Lost Isles- Religion of the Aoru of Komadas

Creation Myth
Wheel of Lai (artwork by Lee Smith)

We live in the third world. Before the worlds there was the nothing, and the Lai was the only light.

The Lai condensed, and spawned the first world. The first world was a world of air. Spirits streamed in gauzy ribbons, and the wide space was filled with their tails and their vapors. This world was imperfect. When Iru tried to teach the spirits, they cackled and flew away. This world was put aside.

The Lai condensed, and spawned the second world. The second world was a world of water. Sinuous creatures swam in languid streams, and the wide space was filled with their fins and their wakes. This world was flawed. When Iru tried to teach the creatures, they gurgled and swam away. This world was put aside.

The Iru is above all else is the teacher. The Iru teaches peace, good, and change.

The Lai condensed, and spawned the third world. The air spirits of the first world were recalled, and given a minor place of habitation, in the winds and breezes. The water creatures of the second world were recalled, and given space to live under the seas and in the rivers and lakes.

The first and the second worlds were rejected for this, the third world.

Ours is a world of earth, of land. We climb trees. We cavort in green meadows. We breathe in the air, and we drink from the water. We came into being with the third world. We were given dominance over the third world, with a caution.

Do not take for granted the world given in gifting. Do not mock the teachings of Iru. Listen to the woods, listen to the green spaces, listen to the voices of knowledge and thought – or make way for a fourth world.

The fourth world is difficult for those who live in the preceding world to conceive, much as it would be difficult for a jellyfish to conceive of the solidity and existence of a creature of land. In the fourth world, the world of light, the soul will be at its most evolved. There will be no time, and no space. Those who become enlightened pass into the fourth world, and those who live in the fourth world have intellects and understanding as far beyond ours as our understanding is beyond the understanding of a fish.

All the three world evils
Will fade and will disappear
In truth, so will I.

The Holy Book of Lai,
Verse Latter, Chapter 2


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	Religion of the Aoru of Komadas . .

