Temple of Dharmic Light
| Temple of Dharmic Light | |
|---|---|
 TDL symbol | |
| Type | Thalassic New Religious Movement |
| Classification | Dewiist New Religious Movement |
| Orientation | Dharmic |
| Theology | Western millenarianism |
| Eternal Prophet | Komang Brahmanis |
| Chief Illuminary | James Gates |
| Region | Thalassic Federation |
| Founder | Komang Brahmanis |
| Origin | 1981 Jehembang, Agarput Republic |
| Members | Approximately 20,000 (peak, 1988) Approximately 1,650 (2022) |
The Temple of Dharmic Light, (Kuil Cahaya Dharma) formerly known as the Temple of Iskra (Kuil Iskra), is a Thalassic Doomsday Cult and designated terror organization founded by Dewiist guru Komang Brahmanis in 1981. It was a major participant in terror attacks, warcrimes and crimes against humanity during the Agarput Crisis, the most well known of these are the Straftom Train Bombing of 1989 and Nelson gas attack of 1998.
Despite the group being designated a terror organization, and being outlawed in the Thalassic Federation, offshoots of the cult continue to operate and the Temple of Dharmic Light itself continues to operate in TBA. Membership in the cult has continuously dropped off since 2000, however in 2022 the Federation State Intelligence Agency increased the perceived threat from the cult from moderate to high.
Komang Brahmanis was sentenced to life imprisonment and continues to serve at an ultramax facility in New Saltcoates Federal Penitentiary. Following his imprisonment there was broad public support for reinstating the death penalty for war criminals, allowing Brahmanis to be executed. The High Court ruled that the death penalty was not legal and Brahmanis continues to serve his sentence but was diagnosed with liver cancer in late 2021. In 2002, with Brahmanis unable to communicate with his flock, and the cult expanding to Antepodea proper, a Chief Illuminary was appointed to interpret the will of the Guru during his imprisonment.
Three branches of the Temple in the Thalassic Federation, New Light Foundation, Beacon of Light and Supreme Dharmic Truth continue to legally operate in the Federation but are considered by the FSIA to be branches of a dangerous religion, and are classified as "seditious cults". Supreme Dharmic Truth and Beacon of Light remain under heavy surveillance by both Thalassic Federal Police and FSIA, but a legal challenge by the New Light Foundation in 2018 resulted in official police surveillance of the group to be cancelled.
Doctrine
The Temple of Dharmic Light is a syncretic belief combining not!Catholic beliefs with traditional Dewiist beliefs. Primary to the Dharmic belief is the concept of a Doomsday, brought about by Iskra, the Dewiist goddess of Revolution and Armageddon. This classifies it as a Millenarianist belief structure, placing the organization as both the harbingers and the sole survivors of the apocalypse. The Temple of Dharmic Light teaches the capability of its members to achieve supernatural powers, such as mind control, telekinesis and extra-sensory perception, among others.
The Temple believes in Karmic Realignment or the process of improving ones own Karma by harming or killing those who have themselves accrued negative Karma, typically this includes nonbelievers and other sinners who have strayed from the path of the cult. It has been accused of abusing members, and during the Agarput Crisis was instrumental in ethnic cleansings of Islamic communities in the Agarput Republic.