Clistenes
2016-04-27, 03:35 PM
Let take a look at the information we are given:
If we take a look at what is said in the Planescape and Spelljammer settings, Kara Tur’s dominant religion is the Celestial Bureaucracy, which is kinda a regular pantheon save for having a strict bureaucratic organization. Its priests tend to be generic pantheon clerics who worship the whole pantheon rather than specialty priests focused on a single deity. People (clerics included) pray to all gods, calling each of them when their special talents are required for a task.
That sounds reasonable. The Shou-lung/Kara-Tur deities are extremely lawful, and keep a strictly organized, tightly run divine bureoucracy. Each god is given a task, and interacts with mortals not in a personal way, but as a divine official or clerk.
But when we read a description of Kara-Tur's religious life, we get this:
First edition supplement Kara-Tur,The Eastern Realms mentions:
Monks, who “seek to create a perfect union between mind and body through the practice of meditation and fighting skills”. Monks live and train in monasteries. They don’t get spells. They get their powers from their own physical and mental development, not from external divine sources. They don’t seem to fulfil any function as intermediaries between the supernatural and common people, but they basically run the religious life in Kara-Tur anyways.
Shukenja who “are wandering holy men. They act as teachers, advisors, and healers to whoever needs their aid. They are respected by all for their devotion and magical abilities”. They get spells and follow a religion, but this isn’t elaborated upon. They don’t seem to live in monasteries or temples, but to wander around. They also get some monkish (ki) training.
Sohei, who “are warrior priests, though more warrior than priest. They protect monasteries from attacks and extend the monasteries' political claims. Sohei have limited magical ability”. They are basically Fighter-Monk-Clerics who are associated to a religion and get divine spells from some higher power. Their function is to protect monasteries, which is weird, because the monasteries aren’t inhabited by clerics, but by monks who are even more martial focused than Sohei are (Monks don’t pray for spells).
Wu Jen, who “are sorcerors and magicians. They usually live as hermits in remote areas, and are greatly feared and respected for their powers”. Despite being arcane casters, they seem to be linked to religion or philosophy: They follow a moral code that requires them to cut ties with their family and eschew a position in society and live as hermits, and they acquire taboos they have to respect, some of which are clearly religious in nature.
No mention of regular temples and clerics.
In Shou-lung (Fantasy China) they have the Shou-ling Tao/Path of Enlightment, the Chung Tao/The Way and the worship of the Nine Travelers.
The Path of Enlightment/ Shou-ling Tao, the main faith in Shou lung and the state religion of the Empire, is described as being made mostly of Monks and Soheis. They live in temples (staffed by priests and sohei) and monasteries (staffed by monks) dedicated to one or more of the Nine Immortals and sometimes to other deities. There is mention of priests living in the temples, but not of what class those priests are (they could be Monks, or they could be NPCs). All mentioned monasteries and orders seem to be made mostly of Monks, who focus a lot on martial arts.
The Path of Enlightenment espouses a written code of beliefs and actions, handed down from Heaven by the Celestial Emperor. Priests of the Path (Shou-ling Tao), live together in huge temples and monasteries. Here they study teachings concerning the nature of the Path, as well as martial and healing arts, reading and writing. These monks can be easily recognized by their flowing red robes and shaven heads. While most are removed from the world, choosing to turn away from riches, fame and romantic companionship, this varies from order to order.
The Path of Enlightenment is conveniently oriented to serve the wishes of the Imperial Family. It encourages fealty and obedience to one’s lord, veneration of the past (including past emperors), and those who teach and guard the path. It’s very nature deifies the person of the Emperor, elevating him to the very side of the Celestial One in importance, and conferring upon him a secret animal name upon his death. The Emperor has the right to speak directly to the Immortals as an equal, as well as to call upon the spirits of the Ancestral Emperors. The Path of Enlightment manages most of the worship to the Celestial Bureaucracy. The Path of Enlightment seem to be a mix of Buddhism and Confucianism.
The priests of The Way / Chung Tao are wandering Shukenjas (dang-ki priests) or Wu Jen hermits, who remain mostly aloof. The Way is a religion of nature and metaphysics which denies that true faith can be taught in books. Priests of the Way (Chung Hsiang Tao) are solitary souls, who travel the lands seeking knowledge through nature. Chung Tao priests are considered to be more wizards than clerics, for the deeper mysteries of their faith give them sorcerous control over the forces of the material world (these men are actually wu jen). Although in theory, the Way is a truly neutral faith, in reality there are two alignments of Cheng Tao priests—those of the Dark Way (using their powers for personal gain) and those of the Light Way (using their powers for the good of others).
