Coming of Age with the Temple of Three Gyds

"I was worried about what would happen when I stopped being a kid... but I didn't really have to. The next day I was still myself, even though everyone kept telling me that I was an adult and I had to act like one."

— a new advocate of the Moon Gyd

History

The Temple of the Three Gyds has a ceremony in which a child (one between the ages of thirteen and fifteen) choose one of the three Gyds to follow (Moon, Stars, Sun) and dedicates the next five years to understanding the specific teachings of the gyd they chose. In some cases their choice might mean leaving home for a long while, or helping out a part of the community they didn't know about. During these five years, however, they are tested once a month by an older member of that same following. Questions can be about the history of the temple, how to help out in modern times, the various methods of helping a person, and even questions such as what the youngster is going to do in the future (their job, their idea of a family, etc.)

Execution

Once a child has decided which gyd to dedicate the next five years to, they are taken to the head priest in the area. The head priest questions them, and if they believe the child is ready, then the child will spend the next three days mediating (one for each of the gyds). They're next actions will depend on which one they will pledge to as each of the Gyds has a different way they would like to be spoken about to other people.

Components and tools

At the very least there needs to be a safe and quiet space where the child will meditate. If there is a pool of water nearby, that's considered best (but is not 100% needed). During the time they area allowed to eat a special kind of mooncake (made to be very dense and heavy in the stomach) and drink fresh river water. It's said that since meditation is a private matter between a person and their gyd, the monks do not keep an eye on the area during a mediation and will never talk about what they see or hear.