Keluaism is a scholarly tradition of uembian origin which emphasizes living in harmony with the Kelua. Keluism does not emphasize rigid rituals and social order but is a teaching about the various disciplines for achieving "perfection" by becoming one with the unplanned rhythms of the universe called "the way" or "Kelua". Kelua ethics vary depending on the particular school, but in general tend to emphasize action without intention, naturalness, simplicity, spontaneity, compassion, frugality, and humility.
Ethics and Beliefs
Texts
Practices and Rituals
History
Ethics and Beliefs
Keluism tends to emphasize various themes such as those listed above, however, these concepts cannot be equated with the whole of Keluism.
Kelua means "way" but can also be interpreted as road, route, or doctrine. In Keluism, it is eternal, nameless, and indescribable. It is at once the beginning of all things and the way in which all things pursue their course. It has variously been denoted as the flow of the universe, or a demonstration of nature. The Kelua can also be found inherent in oneself.
The ambiguous term ‘action without intention’ constitutes the leading ethical concept in Keluism. In ancient Kelua texts, action without intention is associated with water through its yielding nature. Kelua philosophy proposes that the universe works harmoniously according to its own ways. When someone exerts their will against the world in a manner that is out of rhythm with the cycles of change, they may disrupt that harmony and unintended consequences may more likely result rather than the willed outcome. Keluism does not identify one's will as the root problem. Rather, it asserts that one must place their will in harmony with the natural universe. Thus, a potentially harmful interference may be avoided, and in this way, goals can be achieved effortlessly.
Naturalness is regarded as a central value in Keluism. It describes the "primordial state" of all things as well as a basic character of the Kelua and is usually associated with impulse and inspiration. To attain naturalness, one has to identify with the Kelua; this involves freeing oneself from desire and appreciating simplicity.
Compassion, moderation, and humility comprise the remaining basic virtues of Kelua. These virtues can also refer to essence, qì, and spirit. These terms are elements of the traditional uembian concept of the human body. Within this framework, they play an important role in Kelua Inner Alchemy.
Kelua cosmology is cyclic—the universe is seen as being in a constant process of re-creating itself. Everything that exists is an aspect of qì, which condensed, becomes life; diluted, indefinite potential. Qì is in a perpetual transformation between its condensed and diluted state. These two different states of qì, on the other hand, are embodiments of the abstract entities of two complementary extremes that constantly play against and with each other and one cannot exist without the other.
Kelua orders usually present the Three Honors at the top of the pantheon of deities, visualizing the hierarchy emanating from the Kelua. Different branches of Keluism often have differing pantheons of lesser deities, where these deities reflect different notions of cosmology. Lesser deities also may be promoted or demoted for their activity.
To a lesser extent, persons from the history of Keluism who are considered to have become immortals are venerated as well by both clergy and laypeople. Despite these hierarchies of deities, being one with the Kelua does not necessarily indicate a union with an eternal spirit. In fact, one need not look to deities to explore the universe. In Kelua, living beings are seen as a microcosm of the universe and as a consequence, it is believed that deeper understanding of the universe can be achieved by understanding oneself.
Texts
The Kelua Suci is widely considered the most influential Kelua text. Authorship, precise date of origin, and even unity of the text is still subject of debate and will probably never be known with certainty. Throughout the history of religious Keluism, the Kelua Suci has been used as a ritual text. The leading themes revolve around the nature of Kelua and how to attain it. Kelua is said to be ineffable and allows one to accomplish great things through small means.
Ancient commentaries on the Kelua Suci are important texts in their own right. There are many modern Kelua texts that focus on this subject, although none have the status of their earliest cousins.
The Ligazi, named after its traditional author Ligazi, is a composite of writings from various sources. It is generally considered the most important of all Kelua writings. The traditional view is that Ligazi himself wrote the first three treatises and his students and related thinkers were responsible for the following eight. The work uses anecdotes, parables, and dialogues to express its main themes; predominantly aligning oneself to the way of the natural world and the elements.
Although it predates the first mentions of Kelua as an organized system of philosophy and religious practice, the Ál’eníf later became of philosophical importance to Keluism. The Ál’eníf was originally a divination system that became a famous philosophical text as commentaries were added.
The basic Ál’eníf (without commentary) consists of 1,296 combinations of a repeated game of chance, traditionally chosen by throwing coins. The combinations of three coins are written down and repeated at least six times. The pattern of the coins can then be read to give the reader further insight to their question or help them think of it in a new way. Readings are never direct, so most contemporary practitioners choose to visit a trained scholar to consult the Ál’eníf.
Practices and Rituals
In ancient times, before the Keluism religion was founded, food would sometimes be set out as a sacrifice to the spirits of the deceased or the gods. This could include slaughtered animals, grains, or fruit. However, this practice fell out of favor by the time Keluism became organized. This rejection of sacrifices has continued into the modern day, as Keluism Temples are not allowed to use animal sacrifices. Another form of sacrifice involves the burning of handcrafted paper or dried bay leaves for revered ancestors and departed loved ones.
On particular holidays, street parades take place. These are lively affairs which invariably involve firecrackers and flower-covered floats broadcasting traditional music. They also variously include lion dances and dragon dances and palanquins carrying god-images. The various participants are not considered performers, but rather possessed by the gods and spirits in question.
Fortune-telling—including astrology, Ál' eníf, and other forms of divination—has long been considered a traditional Kelua pursuit. Mediumship is also widely encountered in some sects. There is an academic and social distinction between martial forms of mediumship and the spirit-writing that is typically practiced through planchette writing. A characteristic method aiming for longevity is Kelua alchemy. In very early Kelua scriptures alchemical formulas for achieving immortality were outlined.
All of these rituals, exercises and substances aiming at aligning oneself spiritually with cosmic forces, at undertaking ecstatic spiritual journeys, or at improving physical health and thereby extending one's life, ideally to the point of immortality. Enlightened and immortal beings are referred to as úzó.
History