	Creation Myth We live in the third world. Before the worlds there was the nothing, and the Lai was the only light. The Lai condensed, and spawned the first world. The first world was a world of air. Spirits streamed in gauzy ribbons, and the wide space was filled with their tails and their vapors. This world was imperfect. When Iru tried to teach the spirits, they cackled and flew away. This world was put aside. The Lai condensed, and spawned the second world. The second world was a world of water. Sinuous creatures swam in languid streams, and the wide space was filled with their fins and their wakes. This world was flawed. When Iru tried to teach the creatures, they gurgled and swam away. This world was put aside. The Iru is above all else is the teacher. The Iru teaches peace, good, and change. The Lai condensed, and spawned the third world. The air spirits of the first world were recalled, and given a minor place of habitation, in the winds and breezes. The water creatures of the second world were recalled, and given space to live under the seas and in the rivers and lakes. The first and the second worlds were rejected for this, the third world. Ours is a world of earth, of land. We climb trees. We cavort in green meadows. We breathe in the air, and we drink from the water. We came into being with the third world. We were given dominance over the third world, with a caution. Do not take for granted the world given in gifting. Do not mock the teachings of Iru. Listen to the woods, listen to the green spaces, listen to the voices of knowledge and thought – or make way for a fourth world. The fourth world is difficult for those who live in the preceding world to conceive, much as it would be difficult for a jellyfish to conceive of the solidity and existence of a creature of land. In the fourth world, the world of light, the soul will be at its most evolved. There will be no time, and no space. Those who become enlightened pass into the fourth world, and those who live in the fourth world have intellects and understanding as far beyond ours as our understanding is beyond the understanding of a fish. All the three world evils Will fade and will disappear In truth, so will I. The Holy Book of Lai, Verse Latter, Chapter 2
	Beliefs The Nature of Iru and Lai The Iru was once an Aoru who discovered the Truth. In doing so, Iru transcended time and place, and his existence passed to before time, and after time. However, Iru is not god. There is no god. Iru teaches the denial of the existence of god, in the sense of an eternal personal creator and master. Iru originally was a name. It was the name of the first Iru, the name of “the enlightened one” or “discoverer of the truth of the nature of reality.” Some say Iru was a man, and some say Iru was a woman. Now Iru can be used both to discuss the first Iru, and to discuss subsequent Iru. Iru teaches that throughout infinite time there will be many Iru, many enlightened ones. Iru teaches that anyone can discover the Truth; anyone can become Iru. Lai is the name for the essence that Aoru believe flows through all things. When Aoru priests speak of “channeling the Lai” they are referring to moving the essence of life through themselves to freshen and enlighten those they are ministering to. Lai is not a set of beliefs, but a way of practice based on the disciplines of moral restraint, meditation and wisdom. There are no commandments in Lai; it is a path of philosophy that followers must find for themselves. The Holy Book of Lai The Aoru have a single religious text, “The Holy Book of Lai”. The book is divided into two parts, the Verse Former and the Verse Latter. The Verse Former discusses the creation of the three worlds, and the nature of reality prior to the arrival of the first Iru. The Verse Latter discusses the birth, life and teachings of the first Iru, as well as the nature of goodness and enlightenment. Though both parts of the book are studied, modern Aoru religion in practice focuses more on the Verse Latter chapters. Some teachings of the Verse Latter are: Enlightenment is beyond anything that we can grasp with the intellect alone. Iru largely teaches in terms of what is Not. Iru says our minds are clouded by Greed, Hatred, and Delusion. These prevent us from seeing things in their true nature. These are the three mental hurts. Enlightenment can be defined negatively as the absence of the three mental hurts. Moral perfection is something we can only aspire towards. It is not something we can hope to achieve totally or immediately. However, morality should not be used as a stick to beat others with. The urge to judge usually stems from a projection of our own dark sides. The moderately wise person attends to his or her own faults, attempting to rectify them, instead of being preoccupied with the faults of others. Most immorality is ego serving and operates directly at the expense of others. Morality is a primary curb on the ego, and is a first step towards liberation of the soul. The Verse Latter uses many visualization exercises to impart the lessons of the first Iru. One such image of reality is the net of jewels. Imagine a net made of jewels, an infinite net containing an infinite number of jewels. Each one finely cut and polished, each one glittering and each one unique. Each one is reflecting brilliant light. As we look at any of the jewels, we see that it is in fact reflecting every single one of the other jewels in the net – the infinite number of them. If we look closer, we realize that the jewel in fact consists of the reflections. Without the reflections of the other jewels, it has no independent existence. And yet each jewel is unique in itself. Iru says that the universe is like the net of jewels. Nothing exists in isolation from everything else. Everything is independent, and yet at the same time, everything is unique The Three Tenets of Lai Let no man claim the world for his own. Though a people may be dominated, the world is ruled by Lai. The world belongs to no man to rule. Let no man seek to rise above the gifts the Lai grants him. Though knowledge is a tool for betterment, it is not a tool for ego. The Aoru are all equal in the Lai. Let no man raise a hand to another man. Violence is not the way of Lai, and disrupts the forces that bathe and soothe. Harming one more violently harms oneself. The Three Virtues of Lai Patience is a virtue, for in waiting one garners time for contemplation and for resolution. The Lai flows slowly, and in time all things