BXBX NOVEL Chapter 803: What is devotion?
It was a simple question from a young boy, and yet, the depth of this question was more profound than the way it actually seemed…
"Good question, mister Lumiare."
The debate over whether creation and destruction can coexist without contradiction hinges on the nature of the being responsible for both.
In the context of their ongoing narrative however, where the god of Construction embodies creation and not destruction, the concept of contradiction becomes more nuanced.
"And the answer to that is simple as well."
From a theological perspective, one could argue that for a deity whose essence is tied to creation, their act of destruction could be seen as a form of transformation rather than true annihilation.
"The God fighting this demon did not simply kill it to defeat it in that battle.
The defeat of the demon lord was not their destruction, but rather their eternal entrapment into a complex construction that not even the enemy of their level were able to escape from."
In this view, destruction by the hands of such a deity is not a contradiction but rather a necessary step in the continuous cycle of creation, where old forms give way to new ones.
"The God of Construction: Bruhashi has been famous for their various creations, and one of those creations, as mentioned in the old manuscripts, was the [{( Infinite Prison )}] that trapped the entirety of a being, and not just their physical existence.
It was a Unique dimensional imprisonment, a Divine Law that when used on any being, trapped the very essence of them, including their connections, memories, and records of the achievements they had made throughout their lifetime."
The students were listening with curiosity in their eyes while the five of them looking from the back observed how the teaching high priest in charge was leading the students.
And they certainly found it to be pretty decent compared to how it used to be in the past.
However, others might contend that if the deity\'s sole purpose is creation, any act of destruction would indeed be contradictory to their nature.
And that was a point this teacher couldn\'t get across to all the students present in this classroom.
In the future, they might argue that true creation does not require destruction but rather the shaping and moulding of existing materials into new forms.
They might even want to deny the fact that someone that was in charge of the creation would ever even want to destroy something in any way, or they might argue against the very idea of their faith towards the divinity they served.
Ultimately here, the resolution of this debate may depend on the broader theological framework within which the deity\'s actions are understood.
But even by the teachings of the Temple, it wasn\'t really possible by the Mortals like them to truly understand the actions of the Divinities…
If creation and destruction are seen as integral parts of a larger, harmonious whole, then their coexistence may be reconciled. If, however, creation is seen as fundamentally opposed to destruction, then the deity\'s actions may be seen as contradictory.
"Excuse me." A voice spoken from the very back of the classroom reverberated throughout the room, catching the attention of the students and the teacher alike.
"Elder?"
It was a debatable question and at the end of the day, there was no need for such a question to be debated over when the truth of the matter was always going to stay vague.
It was a matter of interpretation and individual acceptance as Faith and worship of a Divine was, at the end of the day, an individual practice.
So, instead of wasting everyone\'s time, the enlightened one in Golden hood decided to lead the conversation to a more meaningful path.
"Yes?"
The high priest was obviously someone much lower ranked than the knight captain within this institution but, he was also someone that was in the position of a teacher in this class right now.
He was calm even though the knight captain that maintained the safety and security of this institution and taught the knight prospects about the weapons and the teachings of the gods was present here.
And though he did not know the identity of the four individuals with him, from the way he was treating them, the high priest knew these four were no normal individuals.
And after hearing that deep voice from the one in golden hood, he knew they were someone of high importance.
"Can I ask a question as well?"
"Hmmm?"
He was asking for permission to ask questions unlike students and even though there was no need to do that in the first place he was showing respect to the one in the position of a teacher through this act.
And just that much showed just how great of an individual that person was.
"Ah, yes. Please ask."
The aim of every class that they take with these students in this place was to make them more interested in the teachings of their divinities.
They were not here to give formal education that they could receive anywhere else in this world. The Kaksha was an institution of the Temple that served the gods and worshipped them.
The individuals that they trained had to learn about the true faith and the ways of worshipping on their own. That was the goal behind the existence of the temple and the students faintly knew about that as well.
And, as the elders that had spent most of their lives in service of their gods, the four of them knew about these things better than any of them.
That was the reason…
"What is devotion?"
… why that out of the blue, and simple sounding question was asked by the golden devoted Elder.
"Devotion?"
They were talking about the God of construction until a moment ago but the question that was asked to the teacher was not directly related to the ongoing topic.
It was a little deviated from what was going on at the moment, however, if one thought about it deeply enough- like the teaching priest and the knight captain did- they would understand the inseparable relationship between Devotion and the ongoing discussion.
"Right… devotion. How did I not think about such an obvious thing?"
The priest shook his head with a bitter smile and glanced back at the similar expression of the knight captain.
"It Is devotion to the divine, to nature and to one\'s own true faith that leads to the answers of the unclear questions like these." This priest addressed the entire class full of students while saying that, and from then on, a new, more meaningful debate sprang forth.
"Imagine having a best friend whom you really admire and care about deeply.
You want to spend time with them, listen to them, and do things that make them happy because you value your relationship with them so much.
Devotion to our Gods is similar. It\'s about developing a strong and faithful relationship with God, whom we believe is our Creator and a source of guidance and comfort."
That was the most basic way to explain it.
And though there were various other ways to describe devotion, one did not really need complex words and long sentences to describe what a mortal being existing the physical woud knows instinctively.
"When we are devoted to God, we express our love and gratitude through various ways, such as praying, attending various services, and following the teachings of our faith.
Devotion is not just about doing these things out of obligation, but out of a genuine desire to connect with Divine and live according to Their will."
The students were now even more curious about this new development.
They were talking about the Fight between the demon lord and the god of constructions a moment ago, then the topic was lead towards the contradicting nature of the story, and now they were talking about devotion.
"It\'s a way of showing our appreciation for all the blessings we have received and acknowledging those higher beings\' importance in our lives.
So… just like how the foundation of a construction is important for the stronger, longer stability of that Creation, with the passage of time, there will come a point where one will have to change, recreate, or improve what was built on that strong foundation.
Change is eternal and unbound by even the strings of fate. It is ever flowing and so, destruction is bound to exist where the creation is."
Slowly, the students were starting to see where their teacher wanted to lead them.
They were starting to see the eternal, universal relationship between birth in death, or in this case, creation and destruction… as well as how it was not completely independent from the ones in charge of both.
"There is an eternal relationship between creation and destruction. Thus, following from the premise, we could certainly not say the creation itself is any different from destruction.
One is another and the other is the previous one.
By creating, one is destroying what did not exist in the previous space. And by destroying, one is creating what did not exist in that space."
There was an eternal invariable concomitance between creation- construction in this case- and destruction.
And now, the students present in this class knew that as well.
"And… devotion is the same as well."
One\'s faith is the foundation for their spiritual development as well as the depth of their devotion to their lord, their calling, and their own point of views.
Devotion on the other hand, is the outward expression of one\'s faith.
And just like how both of them have an eternal relationship with one another… creation and destruction, smoke and fire, water and fluidity, fate and change, winds and sounds, divine and mortal are all present with the other as their devoted premises.