The Way is much more of a philosophy than a religion, because its adherents believe that the true nature of the Way is unknowable. It’s shrines are more like hermitages, and its very few temples organized as monasteries or schools, teaching a wide variety of subjects. The Way states that all things in the Celestial Universe affect and are affected by all others. There is no Good, Evil, Law or Chaos— only the forces of the Universe, which may be manipulated as desired. The proper student of the Way thus recognizes this and strives to know the proper way in which to use these forces.
A Chung Tao priest is actually something more of a wizard than a monk or scholar, and both dang-ki (shukenja) and wu jen may be followers of the Way. Powerful positions within the faith are occupied by mages or sorcerers more often than priests, and indeed, many of the great wu jen of history have been Chung Tao priests as well.
The use of power is often the subject of debate, and so it is among the Chung Tao priests. In the earliest days of the Empire, this caused a great rift in the unified faith, with two main temple emerging from the chaos. One group, known as the Black Chung Tao, believe that the superior man has a duty to shape the universe to his ends; directing the unenlightened of the Earth to a higher goal. The second group, known as the White Chung Tao, believe that there are no superior men, only enlightened, ones, and that the proper observance of the Way is in maintaining the natural balance of events. The two sects are distinguished by an identifying mark worn on the chest or sewn on the garments. This symbol, representing the concept of Yin and Yang, is a circle with one half black and one half white. Within the center of each area is a small dot of the opposing color, symbolizing that each half is partially composed of the other. Among Black Chung Tao, the black side is uppermost among Whites, the white side is uppermost.
In secret, these two forces have been battling for control of the Empire (and thus the material world) for the last 2,000 years. In some dynasties, the Black Chung are deposed from the favor of the court; in others, it is the White. Both use powerful sorceries and servants to win ascendancy. It is not unknown for the Black Chung Tao to employ assassination, illusion and even demons to overthrow dynasties which have thwarted them.
In this, they are opposed by the White Chung Tao, who use their powers to subtly influence events and support the balance. At present, the White Chung Tao are ascendant and enjoy the favor of the Imperial Family, but it is rumored that the Black Chung Tao are already plotting a major challenge.
This religion seem to be mostly a form of Daoism.
The Faith of the Nine Travelers is probably the oldest faith in Shou Lung; popular among the lower classes. Yet, for all of this, it is probably the weakest, having almost no temples or organized priesthood (there is no mention of which class those priests would be). It’s power comes from the fact that it is extremely popular among the mandarinate, for its basic tenet is that even the lowliest commoner can become a ruler of men. As the mandarinate became the ruling party of the bureaucracy, this faith was promoted to establish their position of rulership, so that by the mid Kao Dynasty, a great deal of work had been written on the subject.
This was opposed somewhat by the nobility, who recognized a political threat when they observed one.
The Nine Travelers faith considers the Nine to be immensely powerful beings of the Celestial Bureaucracy, and in this, they may have approached closer to the truth than any other religion. They consider Heaven to be a vast mirror of the Empire below, with a Celestial Government, Bureaucracy, and Emperor (all of which is true, actually). They err in arguing which of the Nine is the leader, but in all other things, they are quite correct.
One way in which the mandarinate has reinforced its claims upon the bureaucracy is by legitimizing the Book of Heaven. This four-volume work is heavily based upon the concepts of the Path, but refers to these within the context of the Nine Travelers’s reigns. The mandarinate has made knowledge of the Book of Heaven an important part of the civil service examination.
Often, miraculous events (such as the appearances of the Chu Jen Yin, or Giants in Gray) are attributed to actions of the Nine. Because the mandarinate has a vested interest in the promotion of this faith, they immediately call out a Board of Inquiry for each event, compiling vast scrolls of information and “not proven” and “possible” verdicts. It is somewhat ironic that this “faith of clerks” may well be the most accurate depiction of the Celestial Empire man has ever devised, yet suffers from disbelief simply because it is so mundane in aspect.
This religion seem to be based on Chinese folk religion, traditional polytheism and Confucianism.
