Doctrine of Unity

In the effort for better cultural understanding, I have decided to apply here the Doctrine of Unity for those not of the Empire to read over and understand where many of the Empire come from culturally.

The Doctrine of Unity is the philosophy upon which the Empire of Perfect unity was founded over ten-thousand years ago. It was first espoused by Wong Fei, the Philosopher of All Ages, in the closing days of the Unwise Age. It provided an ideal around which the First Emperor could conquer the world, establish his dynasty, and produce a lasting civilization. It stresses education, family, and correct action above all other considerations. The tenets are relatively simple, but are applied broadly:

Respect tradition. The wisdom of the Philosopher is evident when one respects the old ways. It is important for a culture to have a sense of continuity between generations, in order to avoid inefficiency and chaos. For a follower of the Doctrine of Unity, there is a real bias in favor of the wisdom of the past as opposed to the quick-and-easy methods of the present. This manifests in the certainty of Imperial citizens that they have discovered the best possible way to live one’s life. If this is so, then why attempt to innovate? Innovation, therefore, is a form of selfishness. This belief is also seen in the deference paid to elders and especially to Ancestors. When there is some question about how to proceed, people of the Empire seek out the wisdom of the Ancestors so that they can properly adhere to established methods of behavior. The Thousand Acceptable Forms, therefore, are the best forms possible for workers to produce. This is also the tenet that binds families so closely together. The elder head of a household controls the affairs of their progeny; it is expected that the elder will show wisdom and that their juniors will honor that wisdom with all due deference. Should either side be found lacking by society, both are judged by the same stroke of the pen. For this reason, to be closely related to someone who has been exiled is a terrible shame. In the Unwise Age, this tenet was badly abused; wisdom of the moment prevailed and people lived and died over transitory things. Nothing glued society together, so it continuously spun out of control.

Promote harmony. It is one’s moral duty to prevent conflict and promote the well being of others. There is no greater taboo for a follower of the Doctrine of Unity than to willfully cause conflict, whether it is ideological, personal, or metaphysical. It is a moral imperative, therefore, for one to continuously present a polite demeanor at all times. Resolving conflicts is of utmost importance. This is the tenet that most appeals to a sense of compassion, and it is this belief that exhorts one to perform acts of kindness. To relieve suffering, protect the weak, or alleviate ignorance are all forms of harmonious change. It is true that the First Emperor shed an incalculable amount of blood, but it is also true that he exhorted his sons to exile, rather than to execute. This is the proper way of things, that one continuously seek inner and outer peace. It is the goal of every follower of the Doctrine to achieve total union with everything. Upon achieving total enlightenment, it is believed, one’s consciousness unifies with the physical world. It is this tenet that forbids learning the Thirteen Harmonious Changes out of the proscribed order. It is believed that doing so actively reduces overall harmony, because it fools the world into believing that one has achieved a higher degree of enlightenment than one actually possesses. In the Age of the Unwise, harmony was all but absent. It seemed that serf continuously fought king, woman blandished man, and that Ancestors deliberately hid wisdom. Without any possibility of reconciling on its own, the world would have continued to debase itself had the Philosopher not intervened.

Support the supremacy of law. Without governance, mankind will fall into barbarism. Without regulation, inefficiency will creep in. Without justice, morality cannot be promoted. It is the duty of everyone, from the Emperor down to the lowest peasant, to support the Empire and its bureaucracy. The bewildering complexity of the law serves to ensure that society is working equally well for every person involved. There is no clemency, in the eyes of the law, which can be offered to those of higher Stations but not the lower. The law must be, and will be, enforced fairly and equitably. It is only through hard work that one might better their lot. It is believed that if one performed their profession well in their current life, that they might be reincarnated into a higher Station in their next life. It is believed that every soul currently living has a chance to be reborn as the Emperor, or ultimately, into union with everything. Without clearly delineated Stations and Imperial standards, this logical progression of enlightenment would be broken and souls would wander, unsure of their place. However, even though the government is given tremendous authority to punish, it is believed that actually performing such a thing is quite tragic. The Doctrine of Unity, at its core, seeks to prevent infractions of law by rigorous moral instruction. The entire system of education focuses strongly on ethics and correct action. Anyone who transgresses against the law is seen as being badly educated or simply selfish. Without law, the spiritual world, as well as the physical one, would be in disarray. As an example, the Unwise Age had some semblance of feudal lordship. However, it had no bureaucracy and was more like a series of warlords than any sort of unified government.