Sadhana
| Sadhana | |
|---|---|
| File:Amsuman and Kapila.jpg | |
| Type | Dharmic |
| Orientation | Nontheistic |
| Scripture | Various |
| Theology | Atheological |
| Polity | Congregational |
| Founder | Praśansanīẏa |
| Origin | 18 BCE |
| Other name(s) | Pathism, the Pursuit |
Sadhana, also called Pathism and the Pursuit, encompasses a large number practices, beliefs, and spiritual texts based loosely on the teachings of Praśansanīẏa and other prophets. Sadhana has its roots in the ascetic practices of artists, which developed many traditions that are still practiced today. It was only during the decline of Praśansanīẏa's kingdom that a cult of personality developed around him. Adherents refer to themselves as Ājñābahadēra formally, but accept and use many terms such as Pathists and Pursuants.
All Sadhana schools are unified in the effort to end suffering and to escape the cycle of reincarnation; this is achieved though enlightenment or by discovering Bagana (lit. "garden", Arabic جنّة "jannah"). The many Sadhanist schools differ on how to pursue these objectives, but all schools recognized by the Conclave of the Teachers accept the plausibility of all other schools. Commonly observed practices include meditation, observing moral codes, reading sacred texts, foregoing material indulgence, and going on pilgrimages.
Etymology & Meaning
Sadhana (Bangla: সাধনা, lit. the pursuit) emerged to describe a new perspective on local, polytheism and animism. The collected saying of Praśansanīẏa, acclaimed now as a Buddha, begin with a discussion of the problems posed by the many religious traditions of the area and concludes that, while there is merit in all faiths, the only way to permanently solve the problem is to relentlessly pursue enlightenment. The pursuit, therefore, is the pursuit of enlightenment.
Other names, such as Pathism, describe particular methods to achieve enlightenment. One of the most common metaphors in Sadhana is walking along a path towards a destination.
Articles of Faith
Acts of Worship
Society
History
Schools
Western Buddha
The School of the Western Buddha encompasses all of those sects which accept the Buddhahood of Mesfin, either as the reincarnation of the highest Buddha or as a lesser one. The popularity of the Western Buddha has waxed and waned over the centuries, but it has retained a strong presence in the north around Dhaka Lake. The Western Buddha is responsible for the maintenance of the religious courts of the Cardinal Judiciary, which is nominally impartial to any school, but often favors the Zensunni Sunnahs. The religious police, the Muṭawwiʿ, is also under the direction of the Western Buddha School, but it is only allowed to operate in the jurisdictions of Zensunni states.
Order of the Jubilant Jbalanta
The Jubilant Jbalanta, which is translated more accurately as "burning joy", is composed of two prominent disciplines. The Disciples of Bākyabāgīśa, which is centralized around the Temple of Adhan, is the monastic following of Bākyabāgīśa who was the principle student of Monk Dīkṣā. The Bākyabāgīśan disciples are the more Pathist-leaning sect and also the more conservative. The Bākyabāgīśans practice strict observance of Zalah and commonly use their force of the Muṭawwiʿ to patrol the streets during prayer times armed with whips.
The other notable temple is the Temple of Revelations in Dreams, a secluded monastery, which supersedes the rights of the Piercing Spear School to adjudicate prophecy related in dreams.
Order of the Mystic
The Order of the Mystic, sometimes called the Nahlian Order, is the Zensunni sect of Sadhana. The Mystics answer to the greater Yen community. The Mystics practice from the Temple of the Golden Spires and also control the Militant Society of Public Decency, which is more commonly known as the Muṭawwi'.
The Order of the Mystic is relatively progressive. They often advocate for liberalization and have been known to use the Muṭawwiʿ to protect polling places.
Red Hat
The most prominent school of Sadhana is the Red Hat School, which has the broadest syncretism. Red Hat philosophy was also developed by Monk Dīkṣā and describes itself as the more faithful to his original teachings, free from the "corruptive" influence of western religion. The Red Hats believe that Mesfin was a Buddha, but reject the Quran and other Abrahamic texts, using only the Buddhavacana purported to have been written by Dīkṣā.