In Korazura (Fantasy Japan) they have the Eight Million Gods and the Way of Enlightment.
Eight Million Gods: This ancient religion is a collection of beliefs and rituals that relate to various nature deities. There is no great teacher or book for the Eight Million Gods, nor uniform rituals of worship. Observances vary from deity to deity and shrine to shrine.
Shrines dedicated to the Eight Million Gods fall into two categories—first shrines and normal shrines.
First shrines have been officially recognized and supported by the emperor and other nobles for centuries. They are often located in the old districts of cities and provincial capitals, and are larger and more powerful than other shrines. Many establish branches in other provinces to promote their particular beliefs and acquire a larger economic base of support.
Normal shrines are often built and supported by local peasantry. They may commemorate past events, ensure good harvests, ward off evil influences, or even appease powerful evil beings. Local nobility also support shrines, particularly in towns or villages near their homes.
Regardless of the type, most shrines are independent and unrelated to others. They are usually associated with a site of natural beauty or legendary significance, and may be found on the slopes of major mountains, along river banks, by the sea, or hidden away in forests. Many important shrines are dedicated to the sun goddess and the emperor, who is believed to be of divine ancestry.
Worship at these places often consists of ritual purification, offerings of food or donations of money, and prayers. At least once a year major shrines have more elaborate festivals, involving sacred dances, bonfires, and processions through the streets. This religion is mostly Fantasy Shinto.
The Way of Enlightenment was brought to Kozakura by Shou Lung priests in the year 462, during the reign of the Emperor Shotoken in the Eighth Cycle, and is almost identical to the Path of Enlightenment practiced in Shou Lung. This well-organized religion draws lessons from the life and speeches of its great teacher in an effort to guide men to spiritual perfection.
This religion is divided into three main schools of belief in Kozakura.
Toro-dai is the most popular school. To attain spiritual elevation under these teachings, a believer need only repeat a single verse over and over. The power of the mystical chant eventually bestows enlightenment. Torodai is very popular with common folk, since it is an easy teaching to follow (this is mostly Pure Land Buddhism)
Kanchai reveals to its followers an elaborate structure of invisible spirit creatures, some good and some evil. These creatures seek to help or harm, according to their natures. Worshipers hope to gain the favor of good spirits and avoid the wrath of evil ones. The Kanchai school draws freely upon the ideas and beliefs of the Eight Million Gods, sharing many of the same deities, spirits, and fantastic creatures (this is kinda Shinbutsu-shūgō, a mix of Shinto and Buddhism).
Konjo is the highly esoteric third school of the Way of Enlightenment. This school uses the strict methods of meditation and contemplation to show that material things are only passing illusions that will change and decay. What matters is the strength of the person’s spirit. This school is very popular with samurai and the ruling lords, much of whose thinking is influenced by the Konjo school. Of all schools, it is the most difficult to follow and most true to the original intention of the Way of Enlightenment (this is mostly Zen Buddhism).
Each school is a nation-wide organization, encouraging worship in temples built to venerate a specific deity or group of deities. A temple is almost always associated with a particular school, and
is often built on a site which has special religious significance to that school. If a site has meaning to several schools, there may be several different temples clustered around it. It is acceptable for the same deity to appear in two different temples, sponsored by different schools of the Way of Enlightenment.
The temples of Kozakura and the schools which sponsor them represent a powerful political force. The main temple of each school, located in the capital of Dojyu, ensures that the sect is represented in the affairs of the court. Provincial temples representing that school are branches of the one in the capital, contributing
taxes to the order and giving the main temple a broad power base . Smaller so-called “subscription” temples represent the interests of the provincial temple throughout a province, collecting donations in their turn and providing sohei when called upon for support.
Monasteries are also associated with each school. Generally built in secluded places, they are centers of training and religious instruction. Many are merely meditative centers, while others incorporate harsh training in the martial arts, producing the monk character class. Where a monastery is located in more peaceful surroundings, emperors, nobles, noble widows, and samurai find it fashionable to retire to monasteries when they grow tired of the physical world. This retirement may be permanent, but many a retired warrior or statesman has returned to the world when needed by family, emperor, or cause.
