| | My current sense of "mixing traditions" and "finding a balance" is that this can be done, but it usually has to happen over many decades, not just a couple months or even a couple years. In order to really go deep, in say the insight meditation tradition (which itself has many different related, but different practices) it takes at least a few years for most people. I would say the minimum for "going deep" is attaining stream-entry and then working from there as a platform. Even better though, is the next major shift (Daniel calls it 3rd path, I call it 2nd) where one begins to see emptiness in real-time. That, I think, is a much better platform out of which to begin exploring new traditions and divergent practices. Even better might be arhantship, which based on all the data points I have, usually takes 5-15 years of committed practice (though it can take less and can take more).
All that said, my view of balance now, is that one must to go one extreme and then swing back in another, and so on. Perhaps each extreme swing gets a little less extreme, but I see balance as the process of swinging through the middle, not resting nicely in the middle. By going to each extreme one acquires incredible depth, but as you say the danger is in then not bringing that depth to bear somewhere else, or not having the courage to swing in another direction. The same is true with wanting to stay near the middle and acquire no depth in anything. Anyway, this is just an abstract way of making sense of what I've observed so far as the most "balanced" and "deep" individuals I've met in the spiritual arena.
Thanks!
-Vince |