Kando

Kando is the indigenous and ancient religion of the Borean continent and a religious philosophy practiced primarily in Prestonia. It is constitutionally the state religion of Prestonia, and is defined as an action-centered religion by which the devotee seeks to honor and connect to the Prestonian nation's ancient past through the diligent practice of ritual acts. Kando records date to the early 3rd century AD, though these writings reflect a collective of animist traditions which possibly date to the late paleolithic era. These earliest writings do not refer to a unified Kando religion, but rather a collection of diverse religious practices which share a common tradition and background backed by various mythologies. Kando today is a term which refers principally to the worship of spirits or divinities known as Kan, undertaken through public shrines and holy sites. Kan are held to be evident in all things; natural phenomena, rivers, mountains, trees, animals, and even people themselves can be said to possess and be inhabited by the Kan.

Kando is the largest religion in Prestonia, with some 86% of Prestonians identifying themselves as adherents of the faith. However, only about 28% of the population belongs to an established sect; thus, it can be surmised that Kando holds various meanings to different sectors of the population, and many who attend shrines do not associate formally with the religion.

History

Kando's early history is difficult to pinpoint with accuracy, as it is not a unitary religion so much as a collection of myth, lore and animist tradition sharing common practice or underlying tenets. It is thought that the earliest practices of Kando originated as far back as the Paleolithic Era, though archaeological support for this hypothesis is unsettled; the earliest reliable record of Kando-like practices dates from the Late Odai or Early Nabata Period. The word "Kando" itself is first attested in the 6th or 7th century BC, coincident with the Odai Period. It was the Nabata that first created written record of Kando rites, lore and belief, though even in this era the religion was not a unified faith in the same vein as the Judeo-Christian faiths. In lieu of a single deity, the myths of Kando spoke of beings known as kan, a word typically transcribed as "spirits" or "essences" which permeated all creation and interacted with (and sometimes possessed) mankind. In the Kofun Period, beginning about the early 3rd century AD, the politically influential Hiyama clan began to coalesce Kando into a form resembling its current iteration, giving names and attributes to the disparate kan and commissioning the Tale of Kanobi and Kanomi as the central creation myth of the faith, borrowing from earlier Nabata writings.

The Hiyama, who eventually became the Imperial House of Prestonia, promoted Kando heavily as the state faith, commissioning or renovating/improving shrines throughout the lands under their control and promoting a version of the faith which attempted to connect their own polity to the creator kan Kanobi and Kanomi, the Eternal Father and Mother. While this was not altogether uncommon for the era, the Hiyama's political and military dominance over rival clans solidified their claim to divine nature, and the so-called Imperial Kando had become official doctrine by the 700s AD. This situation remained essentially unchanged and unchallenged until the arrival of Christianity in the 15th century AD.

The introduction of the Christian faith to Prestonia had a profound effect on the religious unity and makeup of the country, appealing especially to the peasantry and lower-ranked daimyo, some of whom converted to Christianity outright; more common was the amalgamation of the figure of Christ into extant Kando belief, with a not-insignificant number of Kando sects and devotees reckoning Him to be a kan in human form. This shift was perceived as a challenge to Imperial authority, and during the Jodo Shinshu War Christianity was heavily repressed and Kando promoted as part of a broader campaign by the Jodo Shinshu to restore what they viewed as "true" Prestonian culture. In consequence of this conflict, Kando again became the sole legal religion of the Empire, and Imperial Kando was re-emphasized as the position and divine nature of the Emperor was elevated. The demise of the Shogunate did little to alter this course, instead confirming the Emperor's divine nature as the descendant of Kanobi, the Father of Creation as the Emperor assumed a role of supreme rule over all spiritual and temporal affairs.

