Teoism
Teoism is a philosophical or religious tradition of Nepantian origin which is centered around the concept of Teotl. The teotl was a fundamental concept in most Nepantian religions, but as a Mystery only studied by priests and scholars. In Teoism however, it became a central aspect of their religious philosophy as the source and pattern of all that exist, an energy, or “movement”, provoking and symbolizing the unity and constant change of time and space. This Teotl is generated by the Unknown God, the “Fundamentally One”, “Ruler of the External and Internal Rings of the World”, whom is thus the Creator of Time and the Universe.
The roots of Teoism goes back to the 16th century, with the reign of Nezahualocelotl, tlatoani of Acolhuan, whom was, even during his lifetime, revered as a King-philosopher and grand patron of sciences and the arts. He also built a temple dedicated to an Unknown God and greatly promoted this new cult that distinguished itself from other Nepantian movements by not practicing human or animal sacrifices. This early religion would lose its privilegied position after Nezahualocelotl’s death and become a minor cult among many others.
Nonetheless, in 1650 a priest of the Unknown God, Tepicoyotl, wrote a compilation of songs called the "Secret Teachings of the Tlamacazqui". These songs, many of which are attributed either to Nezahualocelotl or Tepicoyotl, described the nature of divinehood, and how the gods are really merely aspects of a greater energy, the Teotl. While widely accepted by the Nepantian clergy, it was the first time these ideas were put into a form easily understandable by commoners and non-clercs. Worst still, he considered that there was no other god than the Unknown God, who was the sole being responsible for the creation and motion of Teotl. Everything else was merely aspect of the Teotl, be it gods, trees, or humans. Despite persecution, Tepicoyotl managed to form a number of disciples, who then continued to spread his ideas and songs in secret.
Today, it is very difficult to know exactly how many Teoists practitioners there are or even how many currents exist within the religion. Centuries of secrecy have made their movements difficult to grasp for official institutions. It has known a regain of popularity in Nepantia following the creation of the Coalition of Coconeh Calpotlin, as the religious persecutions known as the "Anti-Drugs Campaigns" relatively spared the Teoists because of their way of life and organization. Even if some masters and practitioners were caught, none of the religious structures were profoundly harmed, contrary to other cults who required a very hierarchized clergy and public ceremonies and sacrifices. Teoism also spread thourough the Daeshan Ocean and communities can be found in Koh-Jeol and Pavirata. In the latter, they are also under heavy persecutions, and live in similar conditions to their Calpullali brethren.
History
Tepicoyotl is traditionally regarded as the first priest and philosopher (tlamatini) to develop a purely Teoist theology. But the conceptions of the universe, of the arts, poetry, ethics, and metaphysics are very close to that of his time. In fact, while the “pure monotheism”, abandoning the dual nature of the primordial god, he developed was shocking for his contemporary, what truly made him the target of the rest of the Azcapotzalco clergy was his idea that to truly be virtuous, commoners and worshippers had to understand the nature of Teotl and of the universe. Even if they did not study both physics and metaphysics, as well as ethics and morale, they had to understand the underlying principles of it to fully harmonize themselves with the Teotl.
Beyond this, the core elements of Teoism were already present in Azcapotzalco during Tepicoyotl’s time : from debates on the immanent or transcending nature of the Teotl, on dualism, Monism, esthetic, the sense of life… to develop his teachings Tepicoyotl could count on a dense collection of written works and long oral tradition of philosophy developed since the First Tulla and that had known a real rebirth under the rule of Nezahualocelotl the Poet-King.
Teoist “legends” say that Tepicoyotl formed 80 disciples, all of whom continued his work of spreading the knowledge of Teotl and of the Unknown God to the population despite the opposition of the clergy and of the authorities.
After Tepicoyotl death, two movements started to emerge inside the secret cult, generally dubbed the “revealed” and the “occult” movements. The former focused on communal study of the Teotl and worship of the Unknown God through the help of a priest-teacher, and was mostly focused on the spreading of “the truth” to the masses. The latter took inspirations from the Nepantian shamanic traditions, with an individual dedication to magic, medicine, divination and ecstatic wanderings.
During the 19th century, Teoism returned to the forefront as other cults slowly fell from graces and some Nezahualids Huehuetlatoani decided to imitiate their prestigious ancestor, Nezahualocelotl, and support the Cult of Unknown God. Before the Flowers and Clouds Revolution, a small but important group of reformators was openly Teoist and tried to encourage the Huehuetlatoani and his court to instigate deep reforms to religion and social practices, in accord with Teoist principles such as the abandon of human and animal sacrifices, of religious self-harm, and other violent practices. Even if this group failed to instigate any meaningful change, the second half of the century was nonetheless a prosperous period for the Teoists, whom could openly gather in public ceremonies, have their masters meet and discuss without the risk of arrestation, and write down compilation of their numerous interpretations and commentaries of Tepicoyotl’s teachings.
