Hu Li Ruxue

Varying Alignment Philosophy
'''Gender. None
Sphere. All
Dominion. None
Priests. Shugenja
Adjective. Ruxuist
Pantheon. The Eight-Spoked Wheel
Domains. All
The Ðuc Tiên Ông Ðui Bo Tát Ma-ha-tát Hu Li Ruxue or simply Hu Li Ruxue is an animistic belief system and a philosophy. "Ðuc Tiên Ông Ðui Bo Tát Ma-ha-tát Hu Li Ruxue" translates in ancient kashan-ji (the root alphabet and language of modern Shinese, the Seiryujin language) to the "Sacred and Pure Path of the Gods and Hu Li is the Guide". It involves the worship of qi'an, or spirits. Some qi'an are local and can be regarded as the spiritual being/spirit or genius of a particular place, but other ones represent major natural objects and processes: for example, Zembya, the Sun goddess, or Mount Seiji, a mountain due north of the Imperial Capital of Seiryu.
Hu Li Ruxue also has a prominent focus on ancestor worship. It is believed that when the soul, or qi, leaves its body, it returns to some other source to continue to retain its qi'an function. Some qi travels the world free of such binding and throughout Hu Li Ruxue scripture and history, it is believed such qi has actually given power or aid to the choices of man.
The early natives of the Isle of Seiryu are said to have been taken under the wing of a group of greater beings. They are regarded as the tian'qi, or "Higher Spirits" in the Hu Li Ruxue. These beings are known as the Fuso (“lion men”), Hengeyokai (“shapechangers”), Kappa (“river children”), Tengu (“bird men”), and the Tsuchigumo (“old spiders”). It is believed that the Fuso were responsible for teaching man about the nature of spirits and the world around him. From the Fuso's teachings came the reverence that is still adhered to today in Seiryu.
Creation
It is believed that the sisters of the Heavens, Zembya and Tsimari, traveled across the sky until Tsukyo stopped them on their path. He asked them both to marry him after explaining that he was dying and that he wished for someone to carry his name into the future. Both desired Tsukyo, so they fought amongst themselves until Zembya triumphed honorably over Tsimari's dishonorable tactics. Zembya and Tsukyo were wed and their pact gave birth to the first of the qi'an which they created from their merged qi. Tsukyo was rejuvenated by his marriage and grew stronger in his wife's light. Tsimari, still jealous, chased her sister around Tsukyo. It is believed he stands in their way so they wouldn't fight.
Afterlife
After death a person's qi becomes a "free spirit", or qi'gami. Their name is recorded at a Hu Li Ruxue shrine and most worshipers revere all, though there are some rituals that are dedicated strictly to family members. Those children who die before being able to understand the nature of spirits are called "wave children", or roniko, and are believed to cause troubles and plagues. Roniko are often worshiped in a shrine dedicated to stilling their anger and sadness.
Qi
It is believed that all things possess qi and that once the qi leaves the body and becomes qi'gami, it may wander the world free or may once again bind itself to something and return to the Material Plane as qi'an. The qi'an are seperated into seven different classes. They are the a-su (Earth), kaimu (Nothingness), kaji (Fire), kane (Metal), mokusai (Wood), taiga (Water), and tenkuu (Wind). In all things a mix of these spirits subsides and only in the purest of the elements are true qi'an found. In this, sometimes a person's attitudes are defined by his qi'an. For example, "he is full of kaji" means a person is brash or full of hate.
Tian'qi
The beings known as the tian'qi are revered as guides to the qi and are held in higher regard than any other form of qi in the Hu Li Ruxue.
Beliefs
Unlike other religions, the Hu Li Ruxue simply believes that one should adhere to the four simple rules of life:
Tradition and Family. The family is seen as the main mechanism by which traditions are preserved. Their main celebrations relate to birth and marriage.
Love of Nature. Nature is sacred; to be in contact with nature is to be close to the qi'an. Natural objects are worshiped as containing sacred spirits.
Physical cleanliness. Followers of the Hu Li Ruxue take baths, wash their hands, and rinse out their mouths often. This can be misconstrued as vanity.
Rejoice. Any festival dedicated to the ancestors, qi'an, or tian'qi, of which there are many each year, is attended and enjoyed by all disciples.
Impurity and Purification
Adherents of the Ruxue believe that any taint on their qi will cause them to be bound immediately as a qi'an of the Earth. It is believed that a strength of qi is required to travel about freely as a qi'gami. The worst fate possible for a disciple of Hu Li is to suffer such impurity that their qi is bound to the river, to be nothing more than sustenance for the living. There are several taboos that a disciple of Hu Li must follow to maintain purity and any straying from his path requires ritual purification at a shrine. The two most notable taboos of the Hu Li Ruxue are the belief that touching a dead creature causes impurity of spirit and the belief that raw meat save that of the fish or the foul is impure. Purification rituals generally involve burning of incense or some other pungent smoke so that the qi'an of Fire and Wind purify the qi.
Shrines
The principal worship of the qi'an is done at public shrines, although home worship at small private shrines is also common. It is also possible to worship objects or people while they are still living. While a few of the public shrines are elaborate structures, most are small buildings in the characteristic Seiryu architectural style. Shrines are commonly fronted by a gate called torii made of two uprights and two crossbars. These gates are there as a part of the barrier to separate our living world and the world the qi'an live in. There are often two guardian animals placed at each side of the gate and they serve to protect the entrance. Some of the most common protecter animals are Qilin (mystical horses), lions, large birds of prey, or the tian'qi. Qi'an are invoked at all important ceremonies, such as weddings and entry into university or internship.
The qi'an are commonly petitioned for earthly benefits: a child, a bountiful harvest, a happier life. While one may wish for ill fortune on others, this is believed to be possible only if the target has committed wrongs first, or if one is willing to offer one's life. Funeral processions have changed greatly over the past one thousand years. Before the Age of Gods, disciples of Hu Li buried their dead in the ground to give the body back to Earth spirits. This was most commonly done near rivers so that the qi'gami would be able to drink. This closeness lead to a series of plagues in smaller villages. Also, the bodies would rise up from their graves and assault man. Thus, it is now the practice of disciples to use a funeral pyre, giving the bodies back to Fire and Wind. Almost all festivals in Seiryu are hosted by local shrines and these festivals are open to all those that wish to attend. While these could be said to be religious events, they are not commonly regarded as religious since everyone can attend, regardless of personal beliefs.
Pantheon
The Hu Li Ruxue teaches that everything contains a qi'an. Every rock, every mouse, every living and nonliving thing contains qi. There is also a greater qi'an for groups of things: for example, there is a qi'an within a boar, and there is also a main Qi'an residing over all the boars of the world. The greater Qi'an are collectively called Mugen no Qi'an, a traditional expression literally meaning "infinite spirits". Sightings of these greater Qi'an have been reported all over the world and all throughout history.
The most worshiped and revered Qi'an is Zembya, the Sun Goddess. She is not regarded as the ruler of all, but it is widely believed that all the world spawned from her and her image. It is also believed that she is the matriarch of the old Seiryu Dynasty who was usurped by the samurai caste.
The four other widely revered and worshiped Qi'an are Kukinojo (God of the Wind), O-yoshi (God of the River), Tsimari (Goddess of Nothingness), and Tsukyo (God of the Earth).
Solar Eclipse
Solar eclipses are regarded as the most horrifying events to the Hu Li Ruxue. It represents nothing overlapping everything and the qi'an become uneasy. During such events, every disciple of Hu Li is required to ease the qi'an and their ancestors in hopes that war would not break out amongst the qi'an.