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| Religions - Bhuwani | ||||||||||
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| Mythic History of the Bhuwani Faith: 2 | ||||||||||
| The Challenge: What is the afterlife believed to be like? | ||||||||||
| The two main sects of Bhuwani have differing opinions here as well. The Khi sect promotes the idea that mortals are constantly being judged by Bithra, the Judge of Mortals (an aspect of the True Name). Deeds of the mortals are recorded, and at death, Bithra places the deeds on a scale. If the scale tips even just slightly in favor of good deeds, the soul is rewarded and travels to a blissful afterlife of light, beauty, pleasant scents, and noble souls who have lived good lives. If the scale tips toward evil deeds, then the soul is cast out into the cold depths of despair, never to return. The Khi sect is unique among most religions in that sinners cannot atone for evil deeds; once a deed is committed, for good or ill, it is permanently recorded by Bithra for all eternity. The Kami-do sect is also very unique in that it does not exactly specify the goal of the faith beyond living a pure and simple life. Many followers of the religion therefore tend to gravitate toward the teaching of the Khi sect as they grow older in order to prepare for the afterlife. There are some sects of the religion which incorporate the beliefs of both sects. The main goal of the Kami-do sect is the purification of the body and the spirit in order to help the mortal achieve a state of communion with the Kami and to enable individuals to be able to accept the Kamis' blessings. Both sects of Bhuwani are loosely structured and do not contain the elaborate rituals found in Aetonism or Holism. Aside from the two main sects of Bhuwani, there are also three forms, or paths, of worship, which follow below. Imperial Bhuwani: The government of the Empire of the Golden Sun and Silvery Moon has taken over the support of hundreds of thousands of shrines dedicated to the Kami of the religion, and to the multitude of Rishin (priests) who tend the shrines. Imperial Bhuwani is sometimes referred to as Shrine Bhuwani. This path holds that the land of the the Empire was created by the Goddesses of the Sun and the Moon and that all of the Emperors and Empresses of the nation are descended from the Sun Goddess herself. Elaborate genealogical charts are created to show the lineage of each Emperor. In this manner, the Emperor (or Empress) is said to be divine and worthy of worship as one of the Kami. The Rishin are mainly followers of the Kami-do but some of the concepts of the Khi sects are also part of the Imperial Bhuwani path. Each shrine that is supported by the Empire is dedicated to some local spirit, hero, or event. Shrines are approached through an archway consisting of six supporting pililars (three on each side) and a bar across the top Archways of this type have become so associated with Imperial Bhuwani as to become the symbol of the religion. The six pillars represent the six main holy places (mountains, rivers, forests, oceans, plains, and cities) and the crossbar represents the the union of the Sun Goddess and the Moon Goddess who together rule over the six pillars. The seven bars together are also said to represent the Seven Sages who founded the religion. Note that all forms of the Bhuwani religion utilize shrines of this type and therefore the shrine symbol is applicable to all aspects of the faith. Healing Bhuwani: This path is sometimes referred to as the Mountain Path, the Shaman Path, or the Divination Path. All three are forms of Healing Bhuwani, which is concerned with physical and spiritual Bhuwani. The Rishin of Healing Bhuwani are expert healers and use ancient magicks combined with shamanism, ecstatic dance, and faith healing to cure all manner of ills. Adherents of the Mountain Path hold the mountains of the Empire to be the most sacred of places in the world and believe that their healing powers stem from the mountain Kami. As the name implies, most followers of the Mountain Path live in the mountainous regions of the northern part of the Empire. Many Mountain Path Rishin are also druids. The Shaman Path follows a more primitive form of the religion, relying on "peasant magicks" to cast their healing spells. Rishin of the Shaman Path are typically found in small villages on the outposts of the Empire. Many of them are also sorcerers. Followers of the Divination Path of Healing Bhuwani are given to using special magical implements to speak directly to the spirits of their ancestors. These diviners use this knowledge as the basis for creating powerful healing magicks. Guardian Bhuwani: This form is related to the military aspects of the religion. The main focus of the Bhuwani faith is actually on inner peace and acceptance |
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| Bhuwani Page 1 Bhuwani Page 2 Bhuwani Page 3 Bhuwani Page 4 Bhuwani Priests: Page 1 Bhuwani Priests: Page 2 |
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