The Thousand Colors War was a difficult period for the religion, but even moreso was the victory of the Calpullists and their “Anti-Drug Campaigns” aiming to get rid of the Opium of the People. Many teachers and texts were lost, and Teoism returned to illegality and secrecy. Today, Teoist groups operate openly in Koh-Jeol, where small communities have managed to form, and in Othaea where an estimated 600,000 Teoists practitioners have found refuge. But groups are present all around the Daeshan Sea : in Keiyan, Pavirata, and even the Calpotlin Coalition still.
Beliefs
Teoism opposed the Dialectical monism proper to Nahuatl philosophy and instead prefered a purely Monist view, where the Unknown God replace Ometeotl as the central figure of their cosmology. Most, if not all, Teoists schools since Tepicoyotl hold Panentheist views.
The Unknown God
Central figure of the religion, the Unknown God is explained differently depending on the school. He is either the soul of the universe, the universal spirit present everywhere transcending all things it created, or the original creative will. It is however, universally considered to be both Immanent and transcendent.
Historically, the title of "Lord of the Outer and Inner Rings of the Universe" is associated to the Unknown God, but also to Ometeotl which may point out to them still being considered to be a single entity at the time of Nezahualocelotl. But each has since become a distinct figure of either Teoism or of the Traditional Tepanec Religion (TTR).
Teotl
In the Traditional Tepanec Religion (TTR), Teotl is a term often translated as "god" or "divine", but which hold more abstract aspects as it's capable of designing natural forces of the universe or a divine energy that can coalesce in certain beings or objets, creating gods, miracles, and avatars in the process. Teoists meanwhile, understand the word as a verb, meaning the continuous process of transformation and reformation of the universe which is essentially an unstructured and unordered, seamless totality given sense and meaning in the eye of humanity by the action of the Teotl and its regularity, explaining the cyclical nature of the seasons, of the days, ties, and other natural phenomenons. Since Tepicoyotl, it is taught that the Teotl is generated by the "movements" of the Unknown God and is how mankind can perceive Him.
Canonical Texts
The first and most sacred text in Teoism is the Cuicamoxtli ("Book of Songs"), said to have been written by Tepicoyotl himself. The text itself is a compilation of hymns, songs, and poetries written and composed by Nezahualocelotl and Tepicoyotl, alongside a few other mantras popular at the time of the text's creation. It predominantly discuss cosmology, philosophy, raise speculative questions, and generally explore and define Monotheism as understood by Teoists. Following Tepicoyotl's death, his disciples wrote their own interpretations and commentaries, which where their compiled by their own disciples (the "Ïntlacuiloquehuan", "Their Scribes"). Today, these texts have been compiled in a single book under the name of Tlahcuilollitlampa ("Cardinal Commentaries"). It is so called because of the Teoist belief that the Eighty disciples of Tepicoyotl divided themselves into four groups, three of which left the Empire of Azcapotzalco by following a cardinal direction.
The Nimenahuatilli ("Life Precepts") is the compilation of the commentaries, reflexions, lessons, and advises given by the Caquiztilih, the Grand Masters of the generations that came after the Intlacuiloquehuan. The Nimenahuatilli is mostly concerned by the daily lives of the Teoists, the rules they have to follow, what is forbidden, and how they should pray or meditate and when they should or shouldn't do so. The Life Precepts importance vary depending on the Schools, some considering of inferior status to that of the Cuicamoxtli and Tlahcuilollitlampa (the so-called "Choronological Interpretation), and those who consider it is of equal importance to its predecessor and should form the basis of the education of a Teoist (the "Practical" Interpretation).
Doctrines
Ethics
Because of its origins, Teoism tend to emphasis many themes from Tepanec philosophy. It seeks balance in all things as well as reaching the "Three Clarities" : "A Clear Body, a Clear Mind, a Clear Soul". A rightful moral conduct is referred as "In quallotl in yecyotl", which mean "Appropriate and Assimilable". As such the Teoists Tlamatini or "Doctors", just like their polytheists counterparts, are concerned with what makes a conduct or a way of life Appropriate and Assimilable for a human. However, they have abandoned the idea of "covenants" with the gods, or the need to maintain the cosmic balance through bloody sacrifices. Instead, Teoists Tlamatini favour Moderation as the safest and wisest way to reach an "In quallotl in yecyotl" life.
Flowers and songs
Artistic activities are designed under the name of "In xochitl in cuicatl", which mean "flowers and songs". Just like in Tepanec philosophy, art is not destined to be only contemplative and doesn't have any intrinsic value. Instead, it's value reside in its capacity to reveal the Teotl, in its balance and in its purity. Beauty is there to elevate the public psychically, physically, and morally. It must favour moral righteousness and spiritual purity as well as help people reach a better understanding of the Teotl and thus reach higher degrees of humanity and well-being.
Songs and poetry play an especially important part in Teoism. Tepicoyotl wrote all of his teachings as songs and mantras which could be easily sang and memorized by anyone, helping spreading the knowledge of the Teotl. Since then the religion has remained attached to art in all of its form.
