Aruqism

"What I, Juseppe of Astana, am about to tell, is the true story of Aruq from Sørligste, my Master, Father and ultimately Prophet of what is now known as Aruqism. May the green leaves of Bamboo watch over you, reader, and reveal you the secrets of the Universe, as They did with the Prophet and Master Aruq".     -Juseppe, Master of the Faith; preface to "The Words of Aruq".

Summary
Aruqism, or Aruqian Faith, is a religious philosophy originated in the jungles of Vastallos which lies its fundamental goal in reaching the perfect state of dissolution within the Universe known as Enlightenment through the worship of Bamboo, considered "the Real Prophet of the Faith", as stated in the "The Words of Aruq", Holy Text and fundament to the Faith.

For the Aruqians, achieving the Enlightenment means unlocking the secrets of the Universe itself and overcoming the limits imposed by the material existence, such as pain, desires, hunger and ultimately death, seen as the inesorable repetition of a pointless life cycles made of suffering and losses.

The plant of Bamboo is told to have taught the First Master, Aruq (from whom the Faith takes its name), about the Enlightenment; therefore, the Bamboo is now considered Holy and it's highly respected among the Aruqians, which make sure to provide offerings and to worship ritualistically grown Bamboo plants.

History
As stated in "The Words of Aruq", Prophet Aruq and Juseppe (later Juseppe of Astana), met in the undefined southern lands, probably somewhere between the continents of Haven and Sørligste. From there, they traveled towards north for weeks, reaching the sub-continent of Vastallos, homeland of the Republic of Ombria.

There Aruq experienced the Enlightenment and appointed Juseppe as His Successor and Master of the Faith, before ascending the boundaries of His material existence.

Following these events, Juseppe of Astana, now citizen of Ombria, wrote "The Words of Aruq" and formally began spreading the Principles his Master taught him.

The Words of Aruq
The Words of Aruq, as stated above, is the Holy Book of the Aruqian Faith.

Written by Master Juseppe of Astana, only Disciple and Heir to Prophet Aruq, the "Words" is a short account of the travels and experiences that led Aruq to achieve the Enlightenment. The text mainly focuses on the events following the arrival at the Bamboo Forest, where Aruq and Juseppe stopped and meditated constantly for three days and three nights, and where the Aruqian Faith was essentially born.

The "Words" derives its name from a passage of the text itself, where Prophet Aruq calls the teachings He plans to spread on the world as "the Word". The teachings are, later in the same passage, defined as the Five Principles of the Faith.

The Five Principles of the Faith
With the term Five Principles of the Faith, Prophet Aruq defines the core principles, rituals and traditions of the Aruqian Followers, including guidelines on how to build proper buildings. The Principles are fundamentally linked to the practice to honour and praise the plant of Bamboo.

Respect
"No Bamboo shall be cultivated and harvested like mere crops within a city’s walls; the wild lands outside of towns and cities shall be used for that".

Worship


"The Bamboo shall be worshipped and grown in every house and shelter, but no more than one Bamboo plant per household should be allowed, be it in pot or in soil; a single plant is a sufficient Master for an entire family. A single common plant shall be worshipped by the community as a whole, located at the center of the city. Shrines should be built by the nomads during their travels".

Verticality
"The Bamboo grows vertically and tends to the sky; the same thing should we do with our mind and let it tend towards the world above ours, to reach the Enlightenment. And the same thing shall be done with our buildings: let them be tall rather than large, let them be a very symbol of what the people should tend to: the Celestial Realm of Peace and Wisdom the Bamboo has revealed us".

Tolerance
"Tolerate the infidels, my son, for they are just as ignorant as Me and you once were. Teach them our ways, if so they wish, but don't let them impose their ways on you, for you have witnessed what the Truth is actually like".

Meditation
"Meditating will be the most important of your daily activities: only through meditation you'll be able to reach the Enlightenment. Sit in front of a Bamboo plant, or stand on top of it if you are brave enough, and listen to the world around yourself; if you listen closely, the Bamboo will teach you the secrets of the Universe".

Symbols


The symbol of the Aruqian Faith is the Green Crescent embracing the Bamboo Branch on a White Field, designed and adopted by Prophet Aruq Himself, as told in "The Words of Aruq".

Although not better specified in the "Words", it is common belief that the use of a Crescent by Aruq is derived from Him being native of Sørligste, where the crescent is common in personal and national herladry.

Hierarchy
Although not directly mentioned in the "Words", it is suggested that Prophet Aruq intended the Aruqian community to be organized into a rigid hierarchy. Basing on the few mentions found in the "Words", the roles recognized by Aruq are (from top to bottom): Master, Disciples, Followers.

Most probably, the hierarchy would be based on different levels of knowledge possessed by the members of the Aruqian community, as well as direct trust showed by the Master towards Disciples and Followers.