens, pools,
forests, and other natural or nature-like formations.
Monasteries are almost always associated with Dtett'i and
most will have one or more ngoza on their grounds.
Rituals
Rituals (loza) tend to be uncomplicated. In the
simplest rituals, individuals burn incense
(zap'óphó) or offer flowers
(zahemphó) at altars. In larger bodies, people
will gather to chant (tténgza) hymns
in addition to the offerings. Chants are usually led by one or
more priests or monks. The purpose of rituals are the same, to
restore or establish kolq'a and restore order in the
universe. Nowans do not 'pray'. They recognize that misfortunes
are often the result of their own or other's actions or due to
supernatural forces (including the Dtelong and
Dteran) whose purpose may be beyond their grasp. By
coming to kolq'a, they seek to relieve their distresses.
Mountain climbing has been a form of mediation and ritual for
monks and priests for many centuries. It is believed that during
ideal climb, a monk gives up all thought of that which is not
natural, becoming totally focused on nothing but the mountain,
simple movements, and concentration upon the now. Upon reaching
the summit, the climbing priest is considered to be in a perfect
state to grasp ttanshí.
Shamanism
Shamans xoza are not technically a part of
Dteza. Shamanistic practice existed long before
Dteza was formulated and continue to exist as a sort of
focal point between traditional folk practices, folk medicine,
formal religion, and modern medicine.