In the early 1980s, psychologist John Welwood coined the term “spiritual bypassing” to refer to the use of practices and beliefs to avoid confronting uncomfortable feelings, unresolved wounds, and fundamental emotional and psychological needs. In the years that have followed, many well-meaning seekers have fallen under the thrall of bogus “gurus” who have reinforced these ideas and have supported the “bypassing” of the challenging experiences that venerable Zen masters have stressed that we humans need most to develop wisdom and self awareness. We’ll explore how we might keep to an authentic path in this sermon with Zen tales interspersed throughout.