Besides those two religions, there are also a number of hermits or religious recluses who live in the forests and mountains of Kozakura. These persons have cut themselves off from the rest of the world and do their utmost to avoid discovery. In their lonely mountain huts and caves, they put themselves through grueling trials to purify their minds and bodies. These hardships cleanse their minds, enabling them to rise above pain and desire. After long periods of such cleansing, hermits may reach an enlightened state. Some of these few come down from the mountains to found new schools or shrines that are based on the enlightenment they have received. They may also reveal new styles of martial arts as part of their teachings. Hermits are rare and hard to find, but sometimes take pupils to train in their esoteric beliefs.
There is barely any information on what classes the priesthood of any of Korazura’s religions are, but I guess the Way of Enlightenment relies mostly on Monks and Soheis, and the Eight Million Gods on Shukenjas.
In Wa (Fantasy Japan II) they have the Path of Enlightment, the Faith of the Nine Travellers and the Eight Million Gods.
Now, it’s not difficult to see that there is something off here:
There is a real, highly hierarchical Celestial Bureaucracy, but that Celestial Bureaucracy lacks a link to the Terrestrial Bureaucracy below. Organized religion is for the most part in the hands of Monks, who are people who have mastered their own inner strength through hard training and learned to punch stuff really hard, but lack any divine connection. And the guys who actually have some degree of connection to the Divine among them (Sohei) serve as soldiers under the Monks, which is kinda redundant, since about the only thing Monks are good for is to kill people with their bare hands.
There are guys who have a strong connection to the Divine, who can resurrect or reincarnate the dead, commune with the spirits, Plane Shift to the Upper Planes… etc., the Shukenja, but those tend to be members of The Way, a non theistic philosophy, instead of managing the organized religion… what is more, within the structure of The Way, they tend to rank below the Wu Jens!
Apparently, being able to punch a man’s brain out of his skull makes you a better priest than the ability to speak with your gods or even to travel to their homes…
As for the guys who actually have it right, who know about the Celestial Bureaucracy and believe the right stuff, they are the members of the Faith of the Nine Travellers… and they have no priesthood or any form of religious organization at all.
Third Edition focuses mostly in Fantasy Japan (Rokugan).
The Oriental Adventures supplement describes four main religious classes: Monk, Sohei, Shugenja and Shaman.
The Monk and the Sohei are for the most part still the same as in previous editions.
The Shukenja of old has been replaced by the Shugenja and the Shaman.
The Shaman is the one who is most similar to the old Shukenja. It is a wisdom-based priest with some martial arts skills who gets its power from its connection to the spirits of nature and the souls of the ancestors. The Shaman mostly serves the needs of the common people, and it does it well. There aren’t Shamans in Rokugan, so I guess they are supposed to take the role of the old wandering Shukenjas of Shou-lung.
The Shugenja is basically a charisma-based elemental-flavoured divine sorcerer who serves the high castes of Rokugan as scholar, advisor and priest. I guess they could take the role of priests of The Way/Chung Tao in Shou-lung, since their magic is strongly elemental in nature, like the old Wu Jens. They can make good magic artillery OR good healbots (and decent diviners), but not both at the same time. They resemble a mix of Shinto priests and Onmyōdō practitioners.
The Legend of the Five Rings setting elaborates more on Rokugan’s religion: It is a mix of Fortunism (worship of the gods and spirits, managed by Shugenjas), Shinseism (path of self-development and enlightenment, followed by Monks) and Ancestor worship (practiced mostly by the high castes; common people appease the dead, but they don’t worship them).
This version avoids putting the organized religion in the hands of Monks, making them practitioners of a path of inner discovery and enlightenment, which is way better than the way Monks were portrayed in First edition.
Still, nothing about the Shugenjas suggests that they could be good at their job: they are charisma-based, so intelligence and wisdom usually aren’t their highest stats (so they aren’t ideal scholars and advisors), their spell list is limited, and they lack any ability to communicate with the Divine. All their class abilities are focused on the elements. The Shamans would be WAY better at their job as priests and advisors than they are. Rokugani people are divinely undeveloped.
Yeah, I understand the Shugenjas were made the way they are so they wouldn't control Rokugan, allowing a kinda Japanese-ish feudal society to exist, but since the gods are explicitly real, and there are people who have the power to communicate with the spirits, celestial beings...etc., why can't the gods of Rokugan just recruit some Shamans (or Clerics)?
I dunno... maybe the gods of Rokugan don't care commucating with the mortals? But even if that's true, what about all those spirits who dwell around/among mortals and are worshipped by the people of Rokugan?
