I’m no philosophy/theology expert (I don’t even know the correct word to use here - metaphysics or cosmology or theology or something else), and this is the first time I’ve managed to get down my ideas in a somewhat organized manner. Any and all suggestions, critiques, comments, and questions are welcome - the more the better. Thanks in advance!
One minor comment: much of the stuff here is heavily inspired/influenced by Buddhism, or at least my understanding of it. I grew up in a Buddhist household (and am still nominally a Buddhist), so it was inevitable Buddhist ideas would creep into my conworlding.
Karma
Before I even talk about the nitty-gritty cool stuff like how the deities control the universe and Matrix-like simulated realities, I’ll flesh out two important building blocks of Arteran’s universe: karma and reincarnation. Though the universe of Arteran is the “same” as our universe, karma and reincarnation are definitely true here. While these two concepts are pretty well-established in some real-world cultures, I do want to elaborate on them in their Arterannian variation, as they are key to understanding how Arteran came to being and how it will end.
I don’t like using “karma” as it’s associated with our world’s eastern religions, but I use it because I don’t really have that much of a better word (in Arteran, “karma” is usually referred to as “deeds and actions”). For our purposes here, I’m defining karma as a sort of cause and effect.
Karma can be defined for individual entities, or collectively. Collective, universal karma is the driving force of whatever happens in the universe: many intertwined causes lead to many intertwined effects, basically. There are two types of karma: “light” karma, representing the process of creation; and “dark” karma, representing the process of destruction. Neither are inherently good nor bad. In fact, they are not the same as “good” karma and “bad” karma, which is karma that relieves and causes suffering, respectively. Light and dark karma balance each other out, ensuring that that nothing is permanent, and that the world is forever changing. The two are different manifestations of impermanence, essentially. Despite this, as people view dark karma negatively, it can manifest itself in rather nasty ways (as will be elaborated in a future post).
Reincarnation
In Arteran, the next reincarnation is decided based on the karma accumulated in this life and all other previous lives. While reincarnation is certain, several details are debated in Arteran, including: what exactly reincarnates (soul, consciousness, something else); what can one reincarnate to (besides humans and deities, do animals, plants, bacteria, ghosts/spirits, and inanimate objects count as living beings); and how karma relates to reincarnation (is the process automatic, semi-controllable, etc.).
The most important issue surrounding reincarnation is that of the deities. Deities in Arteran are not immortal - they are simply mortal beings with great power who also reincarnate. The question thus is how they reincarnate. There are several theories on this matter (not always mutually exclusive), most partially true in some way, including:
- Deities have only one incarnation as deities. If one dies, so does a part of the universe; if all die, so does the entire universe. Thus, the deities are the framework for the universe.
- Deities can partially manifest themselves as various beings. While these incarnations appear normal in most cases, knowledgeable and/or perceptive people will notice discrepancies.
- Deities can fully manifest themselves as various beings and reincarnate as normal individuals (in contrast to the previous theory where the incarnations aren’t really true individuals). Think of it as if the deities are “roleplaying” a new individual each lifetime. This doesn’t impede on their duties as deities, since they can “pause” the game, or do other things.
- Deities’ incarnations are independent individuals who are possessed by the deities
- Deities are merely a symbol of the collective souls/consciousnesses/spirits/etc. of all living beings still in the universe, beings that refuse to leave this universe.
Summary
So basically, in Arteran, karma and reincarnation are definitely “real” concepts. Karma can be divided into two categories: dark karma (destruction) and light karma (creation). It is the key factor in determining reincarnation. Additionally, there are mortal deities subject to karma and reincarnation like all living beings.
In my next big post, I’ll elaborate on the deities “protecting” Arteran, the Ultimates: where they came from; their abilities and duties; how they are remembered/portrayed in different cultures; and, most importantly, their function and purpose (or, perhaps, rather, what they think their purpose is).
