The Sect of Vices
Teachings on The Seven Principles
Enlightenment in the Eyes of Xeen
By
Illusia Venari
Introduction
Within Xeen’s teachings there are some concepts that remain universal. At the core of those teachings is the single concept of Living Life to the Fullest Extent. This ideal is unanimous of all who wish to follow in the ways of the Mistress of Pleasure and Pain and only in it’s execution differentiate from person to person or from various groups of people. Those that believe that only pleasure and pain in its most basic entities make up the majority of living life to it’s fullest in the eyes of our Mistress are both fools, and the sole reason so many misconceptions come to our following. Experiencing and living life to the fullest should instead be embracing each breath and sensation from the time of intimation into the church to the time of death, and spreading these experiences with all those of a willing nature. All experiences should be enjoyed: The feel of the cold or heat against bare skin, the twinkle of the stars lighting upon the flesh, the sound of a song as it flutters through one’s ear, and even the pain and failure one must suffer as one goes through the cycle of life.
It is to be known and accepted that life is largely a time filled with, as much suffering as there is pleasure. It is our calling to recognize the pain and the suffering in life and to tolerate, experience, learn from and eventually embrace it as a gift and teaching experience from a cruel and kind, but all together knowing Mistress who would only wish for us to receive every hint of experience that living life has to offer. Life should not be all wants and desires. Life should also not be all suffering and tribulation. Modesty and moderation not something we as a whole are known for, and therefore I ask not for modesty or moderation, and nor does our Mistress. It is however implored upon you as a sect and clergy, to take all in balance. To experience and know all of life’s offerings not merely those you find enjoyable. All must be understand and all must be known.
That brings us to the second purpose of our Lady Xeen. I do not believe that it was her simple intention for us to feel all life had to offer. I believe she wishes upon us, and deems us with the task of understanding the greater question of Why. Why do we desire? Why do we desire the things we do? Why do we consume? Why do we feel? Why does each of us perceive each thing we experience in separate manors? Why does the line between pleasure and pain differentiate for all of us and where does it fall upon each of us personally? With each experience there are undoubtedly questions. Our Lady Pleasure and Pain would not want us to overlook these questions in blind pursuit of all of the experiences of life. No. It is my firm belief that she would want us to understand why and what we were feeling , and to gain better knowledge of them. After all, knowledge is a deeper experience of life that not all manage to obtain through simply living for the cardinal feeling and desire. No, there must be a deeper understanding as well, or else we are not performing our tasks to Xeen up to par.
With this two fold venture through life, this double edged task our Lady has granted upon us, there is still the matter of the number of ways one can go about accomplishing such. Most, I inform you do so through the general and official teachings of the temple of Karthy and her followers there. They practice the ways granted upon them by their domains and initiate themselves into their faith in a certain way, holding true to that path. Those however are only a few ways, and sadly I believe none of them offer the true enlightenment offered by the path discovered through that of The Seven Vices or The Seven Principles. I will never go as far as to say that this is the best or only way, that this way of following is in any way superior. For those wishing, however of a deeper bond and connection that have not been able to find such through the more traditional act of following however, I beseech you to read the following pamphlet and to express your interest of The Seven Vices.
The Sect of Seven Vices is currently a small following originating and solely based in the city of Armax Belinara. Currently we number at thirty members. The lack of members is due , sadly to location and as such we are always looking for those who can procreate the faith by becoming a spokesperson and preaching in well traversed areas such as Karthy or Hlint.
The Seven Vices are based off of a principle of action, emotional attachment, understanding, and finally mastery of all of life has to offer. This is done so by participating, either alone or as a group or whole – sect effort, in the Seven Principles which we believe to be stepping stones on the path to a well rounded (but by no means complete) experience of that to which life has to offer.
Initiation
Initiation into The Seven Vices is a simple and casual event. Usually initiation consists simply of showing interest and arriving at a few of our meetings and afterwards talking to one of the instructors in either of the Seven Principles. In order to become properly initiation one will be asked a series of simple questions about their past experiences and more importantly what they think, feel and how much they understand why they happened.
All interested parties are usually happily embraced and accepted into the sect unless they show blatant wishes to harm another person against their will. While the teachings state that pleasure must be perused even at the expense of others; that is a teaching we do not adhere to or follow. We believe that pleasure should be sought willingly by those willing to give it unto us. We, on the contrary believe it our duty to make ourselves available for the obtainment of pleasure and pain should the subject so wish and not be against the favor of our god.
Initiation as a ceremony , beyond the question and answer session is a simple introduction of new members at the sect’s next meeting.
Sect Meetings
Sect meetings are biweekly taking place in Northern Armax. It is understood that not all may be able to make each weekly meeting and that is acceptable, however it will be your sole responsibility to keep yourself in Xeen’s favor and within the teachings of the sect if it is your choice to do so. You must make yourself available to us; we will not be responsible for chasing you down if you fail to contribute to the sect as a whole.