If we take a look at what is said in the Planescape and Spelljammer settings, Kara Tur’s dominant religion is the Celestial Bureaucracy, which is kinda a regular pantheon save for having a strict bureaucratic organization. Its priests tend to be generic pantheon clerics who worship the whole pantheon rather than specialty priests focused on a single deity. People (clerics included) pray to all gods, calling each of them when their special talents are required for a task.
That sounds reasonable. The Shou-lung/Kara-Tur deities are extremely lawful, and keep a strictly organized, tightly run divine bureoucracy. Each god is given a task, and interacts with mortals not in a personal way, but as a divine official or clerk.
But when we read a description of Kara-Tur's religious life, we get this:
First edition supplement Kara-Tur,The Eastern Realms mentions:
Monks, who “seek to create a perfect union between mind and body through the practice of meditation and fighting skills”. Monks live and train in monasteries. They don’t get spells. They get their powers from their own physical and mental development, not from external divine sources. They don’t seem to fulfil any function as intermediaries between the supernatural and common people, but they basically run the religious life in Kara-Tur anyways.
Shukenja who “are wandering holy men. They act as teachers, advisors, and healers to whoever needs their aid. They are respected by all for their devotion and magical abilities”. They get spells and follow a religion, but this isn’t elaborated upon. They don’t seem to live in monasteries or temples, but to wander around. They also get some monkish (ki) training.
Sohei, who “are warrior priests, though more warrior than priest. They protect monasteries from attacks and extend the monasteries' political claims. Sohei have limited magical ability”. They are basically Fighter-Monk-Clerics who are associated to a religion and get divine spells from some higher power. Their function is to protect monasteries, which is weird, because the monasteries aren’t inhabited by clerics, but by monks who are even more martial focused than Sohei are (Monks don’t pray for spells).
Wu Jen, who “are sorcerors and magicians. They usually live as hermits in remote areas, and are greatly feared and respected for their powers”. Despite being arcane casters, they seem to be linked to religion or philosophy: They follow a moral code that requires them to cut ties with their family and eschew a position in society and live as hermits, and they acquire taboos they have to respect, some of which are clearly religious in nature.
No mention of regular temples and clerics.
In Shou-lung (Fantasy China) they have the Shou-ling Tao/Path of Enlightment, the Chung Tao/The Way and the worship of the Nine Travelers.
The Path of Enlightment/ Shou-ling Tao, the main faith in Shou lung and the state religion of the Empire, is described as being made mostly of Monks and Soheis. They live in temples (staffed by priests and sohei) and monasteries (staffed by monks) dedicated to one or more of the Nine Immortals and sometimes to other deities. There is mention of priests living in the temples, but not of what class those priests are (they could be Monks, or they could be NPCs). All mentioned monasteries and orders seem to be made mostly of Monks, who focus a lot on martial arts.
The Path of Enlightenment espouses a written code of beliefs and actions, handed down from Heaven by the Celestial Emperor. Priests of the Path (Shou-ling Tao), live together in huge temples and monasteries. Here they study teachings concerning the nature of the Path, as well as martial and healing arts, reading and writing. These monks can be easily recognized by their flowing red robes and shaven heads. While most are removed from the world, choosing to turn away from riches, fame and romantic companionship, this varies from order to order.
The Path of Enlightenment is conveniently oriented to serve the wishes of the Imperial Family. It encourages fealty and obedience to one’s lord, veneration of the past (including past emperors), and those who teach and guard the path. It’s very nature deifies the person of the Emperor, elevating him to the very side of the Celestial One in importance, and conferring upon him a secret animal name upon his death. The Emperor has the right to speak directly to the Immortals as an equal, as well as to call upon the spirits of the Ancestral Emperors. The Path of Enlightment manages most of the worship to the Celestial Bureaucracy. The Path of Enlightment seem to be a mix of Buddhism and Confucianism.
The priests of The Way / Chung Tao are wandering Shukenjas (dang-ki priests) or Wu Jen hermits, who remain mostly aloof. The Way is a religion of nature and metaphysics which denies that true faith can be taught in books. Priests of the Way (Chung Hsiang Tao) are solitary souls, who travel the lands seeking knowledge through nature. Chung Tao priests are considered to be more wizards than clerics, for the deeper mysteries of their faith give them sorcerous control over the forces of the material world (these men are actually wu jen). Although in theory, the Way is a truly neutral faith, in reality there are two alignments of Cheng Tao priests—those of the Dark Way (using their powers for personal gain) and those of the Light Way (using their powers for the good of others).
