The Path Ministry

  Topic: Core Tenet #8 and Treating People as Things Today we are going to talk about Core Tenet #8. First, I would like to read the full quote that this Core Tenet is based on: “And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.” This quote comes from the Discworld novel “Carpe Jugulum” by Terry Pratchett. The one delivering this profound statement is the witch and Patron Saint of the Path Esmerelda “Granny” Weatherwax. She is speaking to a young priest, who objects, claiming that there must be more to it than that. But if you think about it, she is absolutely right. The only true prohibition of the Path is doing harm, and harm always begins with denying a person’s humanity, whether yours or another’s. The root of a lot of this is xenophobia, which is fear of or aversion to anyone different or not of one’s self-selected tribe. Xenophobia manifests itself in different ways, including racism and stereotyping. Racism may be the m...

  Topic: Core Tenet #7 and Ka as a Wheel While official Path doctrine is agnostic on the topic of life after death, we know from experiment that one’s Ka continues to exist after one’s body has ceased to function. I used to view such an idea with abject horror, but after several conversations with my late father, I now find the concept reassuring. Today’s sermon is based upon a discussion I had with him on the subject of my understanding of Ka as a wheel and also as another word for higher consciousness, and how to apply that understanding to daily life. What I call the “Collective Cosmic Consciousness” could also be considered the Ka of the Universe, consisting of all thought, all emotion, and all memory since the beginning of Time. We are all also a part of that Cosmic Ka, which is how I believe we can tap into it. In the grand and beautiful scheme of things, there are wheels within wheels; your individual Ka is but one of an infinite number of overlapping circles, stretching...

  Topic: Core Tenet #6 On Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation This Tenet teaches us to use an individual’s preferred name and pronouns, even if we do not yet understand why.   For those who are fortunate enough never to struggle with identity issues, the experiences of a trans person, or anyone using a different name than the one they were given, can be confusing and therefore frustrating. We automatically dislike anything we do not understand, but it is our responsibility as followers of the Path to put in the Effort to ask questions until we do understand. It is also our responsibility to exercise Patience and Compassion when we are asked to address an individual in a way that is different than what we are used to. Trans people in today’s society face multiple challenges. Research indicates that over eighty percent of trans teens have attempted or considered suicide. Some states literally deny that they even exist in any official capacity. Others simply do nothing t...

  Topic: The Destructive Nature of Slut-Shaming Core Tenet #5 teaches us that sex should be considered a sacred act for followers of the Path, but that others’ sex lives are none of our business. The last time we discussed this Tenet, we spoke of judging people based on their sexual expression in general terms. Today, we will be talking about two specific behaviors that you may have observed out in the wild, or that you may have engaged in yourself, that can be detrimental to the pursuit of Enlightenment: Slut-shaming and virgin-shaming. These two behaviors are basically the same thing: Making assumptions about a person’s sexual history based on dress or mannerism, and then determining the worth of that individual based on that assumption. In most cases, we do not even know the true sexual history of the subject of our derision. There are a number of things wrong with these behaviors. For one thing, they reinforce the idea of sex as social currency, and bases the value of eac...

  Topic: Core Tenet #4 Prayer is Not Medicine One of my first acts as an ordained minister and the founder of a new religion was use a legal loophole to spring a love interest from a mental institution. This should not have worked. The woman in question did not need yoga and meditation; she needed psychoactive drugs and therapy augmented with yoga and meditation. But the Religious Freedom Restoration Act says that you can choose to treat any condition, or any condition suffered by your children, via spiritual rather than medical means. This has proven dangerous, as children are being allowed to die of easily treatable illnesses because their parents do not believe in real medicine. The fourth Core Tenet of the Path teaches us to respect science and the scientific method, and nowhere is this more important than in the field of medicine. We should be seeking effective, evidence-based treatment methods, whether those methods are traditional, alternative, or a combination of both...

  Topic: Core Tenet #3 and Reaching the Zen State Core Tenet #3 teaches us that our bodies belong exclusively to us, and what we choose to do with our bodies should be under our control. Today we are going to explore how to apply that Core Tenet to our spiritual practice and our preferred method of reaching a higher state of consciousness. There are multiple avenues toward that trance-like state, and they are all considered valid according to Path doctrine. We will be discussing four of these practices: meditation, repetition, exercise, and chemical alchemy. Meditation, for our purposes, just means being still and focusing your mind and energy on the rhythm of your breath, while clearing your mind and opening yourself up to messages from the Cosmos. The best part about meditation is that anyone can do it, just about anywhere. It takes no special training or equipment. It can last as long as you want, whether that is five minutes or an hour, and you can choose a meditation postu...

  Topic: Core Tenet #2 and Crafting Your Own Wheel of the Virtues This will be a brief sermon. We are going to talk about creating your own version of the Wheel of the Virtues and offer some suggestions on how to go about doing so. The second Core Tenet of the Path reminds us to practice the Eight Virtues: Self-Control, Balance, Integrity, Effort, Patience, Compassion, Mindfulness, and Serenity. Followers of the Path are encouraged to craft or create their own Wheel of the Virtues. The order of most of the Virtues in your personal Wheel are up to you, as long as you begin with Self-Control and end with Serenity. There are a few options for what to associate with the Virtues. You can use plants, animals, stones and crystals, or colors. You could even assign Virtues to book titles, if you feel that the story demonstrates that Virtue. You can also have as many Wheels as you want. Here in the Temple of the Path, there is a Wheel of coloring pages on the wall and one of stones a...