AF only for Arahats?

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tom moylan, modified 12 Years ago at 4/6/11 7:42 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/6/11 7:42 AM

AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
Hi y'all.
i am extremely interested in AF but when i see how richard and tarin (for example) achieved (or dechieved) their AFs, i am reminded of the steve martin joke...

"here is the foolproof, easy way to become a millionaire." ... "first..get a hold of a million dollars..."

so is the achievment of arahatship (or some other path level ) required, suggested or unnecessary? i heard dan ingram say in a recording that insight meditators are "particularly successful".....how do y'all interpret that concretely?

thanks for any thoughs.

tom
ed c, modified 12 Years ago at 4/6/11 10:35 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/6/11 10:35 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 59 Join Date: 8/9/10 Recent Posts
I’ll give you the opinion of someone with no attainments. Three advantages it appears to me people with insight/concentration skills have over others.
1) Being able to produce Jhana (Tarin points out can be helpful in finding/creating(?) felicity) http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/1114402
2) Improved perception skills. I often think I am floundering on the surface of something and perhaps lack the skills to penetrate to the truth of a situation. This could however be a self fullfilling prophecy.
3) Experiencing a true shift in your mind that comes from concentration/insight practice, which shows you proof what is possible in a way that is theoretical or belief based for me.

I liken the whole thing to going to college for a degree you end up not really using in the way you intended. It was still helpful compared to have not having gone to college at all. I signed up for a 10 day Goenka course yesterday in an effort to address this in my AF practice…

Ed
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tom moylan, modified 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 3:43 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 3:43 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
ed c:
I’ll give you the opinion of someone with no attainments. Three advantages it appears to me people with insight/concentration skills have over others.
1) Being able to produce Jhana (Tarin points out can be helpful in finding/creating(?) felicity) http://www.dharmaoverground.org/web/guest/discussion/-/message_boards/message/1114402
2) Improved perception skills. I often think I am floundering on the surface of something and perhaps lack the skills to penetrate to the truth of a situation. This could however be a self fullfilling prophecy.
3) Experiencing a true shift in your mind that comes from concentration/insight practice, which shows you proof what is possible in a way that is theoretical or belief based for me.

I liken the whole thing to going to college for a degree you end up not really using in the way you intended. It was still helpful compared to have not having gone to college at all. I signed up for a 10 day Goenka course yesterday in an effort to address this in my AF practice…

Ed


HI Ed,
thanks for the thoughts. I have mixed thoughts about the stiffness of the Goenka retreats haveing done two now. that said, they were both very beneficial to me and i would do another again in a second if i didn't have a great personal place to do retreats. my tips.. ear plugs for sleeping, know that any bad tendencies you note in others are your own baggage..anyway that's how it was for me. i wish you great success and think that with the information that one gleans from this site has the potential to supercharge a goenka retreat. my tone might come across a little negative but i am supremely grateful to mr. goenk for providing these retreats to everyone.
, modified 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 4:57 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 4:57 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 385 Join Date: 8/11/10 Recent Posts
Hi Tom, I read this last night and it regards your subject header. linked here Search James Cook (i.e., Captain Cook of the high seas...)
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tom moylan, modified 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 7:47 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 7:47 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
katy s:
Hi Tom, I read this last night and it regards your subject header. linked here Search James Cook (i.e., Captain Cook of the high seas...)


Hi Katy, I'll read it right now! Thanks
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tom moylan, modified 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 8:04 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/8/11 8:04 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
tom moylan:
katy s:
Hi Tom, I read this last night and it regards your subject header. linked here Search James Cook (i.e., Captain Cook of the high seas...)


Hi Katy, I'll read it right now! Thanks


hi katy, I just read it. thanks again. i have now seen a couple of places where the higher attainments are not 'required' but encouraged. The Cap'n Cook analogy was a pretty direct answer to that.

Now I find myself in the position of trying to reconcile much of the embedded information i've gathered on the path with the facts of actuality. i'd better dig in.

ciao

tom
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Daniel Johnson, modified 12 Years ago at 4/11/11 5:35 PM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/11/11 5:35 PM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 401 Join Date: 12/16/09 Recent Posts
As far as I can tell, there is no "achievement" required for one to practice actualism. So long as you are a human being, you can practice. And, the practice of actualism leads to actual freedom. How about, start where you are, do your best, and proceed from there, eh?
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tom moylan, modified 12 Years ago at 4/12/11 7:24 AM
Created 12 Years ago at 4/12/11 7:24 AM

RE: AF only for Arahats?

Posts: 896 Join Date: 3/7/11 Recent Posts
Thanks for the input DJ. I'm on the way. cheers tm