Tao of Shinsei (TCG)

The Tao of Shinsei, the Way of Shinsei, became the basis of the religion known as Shinseism. The Phoenix Clan was considered its keeper. The Great Clans These teachings were recorded in full by Shiba during Shinsei's audience with the first Emperor, Hantei. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 11 The Tao was studied and debated by the Brotherhood of Shinsei, Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 14 and regarded as the most read single religious text in Rokugan. Legend of the Five Rings: Roleplaying Game (Beta), p. 96
== Content ==
The Tao began with an explanation of the cycle of the Five Elements, as a sort of preface. It went on to describe how individuals' conduct could improve both them and their society. The text ended with an explanation of how karma and reincarnation affected the transmigratory soul. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 166 He taught that, just as ki came from the Void and returned to it, the human soul did not linger in the underworld for eternity, but existed in a cycle of death and rebirth. Only through Enlightenment could one escape this cycle and all the suffering it entailed. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 168
=== Reincarnation ===
The Tao of Shinsei painted a picture of an orderly universe, one governed by knowable laws and created for specific purposes. To every mortal soul born, the Court of Tengoku assigned a purpose, a destiny that was known as the soul's dharma. If the soul accomplished that task in life, then they received their just reward: a peaceful existence in Yomi, the Realm of Blessed Ancestors or reincarnation into a higher station in life. If the soul did not complete their dharma, they were reincarnated to try again or were assigned a less challenging dharma and reborn as a lesser form. A being who lived odiously might be sentenced to spend time in a realm of punishment to work off their bad karma before returning to the cycle of reincarnation. This process occurred in an orderly manner for a long time. Celestial Realms, p. 7
== Relic ==
The original copy of the Tao was kept in the hidden Phoenix city of Gisei Toshi. Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 179 The original copy had been duplicated for study in every major library in Rokugan, bringing hope and compassion to the lives of all the denizens of the Empire. Members of the Kolat believed it validated their ruthless quest to topple the Celestial Order. Fields of Victory, p. 20
== Notable Quotes ==
* “Winds blow, nations change, fortunes rise and fall, but the simple folk will always be asked to shoulder the weight.” In the Garden of Lies (Part 1), by Marie Brennan
* “Appreciation of beauty is the beginning of wisdom.” Meditations on the Tao (Core Set flavor)
* “Rain falls upon Emperor and peasant alike.” Flying Chariot, Standing, by Gareth-Michael Skarka
* “Knowing your advantages does you no good if your enemy is able to keep you from employing them.” Waning Hostilities (Fate Has No Secrets flavor)
* “Can you coax the mind from wandering and keep to the original oneness?” Fire Tensai Initiate Disciples of the Void flavor)
* “The Master understands that the universe is out of his control. Because he accepts himself, the whole worl accepts him.” Wholeness of the Worl Disciples of the Void flavor)
* “Daily caretaking leads to a life of peace.” Bonsai Garden (Tainted Lands flavor)
* “You cannot balance the elements when you are without balance.” Teaching of the Elements (Tainted Lands flavor)
* “The truth of the world can be found sitting at the riverside. The river never begins, the river never ends. All of life is like the river, lessons never begin and lessons never end.” Roving Michibiku (Elements Unbound flavor)
* “With our minds we make the world.” Imperial Gifts, by Robert Denton III
* “To serve the Tao is to serve the Empire. The one cannot be parted from the other, no more than the sea can be parted from the land.” Those Who Serve (FFG Web)
* “A master is one who leaves their mark upon the world through their endeavors. In such undertakings, four great influences may affect the outcome: Proficiency, Preparedness, Destiny, and Luck. Despite humanity's beliefs, the greatest of these is Luck.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 104
* “Those who fear to act have already failed. Lose your fear, and gain the world.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 112
* “Children are but a reflection of their parents.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 123
* “As soon as a person leaves their house, they have seven enemies.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 129
* “All lust is grief, and born of too great an attachment to this world, even as the shadow follows the shape. We grasp at it like monkeys trying to snatch at the moon's reflection on the surface of water.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 134
* “A person who sees enemies everywhere is always blind to their truest enemy, for that enemy is behind their eyes.” Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 135
* “One masters war by embracing peace.” Purity of Spirit (For the Empire flavor)
* “We only relate to pain that is our own.” Courts of Stone, p. 72
* “Only a mind open to the world can perceive it.” Taoist Adept (Seekers of Wisdom flavor)
* “Men know how the world ought to work, then see the way it really does, and ask, why are these things different?” How the World Ought to Work, by D.G. Laderoute
* “Only one who relinquishes fear is truly free.” Overlooked Community (Twisted Loyalties flavor)
* “In emptiness, despair lurks.” Deserted Shrine (Coils of Power flavor)
* “If all elements are of the Void, then what is their opposite?” Elemental Inversion (Under Fu Leng's Shadow flavor)
* “We tell the tale of heroes to remind ourselves that we also can be great.” Path of Waves, p. 163
* “Every day of their life, a person has only one judge of consequence: themself.” 
* “Everyone's life is an epic tale.” 
* “You may kill a truly brave person, but you cannot defeat them.” 
* “Humility is the greatest teacher of all.” 
* “Seek Enlightenment, but expect to never find it.” 
* “Your most implacable enemy is found behind your own eyes.” 
* “There are as many truths about a thing as there are people who see it.” 
== External Links ==
* Taoist Adept (Seekers of Wisdom)
Category:Magic and Religion (TCG)
Category:Rokugani Books (TCG)