Path of Enlightenment

The Path of Enlightenment, or the True Path, and known in Kozakura as the Way of Enlightenment, was the state religion of both Shou Lung and Wa and a popular one in Kozakura and other Kara-Turan countries.

Dogma
The Path of Enlightenment was based on a written code of behavior and beliefs believed to have been created by the Celestial Emperor in order that the mortal world and the Celestial Heaven mirror one another in the process of attaining perfection. They admonished people to: In these commandments, li was a term meaning "rightness under heaven". Nine cardinal virtues were also emphasized by the Path: in alphabetical order, these were Artistry, Compassion, Courage, Fidelity, Honor, Karma, Love, Respect for Tradition, and Scholarship.
 * "Honor that which has gone before you. For the past is eternal."
 * "Honor and respect your Elders and the Ancestors. Show honor in word, thought, action, and deed."
 * "Speak not false words, nor engage in false deeds, for these are not li."
 * "Do honor to he who rules you, for the Earth is the Mirror of Heaven, and the Son of Heaven is the mirror of the Celestial One. Be obedient to your lord."
 * "Engage in no base thing, nor commit murder, for to strike another in the name of anger is not li."
 * "Do honor to those you must rule, for under the eye of Heaven, they are your equals. Be fair to those you rule."
 * "Know that all things are One under Heaven, even the lowliest of creatures."

In summary, the Path encouraged people to obey their superiors; to owe fealty to their lords; and to venerate the past, ancestors, former emperors, and the priests who taught and preserved the Path. Past generations were treated as guardians of the Path. Rather conveniently for those in power, it was an easy way for ruling dynasties to gain people's loyalty. It especially benefited the imperial families of Shou Lung, making the Shou emperor as important as the Celestial Emperor himself. By the Path, the Emperor of Shou Lung was deified after death and granted a new secret name (typically that of an animal).

The Celestial Emperor ordered the Nine Immortals of the Celestial Empire to each take responsibility for one of the nine cardinal virtues of the Path, and to go among mortals to teach these virtues through example. According to legend, the Celestial Emperor also inscribed the teachings on the Cliffs of Tanghai, so the people would be reminded of his will for all time.

In legend
When humankind first arose from the dust of the Red Earth—the land of Kara-Tur—they were savage, argumentative, and belligerent. The Celestial Emperor disapproved, and wished for their lives to be a reflection of Heaven, to follow his Path of Enlightenment. To this end, he sent to the Red Earth his emissaries, the Nine Immortals, who would each teach one aspect of the Path and serve as the first emperors of Shou Lung.

According to legend, it was also believed that the Celestial Emperor caused red-hued lighting to rain from the heavens and blast the words of the Path into the face of the Cliffs of Tanghai in Shou Year 440 (−810 DR), in order that mortals be reminded of his will for all time. Old histories recorded that the firestorm was visible across Kara-Tur and the skies seemed alight, even to bubble like boiling blood, but no people or plants beside the Hungtse River were harmed. For example, Wei Tsao Te's Shichi Hsi, a collection of history, legend, and official history, spoke of flaming words appearing in the sky. Revealed in the aftermath were the teachings of the Path of Enlightenment. However, contemporary emperors initially denied these teachings. Other faiths tried to downplay the scale of the event recorded in the histories, or even its divine origin. Nevertheless, this was where the teachings of the Path of Enlightenment were first revealed.

Holy Sites
The Cliffs of Tanghai in the Hungtse River provinces were thought to be the holiest site of the Path of Enlightenment in all Shou Lung. It was here, legend said, that the words of the Path were violently drawn by red lightning on the sheer granite of the cliffs by the Celestial Emperor himself, serving as proof of the existence of the Celestial Heaven. The inscriptions remained intact and clearly visible by Shou Year 2607 (1357 DR). Many pilgrims journeyed there to read them.

Background
The Path of Enlightenment seems to be based on Confucianism.