The Way is much more of a philosophy than a religion, because its adherents believe that the true nature of the Way is unknowable. It’s shrines are more like hermitages, and its very few temples organized as monasteries or schools, teaching a wide variety of subjects. The Way states that all things in the Celestial Universe affect and are affected by all others. There is no Good, Evil, Law or Chaos— only the forces of the Universe, which may be manipulated as desired. The proper student of the Way thus recognizes this and strives to know the proper way in which to use these forces.
A Chung Tao priest is actually something more of a wizard than a monk or scholar, and both dang-ki (shukenja) and wu jen may be followers of the Way. Powerful positions within the faith are occupied by mages or sorcerers more often than priests, and indeed, many of the great wu jen of history have been Chung Tao priests as well.
The use of power is often the subject of debate, and so it is among the Chung Tao priests. In the earliest days of the Empire, this caused a great rift in the unified faith, with two main temple emerging from the chaos. One group, known as the Black Chung Tao, believe that the superior man has a duty to shape the universe to his ends; directing the unenlightened of the Earth to a higher goal. The second group, known as the White Chung Tao, believe that there are no superior men, only enlightened, ones, and that the proper observance of the Way is in maintaining the natural balance of events. The two sects are distinguished by an identifying mark worn on the chest or sewn on the garments. This symbol, representing the concept of Yin and Yang, is a circle with one half black and one half white. Within the center of each area is a small dot of the opposing color, symbolizing that each half is partially composed of the other. Among Black Chung Tao, the black side is uppermost among Whites, the white side is uppermost.
In secret, these two forces have been battling for control of the Empire (and thus the material world) for the last 2,000 years. In some dynasties, the Black Chung are deposed from the favor of the court; in others, it is the White. Both use powerful sorceries and servants to win ascendancy. It is not unknown for the Black Chung Tao to employ assassination, illusion and even demons to overthrow dynasties which have thwarted them.
In this, they are opposed by the White Chung Tao, who use their powers to subtly influence events and support the balance. At present, the White Chung Tao are ascendant and enjoy the favor of the Imperial Family, but it is rumored that the Black Chung Tao are already plotting a major challenge.
This religion seem to be mostly a form of Daoism.
The Faith of the Nine Travelers is probably the oldest faith in Shou Lung; popular among the lower classes. Yet, for all of this, it is probably the weakest, having almost no temples or organized priesthood (there is no mention of which class those priests would be). It’s power comes from the fact that it is extremely popular among the mandarinate, for its basic tenet is that even the lowliest commoner can become a ruler of men. As the mandarinate became the ruling party of the bureaucracy, this faith was promoted to establish their position of rulership, so that by the mid Kao Dynasty, a great deal of work had been written on the subject.
This was opposed somewhat by the nobility, who recognized a political threat when they observed one.
The Nine Travelers faith considers the Nine to be immensely powerful beings of the Celestial Bureaucracy, and in this, they may have approached closer to the truth than any other religion. They consider Heaven to be a vast mirror of the Empire below, with a Celestial Government, Bureaucracy, and Emperor (all of which is true, actually). They err in arguing which of the Nine is the leader, but in all other things, they are quite correct.
One way in which the mandarinate has reinforced its claims upon the bureaucracy is by legitimizing the Book of Heaven. This four-volume work is heavily based upon the concepts of the Path, but refers to these within the context of the Nine Travelers’s reigns. The mandarinate has made knowledge of the Book of Heaven an important part of the civil service examination.
Often, miraculous events (such as the appearances of the Chu Jen Yin, or Giants in Gray) are attributed to actions of the Nine. Because the mandarinate has a vested interest in the promotion of this faith, they immediately call out a Board of Inquiry for each event, compiling vast scrolls of information and “not proven” and “possible” verdicts. It is somewhat ironic that this “faith of clerks” may well be the most accurate depiction of the Celestial Empire man has ever devised, yet suffers from disbelief simply because it is so mundane in aspect.
This religion seem to be based on Chinese folk religion, traditional polytheism and Confucianism.
In Korazura (Fantasy Japan) they have the Eight Million Gods and the Way of Enlightment.