Meetings are usually held to discuss current local and world events followed by Praise to Xeen and offerings in her appeasement. This is always followed by a teaching session from one of the Seven Principles for the general audience.. This is usually done with anecdotes and personal experiences of those who are wishing to speak, often backed up by teachings written in the Book of Vices (accompanying this pamphlet). Afterwards those working towards understanding or mastery for each of the principles will split into separate groups where they can focus more solely on the work they have set out for themselves.
Teachings & The Seven Principles/Vices
The Seven Principles are to be utilized as guides and stepping-stones on the path through life and the total obtainment of experience and all life has to offer. These separate principles must be studied not only in their execution but also in personal reflection both before and after the execution of these actions. In order to understand each principle one must first understand why they are necessary functions of life. One must both embrace the action, and then embrace and understand the emotional attachment to these actions. One must then finally come to master the principles so that they do not control your actions, but to instead hand mastery of your own life to you beyond your cardinal desire, making you second in control of your own life only to the Mistress, whom life itself should be devoted to. She would have it no other way.
One is expected to spend anywhere from six months to a year on any given Vice, and to then move onto the next once another meeting session with those of Mastery, followed by a public talk of their experience is given at the sect meeting. At this, much praise and celebration is to be had, followed by the one holding understanding and/or mastery to move onto the next Vice. One is however expected to practice those that came before even as they move forward. Students may eventually, after basic understanding of each of the principles is complete, choose one area of focus, however even in moving forward to guide others along this path claiming mastery in a certain Vice, the other paths must not be forgotten. For her teachings state to embrace the new along with the old. Do not focus solely on that to which you are most comfortable with but instead embrace all of the factors of life.
All in all one must understand that the primary goal of these teachings is for transcendence of these feelings. Our main goal is to master them, not the other way around; to become immersed but to be in control of your own immersion.
The Seven Principles are always studied in this order. The principles can be studied alone, but us Xeenites are very socially orientated creatures and usually do not adhere to this path.
Luxuria -- Lust. Usually thought of as involving obsessive or excessive thoughts or desires of a cardinal nature. Though the idea is not to simply experience these thoughts and/or actions, but to understand your personal preferences and why these desires are wanted, needed, and their effect both before and afterward. One will study their emotional and physical attachment to their lust and desire , and attempt to obtain physical and mental mastery over it.
Gula – Gluttony. Overindulgence of food, drink, or any other form of excess. Marked by unreasonable or unnecessary excess of consumption, Gluttony could also include certain forms of destructive behavior, especially for sport, or for its own sake. Again, one must both understand their physical need for excess, and then understand why they are craving in such an overindulgent method. Anyone can simply act upon these feelings, but the goal here is to understand the reason for these actions.
Superbia -- The third principle or vice is two fold, consisting of both pride and vanity. It is identified as a desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to give compliments to others though they may be deserving of them, and excessive love of self. It is not only our goal to experience these emotions and feelings, but to understand both before and afterwards the consequences and reasons behind these thoughts both in ourselves and in others.
Avaritia -- This practice holds the feelings of Greed. Like gluttony, greed is a practice in excess. The goal would be to discover your inner most wants and desires, to obtain them and then to understand the consequences suffered/endured/or enjoyed in obtaining them. Afterwards one must reflect on why these things were wanted and how one reacts to finally having them.
Irae -- A pivotal step on any journey is to understand the rage, anger and wrath that resides within us all. All in all one must understand and experience the uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. These feelings can manifest as denial or intolerance as well as in a number of other manifestations.
Acadia – closely intertwined with the idea of excess apathy and/or sadness. Laziness and the refusal to accomplish further goals. This may seem contradictory to our goal in its entirety, but it is an obstacle one must understand experience and overcome, if only for the sake of experiencing all of life, and to understand how there are beings that can get caught up in this path along the way. It is for this reason that Acadia is one of the hardest principles to understand and master.
Ividia -- The last and perhaps most socially destructive principle to understand is the idea of Ividia or jealousy and envy. The want of what others have, the desire to have what does not belong to one’s self. Understand by wanting, understand by taking, and then understand by having and wanting again, repeating this cycle at all costs (though with no extreme harm to others) in order to reach the final basic understandings of the seven principles.
These Seven Principles are by no means all life has to offer. A common practice in understanding these principles is to practice their opposites as well in order to come to a form of enlightenment about each: chastity for lust, temperance as a sub practice of gluttony and so on. One will, with hope eventually come to understand that there is more to life than simple wants and desires, and hopefully learn by taking the path of want and desire to in turn experience not just the most basic desires but all of life as a whole. This is all our Mistress can hope to bestow upon us , and it is through the cardinal desire She stands for that She does so.
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