go back to their source. Love is a virtue, for in loving one shows the character of their soul. The Lai infuses all love with light and blessings. Knowledge is a virtue, for in learning one moves closer to all knowledge and spiritual perfection. The Lai praises the teachers of teachings above all others. Death and the Afterlife The Aoru do not believe in death. Death is considered to be a false foreign practice of ending. The Aoru do not believe that anything begins or ends – it instead operates on a continuous path of phases and stages. The Aoru do not believe in an afterlife. Instead, they believe that the spirit moves always from one place and form to another – no stage of being is greater or lesser than any other. They have a theology of constant reincarnation from one form to another, bereft of stops in between lives in a “heaven” or “afterlife.” The Aoru believe that their souls will always move into the body of another Aoru. If there is not a body in this world, their souls may move to the fourth world. It should be understood that the fourth world is not heaven, merely another form of existence. Some scholars posit that eventually there will be a fifth world, a sixth world, and so on. There is great peace for the Aoru in these beliefs, as they removes them from urgency and from disappointment and suffering – bad things that happen in a life are considered transitory and just part and parcel of the unending process of movement. Death Rites Death is not a time for mourning in Aoru society. It is a time for celebration. When an Aoru dies, the ceremony is more like a wedding than a wake. Friends and family gather and enjoy the favorite foods and drinks of the deceased. They sing songs, they tell stories and they remember the one that has passed with kindness and love. There is sadness in losing a loved one, but the Aoru transcend their grief with the knowledge that the soul of their loved one is already alive in a new form, perhaps even among them. Incense is frequently burned at Aoru death congregations, as well as colored papers written with prayers. It is believed that the passed person will smell the smoke of the incense and find spirituality in their new form, and that they will feel love from the burnt prayers, and will know love in their new form. Aoru are traditionally buried, though the physical act of burial, and the place of burial, have little importance. Holy Days and Religious Holidays Every day is holy for the Aoru, in that for them every day is as spiritually significant as any other day. The Clergy There is no hierarchy of priests within the Aoru faith. Their system of philosophical religion does not require that any one priest be higher than any other priest. In fact, any Aoru can declare herself a priest of Lai, and is accepted as such if she follows the teachings of Iru, and acts in the capacity of a religious teacher. Religious Life Religious life is seen as an extension of the normal Aoru religious practices. What makes an Aoru a priest is his devotion to teaching the notion of Lai. She may still have a family and children, and may work as a trader, artisan, hunter or farmer. The only difference is that she is called upon to teach children of Lai, to ordain marriages, and to aid in the spiritual development of their community. Daily Worship The worship of Lai begins with the practice of meditation. This meditation is both separate from daily life as a method of worship, and part of daily life as an extended attitude. The first thing to do in Lai meditation is to make sure that the surroundings are quiet. The meditation is practiced while seated on the floor, or, more rarely, standing straight (“like a tree”), and should be practiced while alone, or among people who are also meditating. The practice involves clearing and focusing the mind, releasing negative emotions, and allowing the Lai to fill the individual. Politics The Lai priests are seen as a political group in that they have an agenda beyond survival – the spiritual development of the people of their community. The unofficial spokesperson of the clergy is the brother of the Queen, Priestlord Nann Red, who is a Lord by birth, and a priest by choice. He and his wife are known to be great supporters of the Lai faith, and frequently take issues of the clergy to the Queen for her consideration. It is important to note than Nann and his wife are not figureheads of the faith, they are just regular priests privileged with secular rank. Sacred Symbols, Objects and Colors The Wheel of Lai is a tool used daily by Lai priests to divine the Truth. The wheel is divided into seven parts – three for the three worlds, two for the accepted incarnations of the first Iru, and two for the two books of the Holy Book of Lai. Each part of the wheel is assigned a color, a spiritual teaching and a symbol. In addition, each part of the wheel is assigned to a day of the week. During meditation, Aoru are encouraged to focus on the aspects of the day’s wheel piece, allowing their mind to wander in inspired spiritual realms. 1. Symbol: Star. Color: White. Teaching: Abstain from backbiting and slander, from language that may cause hatred, enmity, disunity or disharmony. Abstain from language that is harsh, rude, impolite, malicious, and abusive. Abstain from idle, foolish babble. Abstain from gossip. If you cannot say anything friendly and useful, keep a noble silence. 2. Symbol: Diamond. Color: Black. Teaching: Be tolerant with the intolerant. Be mild with the violent. If you have power over others be gentle, especially with the weak. Be patient, restrained, and compassionate. 3. Symbol: Circle. Color: Red. Teaching: Be free from greed among the greedy. Do not seek to gain by the loss of others. 4. Symbol: Flower. Color: Blue. Teaching: Do not deceive nor despite nor wish to harm another person. Meet hatred with kindness, evil with goodness, greed with generosity, and lies with truth. 5. Symbol: Leaf. Color: Green. Teaching: Instead of finding fault in others, look to your own misdeeds. Do not judge harshly. See both sides and judge fairly. 6. Symbol: Sun. Color: Yellow. Teaching: A person’s position in society is not determined by birth, but by worth, not by descent, but by conduct and character. Try to treat all people alike. 7. Symbol: Heart. Color: Brown. Teaching: You will understand others only insofar as you understand yourself. You will sympathize with others when you realize that they experience the same suffering as you. Love others as you love yourself.