In the present time, priests are one of those figures that spark a sense of anachronism in people. Admitting the desire to become a priest is one sure way to raise some eyebrows in your circle of friends. With the fancy robes and the cryptic rituals, being a priest simply doesn’t seem to fit the 21st century. Considering where we are now, it is fair to say that the reputation of priests has seen better days!
The collective shadows around priests
Of course, it is not surprising that the image of priests has been a little tarnished. Linked to religious hierarchy, priests are considered to be the pawns of religions. Usually, they represent a much more powerful and oppressive belief structure (think of the inquisition, for example)!
In recent times, the scandals surrounding one of the most ancient institutions of human history have created a lot of rejection of religious and spiritual leadership. The shadows emerging from this collective trauma have pushed a lot of people out of the pursuit of enlightenment.
While religion and spirituality are not synonyms, the shadowboxing of the first usually implies the rejection of the latter.
Despise this, there are people out there who still believe in the figure of priests. People who believe that there’s a need for someone to be devoted to the spiritual path. People who believe that, through themselves, The Path will become available to the ones they can reach.
In short, people like Cian Kenshin, who just became a zen priest!
Becoming a Zen Priest
That’s right. After arduous training, Cian has officially been ordained as a Zen Priest in the Hollow Bones Order. This new chapter in his life comes with new opportunities, and of course, new challenges.
In the most recent ‘Alchemize Your Life’ episode, Cian and I sit down in an exclusive interview, to shine light on the meaning of his ordination. In this episode, we’ll get to discuss the prospectives for his ministry (a small, but still relevant ministry!), his particular way of teaching the teachings, and his on-going work around the cringe of being called a priest (and why he used to hate that word)!
This is a huge step in his evolution! Please, feel free to reach out to wish him well in this new chapter of his life!
By now, Cian has been officially ordained as a Hollow Bones Zen Priest at a ceremony at the order’s New York monastery. As part of his ministry, he has committed to teaching weekly dharma talks for his students at The Prysm Institute Of Quantum Alchemy.
Don’t forget to join the school to become part of this new chapter of Cian’s path, and share your impressions on this episode, lightbender!
Til the next one!
With love and light,
Sophie, Cian & The Prysm Team
