Haoism

Haoism is a religion and school of thought that stresses harmony with the world and nature, the rejection of the self in favor of aiding the community, and stressing the understanding of compassion and humility.

The faith teaches that the self, meaning one's own wants, wishes, and desires, are unnecessary distractions, and leads to greed, envy, and eventually strife. In order to avoid this strife, one must work on good deeds in the community, aiding the poor and needy, caring for one's own health and the health of others, and listening to the advice of elders. It is believed that there is no single all knowing deity, but that each family remains united as one in the afterlife, and they work to communicate guidance to the living relatives through meditation. Meditation is also important for calming the spirit, as it is believed that only a calm and clear mind can bring peace to those around them, while a disruptive and chaotic mind brings discord into the community. As such, the faithful often have a small shrine, usually with candles and incense, where they can meditate once a day, usually before sleep, and most towns and settlements hold a Haoist Garden, which usually consists of a grassy area with a reflective pond, willows and lilies. The garden is a place of peace, and conflict is forbidden there: while meditation is often done at these shrines

The Shrines are maintained by the Jao, who are monks who usually dress in cool colored robes (such as in blues, greens, and purples) and spend their lives in the garden cleaning the gardens and meditating - seeking to become one with nature and the world. The Jao also are keepers of the faith’s texts: known as the Dao, or alternatively written as the Deju/Deiji, which were written sometime around 560 BCE by the ancient Xin scholar Jin Zhenya, who is often considered the father of modern Haoism. There is no head of the Haoist faith, and there is no organization. The faith stresses that to find internal happiness and peace, one must discover their spiritual path themselves. The Haoists have few holidays: though they do celebrate one main festival: called the Festival of Light. In this festival, families and believers across the world gather in Haoist Gardens and in homes and share a meal in peace together, where no one is allowed to come into conflict. The Haoists then, at night time, each release a lit floating lantern into the sky, which is to represent releasing positive energy and prayers into the world. Often lanterns are lit and float on the surface of the ponds in the Haoist gardens as well during this festival. Haoism is one of the world’s major religions, and is celebrated mainly in eastern Ashanor, though it has followers around the world. In Tanguan’s capital of Ji’an, the largest Haoist Garden outside of eastern Ashanor sits in the center of the city, and is a major pilgrimage site for believers across the continent of Aesurdah.