Jianghi
The most widespread philosophy/religious tradition of Ejian and the ancestor of Tesz'jat Zih'ra. Like its Zih'ra offshoot, it believes that Enlightenment can be achieved through finding perfect balance. In order to achieve balance, one must master and seek to improve one's body, mind and soul (the improvement aspect being one of the fundamental differences with Zih'ra). For non-"clerical" adherents to Jianghi, martial arts and advanced craft requiring intense concentration are the most common ways of mastering's one's body, while the generic quest for knowledge and resolution of puzzles is the way in which one masters one's mind. In order to master one's soul, one must be virtuous, compassionate, humble, and acceptant, and meditate in order to cleanse one's self of base emotions such as anger or hatred. Ejii'aari on the path of the Sages will push their limits further and seek to master their bodies and minds by subjecting them to extreme conditions such as exposure or lack of sleep.
One of the great focuses of Jianghi is the quest to understanding the dualities and paradoxes of the natural world and understanding how they fit into the Guon (the Oneness). Some topics of interest are light and dark, fire and ice, and how Ejii'aari came to be One due to their species' telepathic network and yet remain distinct from one another.
History
The Jianghi, or "Way of Revelations" is considered by Ejii'aari to be as old as Ejian itself, and, as such, no-one truly has any notion of how exactly the modern form of Jianghi came to be. However, the official legend goes that Jianghi was the result of the meditations and subsequent Illumination of Lao'tselune'wen, an Ejii'aari who had cut herself off from the Oneness in order to experience the self fully and understand how individuality could be balanced with perfect unity. Her search for balance led to a search for balance in all things, and she ultimately gained wisdom and peace. Her wisdom led to the modification of the pre-existing doctrine which ressembled closely the Zih'ra ancetor of Zahyr and led to Jianghi. Many aspects of the philosophy can be attributed to various sages and scholars, such as Kio'eixinhen'chira, said to be the author of the Scrolls of Verity and the first to advance the Seven Absolute Realities, and Lis'unadi'lieng, to whom is attributed the seven forms of the Icefall Winds dynamic meditations.
Execution
Jianghi is not only a philosophy or religion, but it is a way of life. As such, it is characterised by daily rituals common to most Ejii'aari households, such as the Immortal Songs (sorts of prayers) and the Trial of Ice, the exposure of newborns to the cold of the plains.
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