Eight Million Gods: This ancient religion is a collection of beliefs and rituals that relate to various nature deities. There is no great teacher or book for the Eight Million Gods, nor uniform rituals of worship. Observances vary from deity to deity and shrine to shrine.
Shrines dedicated to the Eight Million Gods fall into two categories—first shrines and normal shrines.
First shrines have been officially recognized and supported by the emperor and other nobles for centuries. They are often located in the old districts of cities and provincial capitals, and are larger and more powerful than other shrines. Many establish branches in other provinces to promote their particular beliefs and acquire a larger economic base of support.
Normal shrines are often built and supported by local peasantry. They may commemorate past events, ensure good harvests, ward off evil influences, or even appease powerful evil beings. Local nobility also support shrines, particularly in towns or villages near their homes.
Regardless of the type, most shrines are independent and unrelated to others. They are usually associated with a site of natural beauty or legendary significance, and may be found on the slopes of major mountains, along river banks, by the sea, or hidden away in forests. Many important shrines are dedicated to the sun goddess and the emperor, who is believed to be of divine ancestry.
Worship at these places often consists of ritual purification, offerings of food or donations of money, and prayers. At least once a year major shrines have more elaborate festivals, involving sacred dances, bonfires, and processions through the streets. This religion is mostly Fantasy Shinto.
The Way of Enlightenment was brought to Kozakura by Shou Lung priests in the year 462, during the reign of the Emperor Shotoken in the Eighth Cycle, and is almost identical to the Path of Enlightenment practiced in Shou Lung. This well-organized religion draws lessons from the life and speeches of its great teacher in an effort to guide men to spiritual perfection.
This religion is divided into three main schools of belief in Kozakura.
Toro-dai is the most popular school. To attain spiritual elevation under these teachings, a believer need only repeat a single verse over and over. The power of the mystical chant eventually bestows enlightenment. Torodai is very popular with common folk, since it is an easy teaching to follow (this is mostly Pure Land Buddhism)
Kanchai reveals to its followers an elaborate structure of invisible spirit creatures, some good and some evil. These creatures seek to help or harm, according to their natures. Worshipers hope to gain the favor of good spirits and avoid the wrath of evil ones. The Kanchai school draws freely upon the ideas and beliefs of the Eight Million Gods, sharing many of the same deities, spirits, and fantastic creatures (this is kinda Shinbutsu-shūgō, a mix of Shinto and Buddhism).
Konjo is the highly esoteric third school of the Way of Enlightenment. This school uses the strict methods of meditation and contemplation to show that material things are only passing illusions that will change and decay. What matters is the strength of the person’s spirit. This school is very popular with samurai and the ruling lords, much of whose thinking is influenced by the Konjo school. Of all schools, it is the most difficult to follow and most true to the original intention of the Way of Enlightenment (this is mostly Zen Buddhism).
Each school is a nation-wide organization, encouraging worship in temples built to venerate a specific deity or group of deities. A temple is almost always associated with a particular school, and
is often built on a site which has special religious significance to that school. If a site has meaning to several schools, there may be several different temples clustered around it. It is acceptable for the same deity to appear in two different temples, sponsored by different schools of the Way of Enlightenment.
The temples of Kozakura and the schools which sponsor them represent a powerful political force. The main temple of each school, located in the capital of Dojyu, ensures that the sect is represented in the affairs of the court. Provincial temples representing that school are branches of the one in the capital, contributing
taxes to the order and giving the main temple a broad power base . Smaller so-called “subscription” temples represent the interests of the provincial temple throughout a province, collecting donations in their turn and providing sohei when called upon for support.
Monasteries are also associated with each school. Generally built in secluded places, they are centers of training and religious instruction. Many are merely meditative centers, while others incorporate harsh training in the martial arts, producing the monk character class. Where a monastery is located in more peaceful surroundings, emperors, nobles, noble widows, and samurai find it fashionable to retire to monasteries when they grow tired of the physical world. This retirement may be permanent, but many a retired warrior or statesman has returned to the world when needed by family, emperor, or cause.
