Zenshida'i

The Zenshida'i is a semi-monastic Brotherhood rooted in Mahayana Buddhism, and concerns itself with the study of the Thunder & Lightning Path, a three-fold path centered upon Meditation, Austerity, and the Martial Arts, named after the Lord of Thunder, the third of three hypostases of the Buddha, which form a Trinity that includes the titles "Glorious," "He Who Looks Down upon the World," and of course, "Thunder in His Hand." This third hypostasis represents the power of the Buddha, specifically the power to dispel and destroy delusion, even in the midst of darkness and death, thus making clear the Way. Moreover, the Lord of Thunder is frequently depicted as a warrior, and so he is the patron saint of the Shaolin Temple in China, among other places. For this reason, the Zenshida'i use the Thunder & Lightning Path and the Lord of Thunder as symbols of something greater, the psychology and philosophy of warrior cultivation directed towards the attainment of Awakening.

Thunder has woken us up,
and Lightning has shown us the Way,
that we should quicken upon it,
we that are Zenshida'i.

~ The Revelation ~

The Code of the Zenshida'i

The Code of the Zenshida'i represents the psychological and philosophical teaching of the Thunder & Lightning Path, and includes: the Revelation, the Precepts, the Guardianship, the Vows, the Laws, and the Flourishing.

The Revelation

The Revelation represents the religious declaration of the Brotherhood in symbolic terms.

The Precepts

The Precepts consist of thirty-six Convictions, which define and determine the metaphysical worldview of the Brotherhood.

The Guardianship

The Guardianship consists of eight Pillars, which enumerate those aspects of humanity all members of the Brotherhood are honor bound to protect.

The Vows

The Vows represent the positive side of Brethren spirituality, and are, loosely speaking, written in the form of nine Moral Commandments.

The Laws

The Laws represent the negative side of Brethren spirituality, and are, loosely speaking, written in the form of nine Moral Restrictions.

The Stratagems