Kadawism

Wung Wong, one of the chief Da in the Kadawist faith.

Kadawism is a traditional animist religion in Coius that is centred on the worship of spirits called Da. Kadawism is the dominant religion in Tusing and has a large influence on politics and national opinions. Kadawism is often considered to be polytheistic and animist, due to the amount of spiritual Da and other small deities who are involved in its cosmology.

Based on the traditional animist beliefs of the Hua people, Kadawism has been heavily influenced by contact with the religious beliefs of Satria and Xiaodong, in particular with Satyism. While there are many branches of Kadawism, the central tenets of the faith have remained more or less constant since the adoption of the Keikeige standard at the end of the Thousand-Flower Epoch.

Core Teachings

Tee Daw and Reincarnation

The core teaching of Kadawism is Tee Daw (តៀ ទើ teev dawb), literally translated as harmonious balance, which is commonly compared with the concept of Karma in Satyism. According to Kadawism, every human possesses a Tee Daw which is almost analogous to the Sotirian concept of a soul. The Tee Daw is seen as eternal, while the “khau” or physical body ‘(ខ្ khauj) is merely temporary.

The Tee Daw is affected by one’s moral character. When one does good deeds, one’s Tee Daw grows pure and white. When one do bad deeds, one’s Tee Daw becomes black and tainted. According to Kadawism, Da are able to see a person's Tee Daw and judge it. If their Tee Daw is pure the Da reward the person by giving them and their loved ones good luck, while if it is tainted the Da will punish the person with bad luck. This judgement is the key role of the Da, and it is believed that by enforcing the balance the Da are able to purify their own Tee Daw until they are pure enough to be reborn.

A person's Tee Daw determines the station of their reincarnation, as people with a pure Tee Daw are accorded more dignified rebirths within higher realms, realms of luxury where spiritual practice is easier inspired by the similar concept in Satyism, while people whose Tee Daw is tainted are given worse next lives, such as being born a cripple or with a physical deformity. Those whose Tee Daw is extremely tainted are reborn as Da, meaning that they are forced to wander the earth observing and judging others until they have sufficiently purified their own Tee Daw.

Da

In Kadawism, Da are the spirits and small gods which inhabit the earth. Natural sites such as waterfalls have guardian Das, who look after the sites. Villages often have a local Da nee (Hua ទ​នៀ) who is given offerings in return for his protection of the village and its inhabitants. Kadawism teaches though that if one lives a good life and makes offering to their familial and village Das, good deeds will happen to them and those closest to them. Da spirits can be divided into two categories; lower Da or Da Yye, and Da Ntu or higher Da.

The lower Da are the spirits of those who died with the most base Tee Daw. They are forced to wander the earth eternally, their only way of gaining a rebirth being through the atonement of their misdeeds by helping others whose Tee Daw is pure and punishing those who have impure Tee Daw as a form of Ke Di. They are believed to be formless and invisible, though they are able to make themselves seen in the form of lights and blurs at the edge of one’s vision and in whispers. Da Nye can be further divided in two, those of the virtuous Da Nye Daw which actively seek to purify their Tee Daw, and Da Nye Du which are malicious and seek to lead people astray and harm them. Da Nye Du can only be kept at bay through the wearing of amulets or through making offerings to Da Nye Daw who protect virtuous people. Da Ntu are more powerful spirits, which watch over rivers, forests, villages and similar locations. They require constant offerings and worship in order to be kept happy, and if displeased can cause flooding or bad harvests.

Da Ntu Nyu

The most powerful Da are Da Ntu Nyu, or great Das, which are comparable to Satyist Devas. There is not a universally accepted pantheon of Da Ntu Nyu, though there are some who are universally revered under several names. These include Sau (សៅ), a creator deity and Wung Wong (វឧន្គ្ វន្គ្) which is the ascended spirit of the first king of Rinkong. Sun and Moon deities also exist, with many different names. The Da Ntu Nyu are ofte worshipped seperately to Da Nye and Da Ntu, with each one having their own complicated rites and ceremonies. They are believed to be able to affect their personal domains, for example a farmer will make offerings to the locally recognised Da Ntu Nyu of fertility before sowing rice.

Practice

Role of the Tu Cua Tsa

The Tu Cua Tsa fulfills the role of a shaman in the Kadawist faith. He acts as an intercessor between the Da and the people and is able to see the color of a person's Tee Daw and therefore give them advice on their actions. They conduct ceremonies and act as the heart of the community, especially in rural villages where the religion is more prevalent. Several Tu Cua Tsa also act as oracles, offering to tell people's fortunes in return for food and/or money. A Tu Cua Tsa is usually male, as women are forbidden from becoming Tu Cua Tsa in keikeige standard Kadawism. The ban on female Tu Cua Tsa comes from a ruling made by the respected theologian Agyachettum, as it was feared that if women were taught the secret crafts that the Tu Cua Tsa are taught it would lead to a spread of witchcraft. This has been challenged by several smaller schools, and with the rise of feminism has been highly criticised.

Ke Di

A traditional shrine with flowers and incense to a familial Da.

Kadawism teaches that one can seek absolution for their misdeeds, through a process of repentance called Ke Di (កេ ទិ). Ke Di is a set of actions and obligations, ranging from commonplace actions to placate Da such as offerings and sacrifice, as well as physical actions such as pilgrimage and fasting. Ke Di are proscribed based on the nature of the misdeed committed and often have a nature of reciprocity, with greed being countered by fasting from pleasures, theft by making offerings and violence by self-flagellation. Ke Di can also be proactive, with acts of worship such as offerings and observation of fasts intended to attain merit for ones Tee Daw as opposed to the purification of demerit. Ke Di can also be made after one's death with the making of offerings to one's ancestors. It is believed that by giving to one's ancestors they can recieve purification, potentially even raising one's ancestors from an existence as a Da or ensuring their rebirth in a higher realm. This often takes the form of offerings at the cremation of the dead ancestor.