Path of Self-Focus

The Roads

Forget everything outside of yourself. Everything in the world is mutable by your own will, by your own chosen perceptions. Never forget that you control your own destiny, your own fate, your own future, your own unlife. Master yourself before trying to master others.
-Juleidah, Dominion of the Eastern Hand

Nickname: Internalists

The Path of Self-Focus is an ancient path of Enlightenment brought from the East. It has elements of Taoism's concept of wu wei, or non-conscious action, and the Buddhist concept of Ch'an, or Zen. However, the path was adopted by Kindred of the Middle East and has been modified from its original path to suit the Kindred who follow it.
Those who follow the path are called Internalists because they look inside themselves for the answers to all their moral and spiritual questions. Many claim the Path of Self-Focus is the easiest route to Golconda. Still, most Internalists warn those who would follow the path that it is not meant as a road to becoming, but as a means of Being.

Ethics

• Forget everything - simply Be. Focus only upon what you are doing at that moment. Use chanting, t'ai chi and other methods to practice your focus. There is only Now. You cannot understand pain, temptation, and all other feelings except through feeling them.
  
• Action is focus. Thought of action is impure and inferior.
• Know yourself. Know when and when not to fight eh Beast. The Beast is part of you, and sometimes it must be unleashed. Be the Beast, but do not Become the Beast. Only by understanding it can inner peace be attained.
  
• Master yourself. Learn your strengths and weaknesses. Always learn. Always seek to strengthen your mind, body and spirit.
  
• Be not prideful or disrespectful. Overconfidence is weakness and illusion. It is best to be humble and confident. Respect all and treat others as you would be treated yourself.
  
• You must have honor. He who has no personal honor is worthless and lost to the world and to himself.
  
• There is equal value in the arts of peace and the arts of war. Study them both.
  
• Judge all by their actions, not their words. Seek out wisdom and listen to those who have it.
  
• Be wary of other vampires. Vampires are creatures eclipsed by their own darkness. Their tragedy could be your won. Pity them, but also watch them carefully.
  
• Learn to love and understand that all things have their purpose - even evil things. Being of your own free will means you must choose between the two, and good must by your choice.
  
• Fight only when there is no other option, and fight with honor if you fight at all.
  
• Enjoy the company of others, but do not subsist on it. You must not let others define your value; you must do so yourself.
  
• Believe that there is a greater purpose to everything. There is an Oversoul which guides things. Your vampirism is a test unto you. It will not taint you soul or destroy you unless you let it do so.

Heirarchy of Sins
1) Failure ot keep your word; fighting dishonorably
2) Disbelief in a higher and greater existence; (being) disrespectful of others.
3) Improper use of combat.
4) Stealing; failure to practice your focus
5) Manipulating others for own gain; being greedy or egotistical.
6) Any evil behavior.
7) Lying; fighting the Beast when you should not; not fighting the Beast when you should.
8) Depending upon others; failure to treat any-one as you would be treated yourself.
9) Laziness of mind, spirit or body.
10) Any foolish behavior.

History
Around A.D. 550, Asian Kindred visited the Middle East and made friends among the Tal'mahe'Ra. The Kindred taught their Arabic friends their beliefs and, over the course of the next 100 years, the Path of Self-Focus developed. Some have suggested a connection between the beliefs of the mystical Akashic Brotherhood and this path, but little research has been done in this direction.
The Path died out before the year 1000 but was recorded for later use. During the last 150 years, the path has begun growing in popularity among the dominions and younger sect members. It is followed mostly by the Kindred of the Cult of the Erinyes, so many chatterlings also take up this Path of Enlightenment.
While the path has never been popular with European Kindred, it is spreading among the American Hand members and is still practiced by some Middle Eastern members.

Description of Followers
Kindred who follow the Path of Self-Focus tend to be among the most well-ballanced of all vampires. They study martial arts, swordsmanship, poetry and painting. They focus through chanting, meditation and t'ai chi. Some even partake of the tea ceremony, though this is a recent addition by American Kindred.
Internalists are usually in good physical shape and almost always respectful of others. They are non-violent warriors who fight with honor. They hold personal honor in the highest regard, and those who call them friends can depend on them.
Common Abilities: Almost all Internalists have higher-than-average ratings in Brawling, Melee, Artistic Expression, Etiquette, Athletics and Meditation.
Preferred Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Fortitude, Potence and Presence are all considered worthy Disciplines.

Views on other Paths
Path of Caine - "They focus too much on what they are, not who they are. They look for the answers to their own problems in legends instead of inside themselves"
Path of Cathari - "They are careless creatures who are blinded and weak from their revelry. Their focus on pleasure is merely a distraction from what they fear they have become, and through their distraction they become it even more."
Path of Death and the Soul - "They ignore this world and their purposes for being in it. They know nothing, because death can only be really understood by the dead."
Path of Evil Revelations - "They are a blot upon the Oversoul. They are pawns in a sinister game. They are fools who will destroy themselves and lose everything."
Path of Harmony - "They are close to the truth, but they search for their place by looking at themselves through the eyes of others. They have honor."
Path of Honorable Accord - "They are honorable, but that is not enough. They merely go through the motions. They lack the true value of their actions and do not understand what they are."
Path of Power and the Inner Voice - "They are the dark reflection of ourselves. They look inside for wisdom and truth but use the knowledge they gain for selfish reasons. They are strong, but unwise because of this."
Path of the Scorched Heart - "They think they can cut off their emotions like cutting off an arm or leg, choosing to be unwhole just for survival. But they cannot cut off their feelings so cleanly. Instead they merely repress them, and so who knows what lurks beneath their cold facades?"