Hi Noah,
Bas Bemelmans:
-The A&P event is said to be a point of no return. So there's no chance of falling back to stages 1,2 or 3?
It's more like the A&P event does something irreversible. You'll still go through the earlier ñanas with each sit, going up until you hit your "cutting edge". That cutting edge can fall back if you don't practice, or practice less. Think of it like cooking an egg. Once it's been in boiling water for a while (A&P), while it can still cool down again, it will not become a raw egg again.
Bas Bemelmans:
- The first full completion of a cycle (1 to 16) is the point of stream entry, right? So if one is talking about cycling through the stages of insight, they mean the progressing through one of many (?) full cycles of progress (1 - 16) ?
That's how I understand it, too, more or less, though I think the "review" cycles will jump over some of the ones between 11 and 15. This is just theory for me, btw.
Bas Bemelman:
- I also see talk of cycling through the dark night. Does this mean that I can fall back and forth between the dhuka nanas (including 4, the A&P?) Or do they cycle, like experiencing 4 through 10 in that order until you get equanimity?
1-11, actually. But they can start to flash by very quickly.
Bas Bemelman:
- Progress is alway chronological. Like, there's no jumping from fear to disgust without passing through misery. Is that right?
Again, a ñana can pass by quickly, or you can stay with it. The ones you mentioned tend to be "unstable".
Cheers,
Florian