Tengoku was the Rokugani name for the Celestial Heavens, [1] the Spirit Realm that was home to the Kami before they fell to the mortal world. [2]
Creation[]
In the beginning the world was formless and fluid. Eventually, the lighter parts separated out and became the Heavens, and the heavier parts sank down and became the earth. When the world was named by Onnotangu and Amaterasu, the shinzoku, or tribe of the gods, appeared to attned them in the Heavens. [3] Yomi was part of that realm. [4]
Inhabitants and Landscape[]
Tengoku was where Lady Sun, Lord Moon, the most important Fortunes, the Elemental Dragons, accomplished Emperors of times past, and their staffs of shinzoku lived. At the top of Tengoku's hierrachy were Lady Sun and Lord Moon, beneath them were the Elemental Dragons, following were the Fortunes: first the Greater Fortunes, then the Lesser Fortunes. Beneath or beside the Fortunes were the spirits who were permitted to join the others in Tengoku or Yomi, and at the bottom of the hierarchy were the shinzoku. [5] Towering pagodas and bridges constellated with stars rose from dark, billowy clouds. Handsome shrines of gold, jade, and other stone receive offerings sent from below. [6] Palaces rested on cloud foundations and float like sky-bound islands. The vast provinces of Tengoku, the Plains of the High Heavens, were made up of the golden clouds, all manner of grains and fruits sprang from them without need for labor. Beyond these were the Celestial Skies, an ocean of darkness dotted with countless stars. From Ningen-dō, Tengoku's features appeared as constellations. [7]
Maintenance of the Weather[]
One of the most important functions of Tengoku was the maintenance of the weather. Elemental Dragons oversaw giant divine machineries that cycled the seasons, adjusted heat and cold, delivered rain and snow, cleared away clouds, and meted out natural disasters. [6]
Court of Tengoku[]
The Court of Tengoku assigned a purpose to every mortal soul born, a destiny that was known as the soul's dharma. [8]
Portals[]
Scholars surmised that Tengoku most frequently overlapped with Ningen-dō at the tops of mountains and where the most sacred shrines of the Empire rested. Some religious intellectuals argued that there was a secret shrine in Otosan Uchi's innermost district, the Forbidden City, that was a doorway to Tengoku. [7]
Notable Locations[]
References
- ↑ The Rising Wave, by Marie Brennan
- ↑ The Great Clans
- ↑ Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 8
- ↑ Celestial Realms, p. 16
- ↑ Celestial Realms, pp. 16-17
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Emerald Empire: The Essential Guide to Rokugan, p. 135
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Celestial Realms, p. 14
- ↑ Celestial Realms, p. 7
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