The aftermath of the Great Eastern War brought about perhaps the greatest shift in the history of the Kando faith; the demise by seppuku of the Meiwa Emperor saw the end of the Imperial Kando system on an official basis as the Kyoho Emperor explicitly renounced any claim to divinity, while delegating the customary title of High Priest of Mizuma Grand Shrine as had been done in ages past. The postwar era has generally seen a decline in organised Kando worship and sect membership, though annual attendance at shrines remains high; though religious freedom is now guaranteed under the Constitution, Kando is recognised as the official religion of the Empire and is still promoted by the Prestonian government as a religious and cultural institution.

Beliefs and Practices

In contrast to most Western religions, Kando is primarily action-centered; the “goal” of the Kando devotee is not to attain divine salvation or glory, but rather to honor and connect to the Borean continent’s past. As such, traditional concepts of western religion such the nature of man are parsed rather differently in Kando; mankind is regarded as neither inherently good nor evil, but possessing aspects of both and the free will to choose which path to follow.

The central belief of Kando is in the existence of the kan, a term usually parsed as “spirits” in English, though this is not a fully accurate translation. Kan are broadly defined as spirits or phenomena in nature that embody some essence or reflection of the divine, as understood by Kando devotees; these often include natural phenomena, planets, stars, animals, natural features, and the forces of creation themselves. Spirits of revered ancestors can also be considered to be Kan. It is, in fact, not far wrong to say that everyone and everything is of the Kan, though exact definitions vary upon sect and are discussed below.

Kando tradition holds that Kan are not separate from the physical world but rather inextricably intertwined with it; they are neither good nor evil but possess aspects of both positive and negative as a reflection of nature itself. They are held by devotees to be manifestations of the energies of creation and exemplars toward which humanity ought to strive. The Kan are incorporeal, inhabiting simultaneously their own world and the physical, perceptible realm; in the physical world, they are usually venerated at one or more shrines dedicated to them, though these structures are not strictly speaking necessary to the Kan’s inhabitation of the physical world.

Many devotees of Kando will practice meditation as a means to better contemplate and understand the nature of the Kan and the physical and spiritual worlds, though this is not a strict tenet of the faith.

Five Sacred Truths

The Five Sacred Truths are five statements regarding the nature of the Kan, upon which devotees are encouraged to focus, pray and meditate as a means of better understanding the nature of the Kan and the greater world. These are:

1. Kan are beings of duality; they inhabit both this earth and their own simultaneously. They cannot be seen by the human eye, but may inhabit places sacred to them when called upon by their devotees during rituals.

2. Kan are fickle, capable of loving and nurturing when appeased and respected, or causing immense destruction and wrath when disrespected or ignored. Appeasement of the Kan is thus essential to the preservation of natural harmony.

3. Kan are not fixed; they move freely throughout this earth and their own, but are never bound to one place forever. Even a most sacred place to a Kan will only hold it for a set time before it is compelled to move on.

4. There are innumerable types of Kan, each with a specific function within the physical realm. Even people, if they are wise and upright in their daily living, may become repositories for Kan whilst living and may themselves become Kan upon their deaths.

5. Kan have a duty to the physical world which mirrors the duty men have to the Kan; as the Kan must be respected and revered, so too must they perform the functions of the place, object or idea they inhabit.

Cultural Values

As a naturalistic religion, Kando emphasizes peace, harmony, purity and order within oneself and the broader world; such values are defined as being intrinsic to the nature of the Kan and thus worthy of emulation. In keeping with these values, devotees of Kando are taught to live modestly, be circumspect in their dealings with others and show deference to elders and superiors. Purity is an important aspect of the Kando lifestyle, and for this reason many devotees will abstain from intoxicating substances such as tobacco, drugs and alcohol; others may choose to exercise prudence and moderation in this matter. These restrictions are not codified as part of Kando belief, but rather a matter of personal reflection, choice and preference; similarly, many Kando devotees adhere to various dietary restrictions, ranging from abstinence from pork (due to the perceived uncleanliness of swine) to full vegetarianism. Physical cleanliness is also an important aspect of Kando purity, especially when attending shrines. The act of washing oneself is held to possess a sacred aspect; in addition to becoming physically clean, bathing allows time for reflection, meditation and the "cleansing" of spiritual impurity. Finally, as a reflection of purity and modesty, Kando discourages frivolous sexual relations from either sex, though its teachings have never explicitly confined sex to the bounds of marriage. As with any other action, the Kando devotee should not undertake sexual relations without introspection into his true intentions, and how these relations might impact himself and his partner.

