Mysticism/Fundamentals

From BattleMaster Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search

"The Fundamentals of Mysticism" Collection

As printed covertly in the Ashrak Imperialist from the Winter of 17 YD to the Winter of 19 YD, and incomplete by the cancellation of the journal in the Winter of 20 YD.

Lesson One

It is fundamental to a Mystic to believe that all things, animate and inanimate, contain a Soul. The Soul is the basic unit of life. From the objects we use to the people we interact with, all are Souls. It is the goal of every Soul to ascend the Hierarchy of the Gods. To do this, a Soul must first be awakened and initiated into the Mystery Cult so they may then follow their chosen path of Mysticism fully.

Lesson Two

Mystics believe in many dimensions of existence. Foremost to Mystics are three zones. The lowest is Oblivion. It is a vacant and empty plane, a void, where Souls have no substance, no voice and no consciousness. It is nonexistence. The second is Life. In life Souls can be physical or immaterial as reflected by our position in the Hierarchy of Gods. The majority of Souls are Mimics, and therefore are composed as human nobility. The teachings of Mysticism are methods for Souls to live a Life suitable for them as well as to enlighten them to ways to ascend into the next plane. Human Souls who recognize their position in the Hierarchy accept the teachings of Mysticism and become initiated. Those who do not are uninitiated and thereby ignorant. When initiated, a Soul is equipped with the knowledge to discover the path to ascension. They may partner with another Soul higher in the Hierarchy or with other Mystics to accomplish this. The final zone for Mystics is the Divine Realm. This is where all power and superiority are glorified. The gods and spirits dwell in the Divine Realm where they compete for higher positions or greater territory. Although the Divine Realm is believed to be the ultimate reality and Life an underworld, it is understood that all activities or contests are waged in Life. Life is the playground, the battleground and the sustenance for the Divine Realm.

Lesson Three

The personal quest of every Mystic is to ascend the Hierarchy of Gods. It is an intensely spiritual and personal journey; although it does not have to be made alone. To do this, a Mystic must discover their chosen path to earn a recommendation. The gods above the average Mystic are willing to assist them elevate - for a service. Some gods ask for temples to be built in their name, others for their religion to spread as far as the land allows, and others still require heavier prices indeed. A Mystic seeks out the path and the god most suitable for them and approaches it with their oath. It is in fulfilling this private contract between the Mystic and their divinity that earns them a recommendation. With a recommendation, upon death, the Mystic’s Soul is promoted in the Hierarchy of Gods and given access to the Divine Realm. This will result in the gaining of special abilities, immortality, and new powers like being able to travel to any distance instantly or in transforming their forms to different things such as people, animals or even objects. Without a recommendation, a Soul is doomed to remain in the same position upon each instance of life. All Souls in life, who are nobles, are Mimics – the very bottom of the Hierarchy. There are other Souls in life that are more powerful gods or spirits and they may or may not contact the Mimics and procure their services. Most times it is up to the Mimic to seek out the god. In order to be a Mystic and begin this quest you must first find a Master and take the Oath.

Lesson Four, Part One

We’ve learned that Mysticism enlightens a Soul to the Hierarchy of Gods and the three dimensions of existence. It also assists them in their quest to ascension and a greater rank in the Hierarchy. But what about Souls who are uninitiated to the Mystery Cult and know nothing about the revelations of Mysticism? There are thousands upon thousands of Souls living in Life and the majority of them are Mimics, the very bottom rank of the Hierarchy. We say that we all live in a state of Mimicry. You see, every Soul contains within it a yearning to attain something greater than themselves. We use words like ambition or destiny to describe it, and some Souls spend their entire lives attempting to earn it. Souls initiated into Mysticism know exactly that this yearning is actually the desire to ascend the Hierarchy of Gods and they know the ways to which they can accomplish this goal. For uninitiated Souls, as they know nothing about the ranks their Soul can achieve, they instead have developed an entire system of ranks and levels in life to imitate the Hierarchy of Gods. It is no coincidence that our lives are ruled by the feudal system in which a peasant is subject to a knight who is subject to a Lord who is subject to a Duke who is subject to a Ruler. This exact system is the Hierarchy of Gods naturally developed in Life to satisfy the mysterious yearnings of Souls uninitiated to Mysticism. A peasant who desires to be a noble is the exact innate quest of an initiated Soul desiring to become a Demigod in the Hierarchy. For a Knight in our living feudal system is the reflection of being a Demigod in the Hierarchy. This is the illusion of Life, and Mysticism unveils it as a pathetic imitation at best. To be continued…

