PathMap User Guide

This is a preview page, some of the links on this page are not active. Once you join, all the links on the live community pages will be active.

The PathMap is a collection of resources from the Circle designed to help students actually walk the path of the Course. From the body of materials we have produced, we have gathered those materials that have more of a how-to focus. We have then organized these into categories that reflect the basic elements of the Course's program: study, practice, and extension. Then we have broken each of these major categories down into further subcategories.

The purpose of the PathMap is to help you do the Course in a truly hands-on way. It is not a substitute for the Course, but rather a bridge into it. Our experience is that, with such a bridge, students can make far more progress with the Course.

The order in which you go through the categories and the particular resources you utilize are up to you. A questionnaire is available to help guide you, but in the end you will be deciding to focus on your own areas of need-guided, it is hoped, by your internal Teacher. For example, if you need a better grasp of how to practice forgiveness, you would focus on the category of "Forgiveness."

The basic idea of the PathMap, then, is to break the Course's path down to specific areas, then fill each area with a variety of resources aimed at helping you in that particular area. Then you focus on given areas where you have the greatest need. We can break this last point down further, translating it into a series of steps:

1. Decide which category of the PathMap you need to focus on

For this, you can use the questionnaire. Or you can just look over the categories and see where you feel you need work. It will be especially helpful to pray for guidance about where to focus your attention. The answers you receive may surprise you.

2. Decide which resources in that category you want to use and mark them as "next steps"

Comb through the resources in that category. Look at their descriptions. Go to their actual pages. Pay particular attention to the "key resources" (the ones with the gold key icon). When you find a resource that you want to use, mark it as a "next step." The next steps feature is to the far right of each resource. Once you mark a particular resource as a next step (and once the page is refreshed) an arrow will appear next to that resource.

3. Once you use a particular resource, mark it completed, rate it, and add a note

When you finish using a particular resource—when you have read the article, done the exercise, listening to the audio program, etc.—mark it completed by clicking the footprint icon to the left. Doing this will change it to a "shining footprint" (the Course says "Our shining footprints point the way to truth," and "And as he lifts his foot to stride ahead a star is left behind, to point the way to those who follow him").

Also, you will probably want to write a note using the "add a note" feature to the right of the resource. The purpose of the note is to record what you want to retain from this resource, so that when you have forgotten you can consult the note. For instance, let's say that you have just read the article "Name of God Meditation" in the category of "Meditation and Prayer." And let's say that the main realization you had from reading the article was: "I have been letting my mind wander too much during meditation. Instead, I need to be more vigilant and be willing to pull my mind back to focus using the techniques the Course provides." This is what you would write in the note.

Finally, please rate the effectiveness of the resource—from 1 to 5 stars—for the sake of other community members. This feature is found to the right of the resource. This is a concrete way in which you can help other members.

Once you feel sufficiently strengthened in a particular category, you just repeat the process outlined above: decide which category to focus on, decide which resources there to use, and then, once you are finished with them, mark them as completed, rate them, and add notes. Of course, this is just a suggestion. In practice, you may find yourself working on more than one category at once.

"Show me"

At the top of each page of the PathMap is a "show me" feature. This will allow you to generate different views of that particular page, so that you see only the resources you have selected. For instance, you can choose to see all the "key resources," or all of your "next steps." If you select "All" (the first option, which shows you everything), then at the top will be "next steps" and "key resources" and at the bottom will be the resources you've completed.

Navigating around the PathMap

There are a number of ways of moving around the PathMap, which you will get accustomed to over time. Here are the main ones:

Q&A

As you work your way through the PathMap, questions will naturally arise that aren't addressed in the resources currently available. When such a question arises, you can ask a question of Robert and Greg. Just under the scroll at the top of every PathMap page, it says, "Got a question about..." Just click on "question" and use the form provided to write a question to Robert and Greg. They may answer it privately, but if they feel the question is one that many others will have, they also may write a more thorough answer which will then become a permanent part of the PathMap. So when you have questions, realize that asking them may benefit more than just yourself. Through questions from you and other members, the gaps in the PathMap will gradually fill in.

Conclusion

The whole point of using the PathMap is to strengthen yourself in the various aspects of the Course's path, so that you can travel down that path with maximum speed. By analogy, if you are traveling on a physical path, you need good shoes, strong legs and lungs, adequate food and drink, good directions, etc. If any of these are missing, your progress is slowed. But if all are present, you can travel smoothly and quickly.

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