Holodomatic School

The Holodomatic School (Literary Kaikian ὁλοδωματικα, "of the Whole Household") is the dominant religious movement in the County Palatine of Kezan. It developed primarily out of the Kaikian Antican Tradition but was influenced by other regional Antican traditions, such as Providentialism and Aryashti Sattva. The presence of Elwynnese in Kezan also introduced ideas from their own religion religion. The Holodomatic School emerged among the refugees of the Kaikian Diaspora following their resettlement in Kezan. It has since spread beyond and taken root in other communities in parts of Shireroth and Natopia.

Core Beliefs

The Ordered Universe (ὁ Κοσμος)

A principle inherited from the greater Kaikian Antican Tradition is that of κηρ, a heart, mind, or spirit. All individuals have a spirit, including people, places, and certain objects imbued with power. A subset of the spirits are the Αδνοι, the Holy Ones, who have a controlling influence over the world at large. The Kaikian Tradition maintained an evolving pantheon of Holy Ones for general, overarching worship. Kaikian mythology concerns itself with the origins of the world, the history of the Holy Ones, and their interaction with humanity.

The Holodomatic School does not teach that the Holy Ones are irrelevant or imaginary, but that they are part of a greater whole in which all participate in, which they call The Ultimate (το Υπατον). The Ultimate is the fundamental oneness of the universe, in which all diversity comes together into a unity. It is the origin of the Cosmos, the vitality which allows the Cosmos to change and develop, and eventually the Cosmos will return to its ultimate unity in order to begin again in an endless cosmic cycle of birth, maturity, and death. Just as all beings have a spirit, the Ultimate is the spirit of the Cosmos (το του κοσμου κηρ). At the beginning of time, after the material of the universe were reconstituted anew, Holy Wisdom (Αδνη Σοφια) emanated outward from the Ultimate in order to interact with the Cosmos and bring order to it. The other Holy Ones are, in turn, responsible for maintaining order at lower levels.

Incarnations (Ενσαρκωσεις)

As a result of developing out of the greater Kaikian Tradition, Holy Wisdom is associated with various major figures within the Kaikian mythology: the primordial creator being, Ariadne (Αριαδνη, Most Holy), who divided the primordial mist into air and water and filled the universe with life; Pallantis (Παλλαντις), already a central figure within Kaikian Tradition and considered a culture hero, the national tutelary spirit of Anticans and of Kaikians in particular, and the second-in-command after her father Dias (Διας), the Judge of the Cosmos; Nemo (Νεμω), the inescapable dispenser of dues and correcter of undeserved good fortune. From outside of the Kaikian Tradition, Holy Wisdom also became associated especially with Elwynn (Эљөн), the national goddess of the Elwynnese Union, and the Adi Paraśakti (आदि परशक्ति), the great divine mother in Aryashti Sattva.

In addition to these greater forms, Holy Wisdom is also associated with other figures in both mythology and cult practice, minor spirits and deified mortals. All of these figures have been interpreted as being incarnations of Holy Wisdom, descending into the mundane world, appearing and intervening at various times to provide spiritual guidance, protection, mercy, creative inspiration, etc. These incarnations of Holy Wisdom form the basis of popular worship and meditative practices, symbols used to align oneself with Holy Wisdom.

Practices

The Holodomatic School has as its goal the individual achievement of harmony with the Cosmos. Through the exercising of the school's practices, the individual may succeed in transcending their limited existence -- confined to defined time and space -- and experience unity (ἑνωσις) with the infinite Ultimate. Because the Ultimate is itself incomprehensible in its true form, the focus of teachings and practices are towards Holy Wisdom, the manifestation of the Ultimate within time and space. By achieving unity with Holy Wisdom, one will achieve unity with the Ultimate. Failure to obtain harmony with the Cosmos, however, will result in suffering during life and the death of the spirit thereafter.

The school instructs its membership to participate in the following practices: active and passive meditations, work on behalf of others' needs, self-control, cultivation of the mind, personal guidance with a teacher.

Antecedents and Influences

A majority of the population of Kezan is Kaikian Antican in origin, bringing their religious traditions with them. Many in Kaikias -- as well as many non-Kaikian Anticans who joined the diaspora -- also belonged to a mainland religious tradition. When they arrived in Kezan as refugees, they met Aryashti Anticans, who had already been stablished within Shireroth and were helping to facilitate their resettlement (some even settling themselves), and Elwynnese political and economic advisers and their families. The people who would go on to found the Holodomatic School interacted with these different peoples and their different understandings of the world and the nature of the divine. In some cases, ideas were adopted, while, in other cases, the contrary position was taken.

The Sage Plethon of Zankorias (Πληθω Ζανkωριαδος)

Parallel to the rise of the Holodomatic School was also that of the New Plethonic School (καινοπληθωνικα), which presented itself as rediscovering a pure form of the Pletho's teachings. Some of the early Holodomatic texts are compiled from debates between the two schools. Their members are sometimes referred to as Red Scarfs, for the school's badge.