Lesson Five, Part Two

Last lesson we discussed Souls uninitiated to Mysticism and their delusions of grandeur in Life. For initiated Mystics we know that being a Ruler means little when the real power rests in the Divine Realm. Now we discuss if uninitiated Souls can ascend the Hierarchy without being initiated. To be initiated means that you have been accepted by a Master Mystic, you have taken on your new identity and that you have spoken the Oath of the Initiated in the temple. From this point you are given access to all of the teachings and truths of Mysticism be it given by your Master or by the gods themselves. But what about Souls who are out of reach of the Mystery Cult or who have not been privy to its truths? In other words, can a Soul ascend the Hierarchy without the revelations of Mysticism? The answer is narrowly. You see, in order for a Mimic to earn the Demigod rank they must either perform a feat worthy of promotion (which is uncommon) or they must earn a recommendation from a superior Soul in the Hierarchy. We know that there are several gods in the various positions of the Hierarchy who want to ascend to the next level. They have their own objectives to earn the next rank which often involve using Mimics. Whether that be they demand our worship or they command us to accomplish a task or goal, or whatever the case, the gods will approach us with a contract. Initiated Mystics have the knowledge to seek out gods appropriate for them and to work out a contract that is mutually beneficial. For uninitiated Souls the god will likely appear to them and order them to comply. This is not as unusual as you might think. In fact, the prophet of a religion in Life is likely a victim of this exact transaction, whether they are aware of it or not. Prophets, it seems, are by and large the only Souls who have the ability to ascend the Hierarchy without ever knowing about it. This is because the god is using them for its own gain. In the process the god is assisting the Soul of the prophet up the Hierarchy. Souls who hear the gods calling but do not found a religion in their name are lost to the wind. You may call them mad men.

Lesson Six

Mysticism is a faith about exploring the nature of the cosmos as much as it is about improving your Soul’s station in that cosmos. Considering the mysterious and unreachable nature of many of its concepts we all too often find things too difficult to understand, or our desire to advance lacking. This is why the Mystery Cult has devised the Master-Apprentice relationship. Just as higher Souls assist us in promotion in the Hierarchy, either through the Soul Trade or other arrangements, so to must higher Mystics assist the juniors in comprehending all of the knowledge. There are so many dense topics to discuss and understand and a great deal of deeper truths that must be explained and applied. Therefore, we encourage a community aspect to the faith where a new initiate is taught by a well seasoned Soul. Also, within the Temple, we allow for debate and discussion on any subject without restriction so that all Souls benefit from the learning. This is drastically different than a religion that enforces ranks and positions of power. Only those with political clout earn the highest positions in those faiths. In the Mystery Cult, we are all peers. Those seeking to join the Mystery Cult must first find someone who is already a member. Then they must begin a discussion with the Master to prove their sincerity and quality of Soul. When the Master approves and invites the uninitiated to the Temple, the new Soul is ready to take the Oath and choose a new name. From then on they will build a relationship with their Master, and others, and pursue the goal of ascension.

Lesson Seven

This question was conveniently raised during a time when I was mourning the heroic death of my own son. What happens to Souls when the vessel dies? There are many answers to this question, some outright contradictions, but the important thing to know is that the Soul itself can never be destroyed. If the body dies, the Soul has the opportunity to reenter Life in another body or to remain metaphysical. It gets more complicated when you ask this question to non-living things, like our perennial example of the rock. Rocks cannot die, but what if one was crushed to pieces? Does its Soul remain intact? Separated? The answer is that the Soul remains in the core of what the rock once was while the rest of its pieces become new vessels for other Souls. It is simultaneously the “destruction” of one vessel and the progeny of others. The Soul of the original rock always has the option, what we call volition, to resign from Life and return to Oblivion. If it remains active then it naturally pursues ascension in the Hierarchy of Gods.

Lesson Eight

Mysticism is the faith behind faiths, the religion above religions, and many members of founded religions often find similarities in the Mystic tradition. In fact, it is said that all religions are Mystical in some way. Mystics always find common ground with other religions and can prove to those religions that their faith is inherently Mystical. Most do not see this at first, but it is evident. Although within Mysticism one Mystic may hold opposite beliefs from another, they still share the overall concept and view of a Mystic. By this, Mysticism actively welcomes members of other religions in its Mystery Cult. Nobles of any faith always find that Mysticism has something to offer them. Together, holding different beliefs, we pursue the path of ascension for our Souls. Truth and divinity can be found anywhere. It is a Mystic’s job to identify that truth and to cooperate with that divinity. Sometimes this takes the form of founding a religion. Mystics say, then, that prophets are merely uninitiated Mystics who have created a way to worship their god outright. When these prophets are introduced to Mysticism they will no doubt recognize the intentions of their worship as Mystical.

Lesson Nine

Mystics are taught that there are two ways to ascend the Hierarchy of the Gods. The second is by attaining the Eight Badges of Divinity. That will be the lesson of next issue. The first way is by participating in the Soul Trade. The Soul Trade is a system of patronage and advocacy between Souls of lesser positions and of higher ones. In order for lesser Souls to climb the Hierarchy (if they are not after the badges) they must earn the vouch of a more powerful Soul in the form of a recommendation. No mimic can do this by cheating. In order for more powerful Souls to climb the Hierarchy they must earn the support of many lesser Souls. The Soul Trade is a mutually beneficial relationship, a quid pro quo. The greater Souls gain strength through followers in a variety of methods sincere or artificial. To a mimic, any Soul above their station would seem like a great and powerful god, even if that Soul is merely two steps ahead of them. A Power God can convince a Mimic that they are actually the incarnation of a greater god and thus earn that mimics worship, when really it is almost as powerless as the mimic. This is why many Mystics approach the Soul Trade with caution and suspect. Studying the mysteries and joining the Mystic community will assist you in weeding out the true gods from the poachers. Enlightened Mystics do not act rashly or without foreknowledge of the god they are interacting with. An uninitiated Mimic would be mesmerized simply for the act of seeing a divinity and bow to worship it regardless of that Souls position on the Hierarchy and motives. Mysticism, then, is a faith of sound judgment when discerning between gods and religions.