Yeosindo

Yeosindo, (Anikatian: 여신도, Yeosindo, "Way of the Goddess"), also called Yeosindoism, (Anikatian: 여신도교 , Yeosindogyo, "religion of the Way of the Goddess") is an ancient Anikatian religion and a religious philosophy. It was once the state religion of the Mahyrncan, A'kyjianun, and Xi'Kytiahu empires. It is defined as an action-centered religion, focused on ritual practices to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present-day Anikatia and its ancient past. Yeosindo practices were first recorded in historical records from around the 4th century. Still, these earliest Anikatian writings do not refer to a unified "Yeosindo religion", but rather to a collection of native beliefs and mythology. Yeosindo today is a term that applies to the religion of public shrines devoted to the worship of the goddess (Yeosin). Dedicated practitioners the who often become take an oath and become priests or priestesses and express their diverse beliefs through a standard language and practice, adopting a similar style in dress and ritual, dating from around the time of the Kyoi-Hu state. The oldest recorded usage of the word Yeosindo is from the second half of the 6th century. The sacred essence of the goddess who is the great mother of all and creator and giver of life on Pardes and all the Universe, with all other forms of divinity, considered to be merely her diverse manifestations. Her spirit manifests in all of nature: rocks, trees, rivers, animals, places, and even people can be said to possess the spirit of the goddess.

Yeosindo is the largest religion in Anikatia, practiced by nearly 70% of the population, yet only a small percentage of these identify themselves as "Yeosindoists" in surveys. In the 2010 census, only 24.53% of Anikatians were counted as following Yeosindo, this is due to the fact that Yeosindo has different meanings within Anikatia: most of the Anikatians attend Yeosindo temples and shrines without belonging to an institutional Yeosindo religion.

Over the course of its history, Yeosindo has inspired great works of Anikatian literature and philosophy, and it continues to strongly influence popular Anikatia today and is practiced throughout the Azumakya subcontinent and beyond, in numerous forms.

History

Statue of Yeosin

There is no core sacred text in Yeosindo, as the Bible is in Christianity or Qur'an is in Islam. Instead there are books of lore and history which provide stories and background to many Yeosindo beliefs.

In a collection of myths, the origins of stories are linked to a mother goddess associated with a the mountains. In other myths she is a princess who is later transformed into a goddess. Although regarded as the source of all wisdom, she is directly credited with guiding and healing the people of her creation. She was held as unique and supreme among all deities, and often referred to simply as "the Goddess", (Yeosin) by which she continues to be invoked, albeit in a largely secular manner, to the present day.

Yeosindo goes back to pre-historic times, thus it pre-dates the introduction of Ulthrianism and Christianity, in Anikatia. It is in many ways a conglomeration of the various localised beliefs that existed within Anikatia that have combined with a strong unifying common themes and representations.

Although many Anikatians converted to Ulthrianism when it was spread to the Anikatian mainland, it was not adopted as the state religion of the Aekkychan Empire and Yeosindo was allowed to remain the state religion although it was often disregarded and seen as backwards by the colonial population. Despite this a number of sects that were syncretised with folk-Yeosindo and Ulthrianism. In the late 19th and 20th century, a series of factors have concurred which attempted to destroy Yeosindo, almost leading to the near complete dismemberment of the fabric of Anikatian society, this did not fully occur but it did ultimately paved the way for the growth of Christianity and Ulthrianism in Anikatia.

During the Belfrasian and Ulthrannic rule over Anikatia, the Yeosindo was portrayed as backwards in the attempt to replace it with Christianity or Ulthrianism. For a brief period in the 1950s, after the independence, the traditional religion became identified with the pure Anikatian national essence. However the pro-Christian anti-communist government quickly sought to reduce the power of Yeosindo.

The situation severely worsened with the subsequent civil war and the consequential new Socialist government, contributing to a further erosion of the Anikatian traditional religion. The DSRA initially prohibited indigenous worship and forbid the practice of any rituals, deeming them to be superstitions. As a result, a number of traditional shrines and temples were destroyed or damaged. This was particularly tough under the rule of Kai Seul-ki. However by the late 1960s the government started easing back before finally relenting on this policy and once again legalising the practice of indigenous religions. Yeosindo has experienced a revival in Anikatia and has seen some limited growth internationally in most recent times since the fall of the DSRA, the new government has fully embraced it's traditional religious roots and provides support for protection of its religious cultural heritage.

Beliefs and practices

Sacred Truths

The first and most important teachings of Yesindo are the Three Sacred Truths.

1. Life involves suffering, the reason for suffering is that we want things we can not or do not have. More importantly, we become "attached" to those worldly things.
2. The way to cure suffering is to stop the wanting. The Yeosindo response is that we can never get everything we want, partly because of human nature that we have more wants than it is possible to fulfill.
3. The way to stop wanting is to follow the Path of the Goddess, which focuses not on changing things around us, but instead it focuses on changing ones self and own mind on how we view things.

Path of Heaven

Yeosindo tells people to follow a special seven step way of life called the Path of Heaven if they want to truly understand the Sacred Truths and achieve a higher state of being they are to follow the Path of Heaven.

This is the Path of Heaven:

1. Fully know and truly understand the Sacred Truths.
2. Give up all worldly processions and share with those in need your help.
3. Don't commit evil acts, such as killing, stealing, or living an unclean life.
4. Work for good and stand against evil.
5. Do fulfilling and rewarding work.
6. Make sure your mind keeps your senses under control.
7. Practice meditation as a way of understanding reality.

Five Teachings

Yeosindoists are encouraged to follow five teachings, or rules, that say what you must and must not to do. Yeosindo taught that killing, stealing, having sex in a harmful way, and lying are not signs of skill and are not the way of the Goddess. Atonement is found by avoiding these earthly ways and guiding oneself unto the rightful way of the divine one.

These are the Five Teachings.

1. I will not cause harm to any person or living animal.
2. I will not take something if it was does not belong to me.
3. I will not engage in unclean and corrupting sexual misconduct.
4. I will not speak lies but be honest in all my words and deeds.
5. I will not take harmful intoxicants, like alcohol or drugs.

Expansion beyond Azumakya

The practice of Yeosindo is no longer confined to Azumakya subcontinent. Traditional Yeosindo temples have sprung up across Kasaishima, Lusankya, Taveria, Ashizwe and elsewhere – some enthusiastically attended by non-Anikatians as well as Anikatian diaspora.

Some writers and thinkers believe that many central concepts of Yeosindo – including aspects of goddess worship – were once "common to the all civilizations," but were largely superseded in the West, as well as the Middle East, with the rise of the Abrahamic religions:

"Of these four great ancient civilizations, working knowledge of the inner forces of enlightenment has survived on a mass scale only in Anikatia. Only in Anikatia has the inner tradition of the Goddess endured. This is the reason the teachings of Anikatia are so precious. They offer us a glimpse of what our own ancient wisdom must have been. The Anikatians have preserved our lost heritage. [...] Today it is up to us to locate and restore the tradition of the living Goddess. We would do well to begin our search in Anikatia, where for not one moment in all of human history have the children of the living Goddess forgotten their Divine Mother."

See also

• Anikatia

External links

• www.yeosindo.co.ank