Nick Andrew Ludvigson:
Thanks for the response. I guess it seems a bit hazy how or if they are related. Both Equanimity and 2nd gear are the stage preceding SE. Are you saying that the gear system's difference is that it is a deeper jhana state associated with it compared to the Theravada maps (sixth jhana vs fourth jhana)? I seem to recall a coversation saying that those seeking SE should also be attempting to locate the observer in the moment to moment experience. Is this correct? Are these two ways to view a similar state or are they not at all related?
It sounds like you're getting a bit mixed up here, I'll try to clarify if I can...
Kenneth's 2nd gear has nothing to do with stream entry itself, it's a useful technique which has it's roots in Maharishi Ramana's teachings, not the Theravada. It's not a stage on the progress of insight, it's a concentration state which can be loosely correlated with certain aspects of 6th jhana, which is also a concentration state and not an insight stage in the same sense as Knowledge of Equanimity is. This stuff can get a bit complicated, particularly if you're making assumptions based on inaccurate information.
Those seeking SE should be paying attention on a moment by moment basis to their sensate experience as it occurs, seeing the transient, empty and tension-causing nature of all phenomena in real-time and understanding how suffering can be brought to an end.