Nature's Samsara
"If you retain this balance, you shall come back greater than before."
Structure
This small cult is led by Dahlia Munoz, who originated the faith in 2138. She leads a group of approximately 50 individuals maintaining the commune in a nook of the mountains.
Public Agenda
Nature's Samsara is about living a middle path in attune with nature. This involves finding ways to sustain human advances without the waste of mass production.
Assets
The commune, through the inheritance of Thomas Kelly, is maintained and in practical senses owned by the whole of the commune led by Dahlia. They grow local produce to sell as well as raising goats and guinea pigs.
History
While studying under the International Schooling Standard at the Elko Secondary Learning center, Dahlia Munoz found herself obsessed with world faiths. The wheel of samsara, a concept prevalent in Hinduism and Buddhism, was something Dahlia found herself attracted to as a belief. Within a year she had finished her secondary studies, and started her professional level training paths and internships to help with wildlife and park management. During this time, she began to tell friends and family that she thought the one thing samsara was missing was a balance of nature. With her natural charisma, Dahlia had convinced a few of her peers of the spiritual path. With their feedback devised a belief and practice that she named Nature's Samsara.
At only the age of 18 working with other young people, Dahlia began putting her beliefs to practice and and making a site for those curious to find. For a couple of years, she and her followers were able to survive by renting a trailer and doing odd jobs. Then in 2141 an real estate developer Thomas Kelly read a pamphlet and became enamored with Dahlia. He had inherited a small plot of land that his family had bought as sovereign land a century prior. Dahlia convinced him to use it so the faithful could have a place to create a commune in order to purely practice their beliefs.
Over the years, Nature's Samsara has grown to over 50 members, most of them male but a few women and children as well.
At only the age of 18 working with other young people, Dahlia began putting her beliefs to practice and and making a site for those curious to find. For a couple of years, she and her followers were able to survive by renting a trailer and doing odd jobs. Then in 2141 an real estate developer Thomas Kelly read a pamphlet and became enamored with Dahlia. He had inherited a small plot of land that his family had bought as sovereign land a century prior. Dahlia convinced him to use it so the faithful could have a place to create a commune in order to purely practice their beliefs.
Over the years, Nature's Samsara has grown to over 50 members, most of them male but a few women and children as well.
Mythology & Lore
Followers of Nature's Samsara believe in reincarnation similarly to Hinduism and Buddhism. The main difference is that they believe that humans must also be careful about the kharma acquired through interacting with the Earth and nature as a whole. Harm to mother nature and strict adherence to societal roles instead of "biological" behaviors and logic are considered ways to collect bad kharma.
Divine Origins
This faith was developed by leader Dahlia Munoz after her studies of multiple faiths and environmental sciences evolved into the main tenants of the faith.
Cosmological Views
Followers believe that reincarnation is not just into animals and other humans, but into aspects of nature including whole forests, rock formations, coral reefs, and even potentially celestial bodies in outer space like the sun and comets.
Tenets of Faith
- Treat all beings and objects of the earth with respect, even if you must re-purpose them.
- Selfish destruction of any being or object of earth creates bad kharma.
- Following of urges derived by nature or biology do not create any kharma.
- Restraint of urges derived by nature or biology creates bad kharma.
- Emotions are of nature. To feel them truly is to not affect kharma.
- Utilize only what you need from nature in order to reduce any bad kharma.
- Do not support any economy of mass consumption, for the resulting pollution disrespects aspects of the earth and becomes selfishly destructive.
Ethics
Nature's Samsara's followers do believe in nuance in the application of the rules, and some of the tenants are still being fully fleshed out by Dahlia. However, the public understanding of the tenants are more of an altruistic balance to the world. To upset that balance is to become less and less powerful beings within the earth and universe itself. Selfishness is one of the highest sins, and punishment of serious crimes like theft, fraud and murder are tied to the selfishness of the act.
The extreme in which followers apply their need to produce little negative kharma has been scrutinized, some anti-cult groups stating that these practices are essentially ways to ensure isolation. The Elko Commune based in the mountains is the only place that Dahlia believes a community adhering purely to these values currently exists.
The extreme in which followers apply their need to produce little negative kharma has been scrutinized, some anti-cult groups stating that these practices are essentially ways to ensure isolation. The Elko Commune based in the mountains is the only place that Dahlia believes a community adhering purely to these values currently exists.
Worship
Followers are expected to attend weekly meetings on noon on Saturday. The meeting is typically a teaching based on current events or community happenings.
In addition, any time a follower procures a resource from the land (i.e. stone, wood, food from the garden), the followers are expected to expressly thank the object that they have derived the resource from and promise to only use said resource for good.
In addition, any time a follower procures a resource from the land (i.e. stone, wood, food from the garden), the followers are expected to expressly thank the object that they have derived the resource from and promise to only use said resource for good.
Priesthood
Currently the leader is Dahlia Munoz. There is no official leadership path in the organization outside of the founder, and individuals in the group are made distinct by their contributions to the community. It is assumed that Dahlia's eldest daughter will lead, seemingly the most interested in the faith as a whole.
Political Influence & Intrigue
Due to the small size of the cult, and how isolated they are from the rest of the world, Nature's Samsara only have minimal influence in the local Elko, Nevada area.
The balance nature intended
Founding Date
February 22, 2138
Type
Religious, Cult
Alternative Names
The Elko Commune
Leader
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
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