Sects

Historically, Kando has not been a unified religion in the same sense as Christianity or Judaism might be considered to be; different Kan have been and continue to be worshiped by different groups of people, and belief in Kando does not necessarily imply active veneration of all the myriad Kan. Today, the main sectarian difference is that of “folk Kando” versus “shrine Kando,” though this in itself can be considered more a variation of devotion than of actual belief and is subject to varying interpretation. Folk Kando is loosely defined as casual worship, veneration of one’s ancestral Kan and adherence to various folk rituals and superstitions connected to some degree or another with Kando eschatology. By contract, shrine Kando connotates a more devout belief and veneration of specific overarching Kan, typically by way of regular visitation to their shrines.

The so-called “Imperial Kando” was an offshoot of Kando belief which sought to connect the position of the Emperor with the Kan, through the tracing of the Imperial lineage to the mythic first Emperor Hinobi, himself the son of primordial Kan Kanobi and Kanomi. This was variously accomplished by way of purported patrilineal descent, which provided the traditional order of succession of the Prestonian Emperors, under which the current Emperor is the 136th to have assumed the Clover Throne since the nation's mythic founding in 715 BC. Imperial Kando seems to have originated in the early Kofun Period, expanding as the influence of the Hiyama clan came to dominate the Borean continent; it was variously promoted by the Shogunate, primarily as a means to legitimise its own rule as the regency of the divine while excluding the Emperor from any temporal authority. Imperial Kando reached its high point in the late 18th century with the restoration of Imperial direct rule, and provided a strong impetus toward Prestonia's modernisation and militarisation in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In the aftermath of the Great Eastern War, Imperial Kando declined as the Emperor formally renounced any claim to divinity, though its devotions continue on a limited scale in the form of the Emperor partaking in priestly rites as a cultural practice. Actual veneration of the Emperor as a living Kan is exceedingly rare in modernity, and carries a connotation of right-wing reactionary politics.

Shrines and Clergy

Historically, Kando worship took place mainly at shrines, consecrated for use by one specific Kan or for many; the construction of these varied by period, location and Kan, but typically included a sacred hall or repository for the Kan’s vessel (usually a mirror, stature or jar) and a main hall of worship at which prayers and offerings could be offered. Shrines also always include a sacred bathhouse, divided by gender, at which devotees would physically and symbolically cleanse themselves of the world before donning shrine garments and proceeding to worship. Today, not all devotees of Kando regularly attend shrines, and many basic prayers and offerings (such as to the Kan of one’s ancestors) may be offered from within the home. Traditionally, shrines were deconstructed and rebuilt once a generation (every twenty years) as an act of restoration and renewal symbolising the ever-flowing energies of creation; as part of this ceremony, ritual dances were held symbolising the ancestral Kan Kanomi and Kanobi, whose dance of creation brought forth the universe. While most shrines today do not practice the reconstruction ritual, ritualistic dance remains an important part of Kando festival worship.

Kando clergy consists of priests and priestesses who tend the shrines and offerings made to the Kan at them; there is comparatively little hierarchy, and all genders are considered equally worthy to commune with the Kan as a clergyperson. The Emperor, in his symbolic position as High Priest of Mizuma Grand Shrine (traditionally, the first and holiest shrine in Kando) is sometimes considered to be the head of the Kando faith; since the postwar era, this is a less-common interpretation, and the actual position of High Priest has often been delegated throughout history. Prospective clergypersons typically undergo a rigorous period of study and meditation at a shrine, under the guidance of the present clergy, and will typically remain at the shrine of their study for the duration of their careers. Ascetic orders akin to monks and nuns of other faiths are virtually unknown in Kando. Clergy in Kando are held to be special intermediaries between the Kan and their worshipers, though they are not necessary for Kando ritual as all humankind is considered equally capable of communing with the Kan.

