Denienism is a multi-faceted faith centered on a dualistic cosmology and the traditional teachings of Tamashp. It exalts an uncreated and benevolent deity of wisdom, Kothed (not to be confused with the Kothed religion). In Denienism, “truth” is the life force that originates from Kothed and stands in opposition to “deceit”. Kothed is considered to be all-good, working in the visible material realm and the invisible spiritual (or mental) realm through the seven emanations of Kothed.
Denienism is considered a part of Tamashp although it is not uniform in theological and philosophical thought. In Denienism, the purpose in life is to become an enlightened and to bring happiness into the world, which contributes to the cosmic battle against evil. It also has notable influences from the Echtoan religion, leading some to consider Denienism the spiritual offspring of Tamashp and Ectoan faiths.
Beliefs
Deniens believe that there is one universal, transcendent, all-good, and uncreated supreme creator deity, Kothed, who is omniscient but not omnipotent. The main spiritual force which comes from Kothed is the cosmic order - the antithesis of chaos. The resulting cosmic conflict, called gimti, involves all of creation. Thus, it is the duty of living beings to disengage from gimti and rejoin the wholeness of creation.
In the Denien tradition, gimti is the cycle of death and rebirth. According to Denien cosmology, truth will ultimately triumph over deceit, at which point reality will undergo a cosmic reconstruction. In the final reconstruction all of creation will be reunited with Kothed. Until this point, only the most holy and resilient of adherents will be able to rejoin Kothed in oneness. However, Kothed is innate in all living things and interacts with creation through emanations known as the holy prophets (such as Tamazi), which are representatives and guardians of different aspects of creation and the ideal personality. The concept is similar to the highest level of the Sevenfold Heaven within Tamashp belief, where Tamazi dwells as a psychopomp.
Central to Denienism is the emphasis on moral choice and thus the building of karma. Good karma results from choosing responsibility and duty in the mortal world, or to give up this duty and so facilitate the work of deceit. In Denienism, good karma transpires for those who do righteous deeds for its own sake, not for the search of reward. Those who do evil are said to be attacked and confused by the deceit and are responsible for aligning themselves back to Truth by following this path.
The religion also states that active and ethical participation in life through good deeds formed from good thoughts and good words is necessary to ensure liberation and to keep chaos or falsehoods at bay. In Denien tradition, life is a temporary state in which a mortal is expected to actively participate in the continuing battle between Truth and Deceit. Denial of desires and senses is seen as further deceit rather than an obstacle to ultimate liberation, although overindulgence will still result in poor karma.
Practices
Denien theology includes foremost the importance of following the Threefold Path of Truth revolving around Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds (as opposed to the standard five principals of most Tamashp faiths). There is also a heavy emphasis on spreading happiness, mostly through charity, and respecting the spiritual equality.
Like many Tamashp faiths, monks are expected to commit fully to monastic tradition. However, they do not have to cut ties with a former life and are welcome to visit with family and friends. Traditionally, Denien monks fall into two categories. One path involves traveling, education, and teaching, while the other involves maintaining temples and holy land, guiding, and serving the community. They are respectively known as the fire or ‘burning’ path and the water or ‘nourishing’ path.
In Denienism, water and fire are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom are gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom. These are the elements most closely tied to Lothes Kol and Kithma Bsk in the Echtoan faith and their veneration is still closely tied to Echtoan ceremony.
The training of mindfulness is also important in Denienism. This faculty is the ability to comprehend what is happening in the mind and by what the mind is being influenced. Mindfulness allows meditations to be clear and focused, enabling one to see what deceits are being clung to. Meditation in front of fire or water are both common practices within Denienism.
Deniens are encouraged to marry others of the same faith, but this is not a requirement outside of traditionalist communities where it is strictly enforced in regard to women marrying outside of the faith but not men.
Ritual and Ceremony
The central ritual of Denienism is a recitation of the eponymous book of the Taleyi. A Denien is welcomed into the faith through ceremony, which is traditionally conducted during the later childhood or pre-teen years of the aspirant, though there is no defined age limit for the ritual. After the ceremony, Deniens are encouraged to wear their ritual shirt daily as a spiritual reminder and for mystical protection, though modern Deniens tend to only wear them during festivals, ceremonies, and prayers.
The incorporation of cultural and local rituals is quite common, and traditions have been passed down in historically Denien communities such as herbal healing practices, wedding ceremonies, and the like. Traditionally, Denien rituals have also included shamanic elements involving mystical methods such as spirit travel to the invisible realm and involving the consumption of fortified wine and other ritual aids. Historically, Deniens are encouraged to maintain and celebrate the various holy festivals of the Denien calendar, which can differ from community to community. Devout Deniens are known to cover their heads during prayer and meditation, either with traditional scarves, other headwear, or even just their hands.
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