User:Fieryjaguar1/Maitreyaism

Maitreyaism is a nontheistic religion or dharma, "correct way to live" that contains a variety of beliefs based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama (founder of Buddhism), and his proclaimed successor, the Maitreya. The exact identity of the Maitreya is unknown. In Buddhist belief, the next person to achieve Buddhahood will be called "Maitreya", and the founder of Maitreyaism is a claimant to that position. He is recognized by Maitreyaists as the Maitreya and as an enlightened or awakened being who is sharing his insights into the elimination of desire by promotion of individualism. Maitreya's teachings directly build upon the teachings of Gautama, except in a few places, most notably on the subject of human sexuality. Maitreya teaches that human sexuality does not fall under the classification of Buddhist desire, the restrictions placed upon it by society are. The ultimate goal of Maitreyaism is the attainment of Nirvana, by practicing the rules known as the Nine of Nine.

Maitreyaism is like Buddhism in that it does not state the existence of a creator deity. It was founded in upstate New York in the late 20th to early 21st century. The exact date of the emergence of this religion is unknown. The number of members is speculated to be in the thousands, but estimates range as high as twenty thousand and as low as two hundred. The Church of Maitreya is the formal body of the beliefs of Maitreyaism.

Life of Maitreya
Maitreya was born in upstate New York to a traditional family that isolated him from the outside world. When he was about 10, his father mysteriously left. He then went through a period of intense existential despair and severe depression, the start of his ascent into Buddhahood. After recovery from depression he converted from Christianity to Zen Buddhism at the recommendation of his friend. Maitreya then began meditating intensely and using cannabis as an aid. At the young age of 13 he became enlightened under a spruce tree during a record cold winter after meditating for four days. He is still teaching his insights but shies away from the public, and no photographs of him are known. He rarely addresses Maitreyaists anymore. Some speculate he is ill.

Very little besides this is known about him.

Maitreyaist concepts
The main source for all Maitreyaist concepts is the holy text, the Liber Primus, Latin for "First Book". The core of their concepts is known as the Nine of Nine, which contain 81 beliefs in nine sets of nine. The Liber is not finished, it will not be until the totality of Maitreya's teachings are recorded. The Nine of Nine are:


 * The Nine Truths
 * The Nine Instructions
 * The Nine Sins
 * The Nine Virtues
 * The Nine Statements
 * The Nine Paths
 * The Nine Natural Laws
 * The Nine Human Laws
 * The Nine Masses

The Nine Truths
The Nine Truths are the Four Noble Truths of Buddha and the Five Natures of Man as revealed to Maitreya. They are:


 * All life is suffering
 * The source of suffering is desire
 * The cessation of desire is the cessation of suffering
 * Desire can be ceased by following the Nine Instructions
 * The essence of the universe is consciousness
 * The manifestation of consciousness is the individual
 * It is human nature to repress the individual among others
 * The promotion of the individual reduces desire
 * Equality creates the individual

The first four were written by Gautama and the last five by Maitreya.

The Nine Instructions
The Nine Instructions is the Eightfold Path of Buddha and one more law written by Maitreya. They are:

The Nine Sins
The Nine Sins were wholly written by Maitreya. They are very different from traditional sins of larger religions. They are:


 * Proud Ignorance, defined as "not knowing and claiming to know"
 * Pretentiousness, defined as "baseless superiority claims"
 * Solipsism, defined as "the belief that the self is superior to nature"
 * Internal Deceit, defined as "lying to oneself"
 * External Deceit, defined as "lying to others without a purpose"
 * Conformity, defined as "loss of the self"
 * Disrespect, defined as "hatred for others"
 * Prejudice, defined as "baseless beliefs about others"
 * Non-progression, defined as "not moving forward or holding grudges"

The Nine Virtues
The Nine Virtues are the opposites of the Nine Sins. A Virtue is in fact the antithesis to its respective Sin. The Virtues are:


 * Knowledgeable Ignorance, defined as "not knowing and seeking knowledge"
 * Praise, defined as "praising the accomplishments of others"
 * Connectivity, defined as "being one with nature"
 * Internal Truth, defined as "being truthful to oneself"
 * External Truth, defined as "being truthful to others except in insensitivity"
 * Individualism, defined as "proclamation of the self and the self in others"
 * Respect, defined as "love for all people"
 * Non-judgement, defined as "judgement based upon character"
 * Forgiveness, defined as "giving chances to others"

The Nine Statements
The Nine Statements make clear what Maitreya represents on Earth. They were all written by Maitreya:


 * Maitreya represents indulgence instead of abstinence.
 * Maitreya represents vital existence.
 * Maitreya represents undiminished wisdom.
 * Maitreya represents kindness and forgiveness.
 * Maitreya represents vengeance when necessary.
 * Maitreya represents responsibility.
 * Maitreya represents man as just an animal that may be self-aware but is the most vicious of all.
 * Maitreya represents all of the traditional sins, as they lead to self gratification.
 * Maitreya represents peace.

The Nine Paths
The Nine Paths is a list of ways to achieve enlightenment and happiness in life. They were recorded by Maitreya but have been observed for centuries:


 * Thoughtful Meditation, defined as "meditation without inhibition".
 * Selfless Meditation, defined as "meditation on a mantra or koan".
 * Walking Meditation, defined as "meditation in motion and in nature".
 * Human Meditation, defined as "meditation by communication".
 * Natural Meditation, defined as "being only with oneself."
 * Chanting, defined as "the chanting by a congregation".
 * Sensory Deprivation, defined as "the loss of the physical self".
 * Communion, defined as "the use of mind-altering substances".
 * Physical Distress, defined as "self inflicted pain to induce distress".

The Nine Natural Laws
The Nine Natural Laws are laws that all of nature follows as written by Maitreya. They are very complicated and were developed over centuries by scientists and theologians alike. They are:


 * Repetition
 * Evolution
 * Nihilism
 * Infinity
 * Finality
 * Origins
 * Science
 * Rebirth
 * Wonder