Prudence and Hiding
"In nehmatiliztli in cacahuatl", "prudence and hiding", is a doctrine widely adopted by Teoists movements. It derive from both their history of persecution and from their staunch refusal of blood sacrifices. After the first serie of martyrdom known by some of the direct disciples of Tepicoyotl and their own pupils, a concensus appeared among Teoist scholars that Martyrs are a form of human sacrifice and should thus be avoided by believers of the Unknown God. Seemilarily it banish the notion of Neteotoquiliztli, the "Desire to be regarded as Divine". As a result, there's an agreement that if speaking of the Teotl would result in harm and could threaten one's or another live, a prudent silence was necessary. Many scholars go further and claim that during period of forced convertions, it is acceptable for a Teoist to publicly renounce his faith as long as he continue his studies afterward. "Prudence and Hiding" is thus considered part of the Teoists obligation to preserve and spread the knowledge of the Teotl accumulated by their masters and was one of the reasons why the movement managed to survive to the 21th century despite its history of oppression.
Practices
Meditation
Teoists meditations are a set of meditatives practices and techniques used by the Teoists communities. In Teoist parlor, a Meditation refer only to what scholars refer as Focused Meditation, while Open Monitoring is referred to as "Contemplation". The aim of a Teoist Meditation is to use an objet or an action, generally a song, a mantra, or breathing. It's the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts and reflecting on their meaning. Generally, a Teoist will meditate with either the Book of Songs (or other important texts), prayer beads, or any work of art.
The "Inner Training" is a section of the Life Precepts dedicated to Teotl perception, breath-control,
Contemplation
Cultivation
Communion
In the world
Calpullali
The Calpullist regime in the early 20th century heavily persecuted all religious movements in its territories. These persecutions heavily affected the dominant traditional religions that required public sacrifices, obvious show of faith such as bloodletting, noticeable places of cults and a well-structured clergy. Said traditional clergy was decimated by the Calpullists. Faith among the Calpulleh reverted to a form of shamanism using caves, caverns, natural wells, or isolated mountains as places of worship, with the cult being centered around a single shaman. In the void left by the persecutions the Teoists masters and doctors that had remained in the country and survived were able to greatly expand their own networks. To this day the Teoists, well adapted to a life of secrecy and hiding, remain some of the sole purveyor of religious teachings in light of the categoric refusal of the Calpullist regime to touch anything linked to "romantic thinkings of an age long gone" which greatly help them spread their beliefs among the population, which has often become utterly disconected from "spiritual ideas".
Despite this relatively positive situation, Teoism remain persecuted in its "home country" and it is incredibly difficult to reliably estimate the current Teoist population as Calpullists census ignore all questions relative to religion, claiming that the Coconeh have been liberated from such "opioids" long ago and are all an atheist materialist people. Foreign estimates put the current crypto-teoist population anywhere between a million to twelve millions believers, with maybe as much as twenty millions sympathizers in the most optimist estimations. However, in the absence of a way to reliably acquire datas on the matter, the veracity of such numbers remain impossible to verify.
Koh-Jeol
While it is possible that Teoism reached Cheongmae and Rahm Tai as early as the 17th century, the first real evidences of the presence of small communities date back to the 18th century. These communities would continue to develop slowly, until the beginning of the 20th century and the arrival of Nahuatl and other Coconeh refugees who fled first the civil war, and then the Calpullist regime. Teoissts represented a significant portions of these refugees as they could rely on distant relatives and fellow believers once they had crossed the Daeshan Sea.
Today, Teoism is present in both Cheongmae and Rahm Tai, but their numbers are significantly larger in the latter. This is due to Cheongmae less tolerant approach to religion but also the historic distribution of the Teoists, whom always had their centers on the Rahm coast.
Othaea
Teoism has known a surge of popularity in Othaea during the past two decades. The first Teoists masters have arrived in the country during the early 20th century alongside other Coconeh people fleeing persecution from the Calpullists. They created the first "open" school and houses of worship of the religion in the northern continent of Borealis. They were allowed to openly practice and preach their religion, despite conflictual relations with Aenirists preachers. Today, Othaean census record around a million Othaean Teoists, mostly Nahuatl but also a minority of Anglic and Gallic converts. Teoists beliefs notably hold a certain sway over universities and college campus all over the country, which have developed a distinct attraction for beliefs considered exotic, alongside other religions such as Nurabism.
Pavirata
The Paviratan government has always refused to recognize the existence of religious minorities inside its border, claiming that 100% of its population are followers of the Nurab. While not far from the truth, foreign observers have noted the continuous existence of small Teoists communities along the country's coastline. These communities seems to date back to the 17th century, when the Teoist religion spread thorough the Daeshan Sea as it was greatly popular among sailors and fishermen. Most of what is known about the Teoist presence in the country come from expatriate who fled during the intensification of the religious repressions during the 20th century. Despite this, the Paviratan communities claim an unbroken line of transmission from Yepicoyotl to the modern day, and their theology has taken strong inspiration from the Nurab while remaining distinct in its teachings and practices.
The exact number of Paviratan Teoists is unknown and is very difficult to estimate, owing to the country's political and religious climate.