Rites and Festivals

The Kando faith, ritualised as it is, has developed ceremonies and rituals for all aspects of a devotee’s life, from birth to death. These are described briefly below, in more or less chronological order:

Birth: The birth of a child is an auspicious event, signifying the Kan’s divine blessing on the couple; it is held that the ability to create life is a gift of the Kan themselves. Children are typically presented to their nearest shrine on their third day of life, where their names are entered in the family genealogy kept at the shrine and a blessing and offering are made to the child’s ancestor-Kan on their behalf. Interestingly enough, 3 is actually considered an especially inauspicious number in Kando numerology; the ceremony, therefore, serves an alternate role in seeking the Kan’s protection on this most unlucky of days. If the child survives to the seventh day (an auspicious number in Kando), it is returned to the shrine, where additional offerings of thanks are given.

Coming-of-age: Traditionally, Kando has held that the age of logic is attained at 14. At this age, the young man or woman is considered fully an adult, eligible for marriage and capable of communing with the Kan on his or her own behalf as well as on behalf of others. The coming-of-age ceremony consists of two parts: first, the parents of the young man or woman appear at the shrine to give thanks to the Kan for nurturing their child to adulthood. Second, the child themselves appears at the shrine to ask for the blessings of the Kan upon themselves, their parents and their future undertakings. Traditionally, an amulet is given to the newly-consecrated adult, consisting of a blessed mirror and strip of fine paper upon which a blessing is written, tied into a silk bag and hung by a string around the neck.

Marriage: Marriage in Kando is an especially important and auspicious time, signifying not only the union of two living persons but also of their families and their ancestral Kan. A marriage ceremony will typically take place on a day divined by a local priest as especially auspicious; in the days prior, a temporary marital shrine is constructed by members of both families, and relics of their ancestral Kan consecrated and placed therein. On the day of the wedding, the couple-to-be dress in their finest clothing and appear together before the shrine and presiding priest, who announces the union of the two to their ancestral Kan and calls upon them for their blessing and protection. A length of sacred silk cord is then used to bind the right hands of the couple to one another, signifying their physical union. Finally, a large feast is prepared and offered to the ancestral Kan, before being consumed by the new couple and assembled guests; this consumption signifies the blending of the two lines of ancestral Kan into one, and the spiritual union of the two families. The exchange of rings, a concept borrowed from Western marital traditions, may follow thereafter.

Death: Kando death rituals as compared to other rituals are rather spartan, a reflection of Kando’s dim view of death; in present day, most Kando devotees choose a nonreligious or Christian funerary service. As death is believed to be polluting, the place of a Kando devotee’s death (typically the home) is symbolically purified by opening all doors and windows and burning blessed incense for seven days of mourning. At the family shrine, the deceased’s name is entered into the familial log, and offerings of sweet rice, incense and the deceased’s favorite foods and possessions are given to entice the Kan of the deceased to unite with its progenitors. The body is held to be of little value post-death, and is typically disposed of via cremation.

In addition to these common ceremonies, various shrines may hold festivals commemorating the change of seasons, or other auspicious events to the individual mythologies of the Kan which they enshrine and represent; these are often large community events and have taken on a secular aspect of celebration which has to some degree surpassed their original religious nature. Ritualistic dance and music based on the ancient musical traditions of Prestonia is a common feature of seasonal festivals, reflecting the Dance of Creation by which the universe was brought into being, as well as the continuous waves of energy which are held to permeate all of creation as an expression of the Kan.