Besides those two religions, there are also a number of hermits or religious recluses who live in the forests and mountains of Kozakura. These persons have cut themselves off from the rest of the world and do their utmost to avoid discovery. In their lonely mountain huts and caves, they put themselves through grueling trials to purify their minds and bodies. These hardships cleanse their minds, enabling them to rise above pain and desire. After long periods of such cleansing, hermits may reach an enlightened state. Some of these few come down from the mountains to found new schools or shrines that are based on the enlightenment they have received. They may also reveal new styles of martial arts as part of their teachings. Hermits are rare and hard to find, but sometimes take pupils to train in their esoteric beliefs.
There is barely any information on what classes the priesthood of any of Korazura’s religions are, but I guess the Way of Enlightenment relies mostly on Monks and Soheis, and the Eight Million Gods on Shukenjas.
In Wa (Fantasy Japan II) they have the Path of Enlightment, the Faith of the Nine Travellers and the Eight Million Gods.
Now, it’s not difficult to see that there is something off here:
There is a real, highly hierarchical Celestial Bureaucracy, but that Celestial Bureaucracy lacks a link to the Terrestrial Bureaucracy below. Organized religion is for the most part in the hands of Monks, who are people who have mastered their own inner strength through hard training and learned to punch stuff really hard, but lack any divine connection. And the guys who actually have some degree of connection to the Divine among them (Sohei) serve as soldiers under the Monks, which is kinda redundant, since about the only thing Monks are good for is to kill people with their bare hands.
There are guys who have a strong connection to the Divine, who can resurrect or reincarnate the dead, commune with the spirits, Plane Shift to the Upper Planes… etc., the Shukenja, but those tend to be members of The Way, a non theistic philosophy, instead of managing the organized religion… what is more, within the structure of The Way, they tend to rank below the Wu Jens!
Apparently, being able to punch a man’s brain out of his skull makes you a better priest than the ability to speak with your gods or even to travel to their homes…
As for the guys who actually have it right, who know about the Celestial Bureaucracy and believe the right stuff, they are the members of the Faith of the Nine Travellers… and they have no priesthood or any form of religious organization at all.
Third Edition focuses mostly in Fantasy Japan (Rokugan).
The Oriental Adventures supplement describes four main religious classes: Monk, Sohei, Shugenja and Shaman.
The Monk and the Sohei are for the most part still the same as in previous editions.
The Shukenja of old has been replaced by the Shugenja and the Shaman.
The Shaman is the one who is most similar to the old Shukenja. It is a wisdom-based priest with some martial arts skills who gets its power from its connection to the spirits of nature and the souls of the ancestors. The Shaman mostly serves the needs of the common people, and it does it well. There aren’t Shamans in Rokugan, so I guess they are supposed to take the role of the old wandering Shukenjas of Shou-lung.
The Shugenja is basically a charisma-based elemental-flavoured divine sorcerer who serves the high castes of Rokugan as scholar, advisor and priest. I guess they could take the role of priests of The Way/Chung Tao in Shou-lung, since their magic is strongly elemental in nature, like the old Wu Jens. They can make good magic artillery OR good healbots (and decent diviners), but not both at the same time. They resemble a mix of Shinto priests and Onmyōdō practitioners.
The Legend of the Five Rings setting elaborates more on Rokugan’s religion: It is a mix of Fortunism (worship of the gods and spirits, managed by Shugenjas), Shinseism (path of self-development and enlightenment, followed by Monks) and Ancestor worship (practiced mostly by the high castes; common people appease the dead, but they don’t worship them).
This version avoids putting the organized religion in the hands of Monks, making them practitioners of a path of inner discovery and enlightenment, which is way better than the way Monks were portrayed in First edition.
Still, nothing about the Shugenjas suggests that they could be good at their job: they are charisma-based, so intelligence and wisdom usually aren’t their highest stats (so they aren’t ideal scholars and advisors), their spell list is limited, and they lack any ability to communicate with the Divine. All their class abilities are focused on the elements. The Shamans would be WAY better at their job as priests and advisors than they are. Rokugani people are divinely undeveloped.
Yeah, I understand the Shugenjas were made the way they are so they wouldn't control Rokugan, allowing a kinda Japanese-ish feudal society to exist, but since the gods are explicitly real, and there are people who have the power to communicate with the spirits, celestial beings...etc., why can't the gods of Rokugan just recruit some Shamans (or Clerics)?
I dunno... maybe the gods of Rokugan don't care commucating with the mortals? But even if that's true, what about all those spirits who dwell around/among mortals and are worshipped by the people of Rokugan?