So I have really been getting into this and believe all this is possible if not I wouldn't be posting here. About to go on for 2 more days of straight self-inquiry.

Some questions have come up :

a) Are there many kinds of awakening? If so, how do we even know which is legit?

I just watched a video by Daniel Ingram and he says some interesting things...some people get powers, some not, some both...and then a whole bunch of other things about awakening I'm not sure I agree with or not. He's clearly an experienced meditator, though not without controversy which I won't get into here.

I guess the issue here was that I thought awakening was an endpoint that we are all walking to, but if there are different types and "flavors" how would those manifest? Is that the reason why there are different models like xabir's and the Maps of Insight?

b) Who is really awakened? Daniel Ingram? The Dalai Lama? Ramana? etc

Trust is sometimes hard to come by. I mean, I accept that Jesus and Buddha were undisputably awakened, but how about in the modern context? Daniel Ingram does claim to arahantship. How about Adayashanti? Eckhart Tolle? Other modern people?

c) So there is no path that fits all, just different roads up the same mountain? (my view of religion)

That's what I have gotten from my extensive reading and meeting people. Tradition specific language means that it's phrased differently for everyone, but I see no huge difference between Christian contemplative practices to meet God, Buddhist meditation and various Shinto rituals. This ties into the same point above. 

I also ask because I don't seem to have traversed exactly the same terrain as the Maps of Insight. Or rather, I have but in a very non-linear way. I've heard people talk about the A&P...and then people also NOT talk about it and say it didn't happen to them. So are there any universals on the road? 

d) What happens when you are enlightened? Do you know what to do then?

Obviously we're still human and don't develop mystical healing powers all of a sudden. But what are the real, concrete changes? I won't deny that why I'm putting all my effort into this is that I seek to integrate my Higher Self and my human self. I want to access the divine wisdom that will allow me to make the decisions I need to make for my benefit and humankind. (The endgoal is to benefit humankind, I'm not doing this out of ego)

As always, any input and insight would be appreciated. May all living beings be blessed.  

This article by Jack Kornfield discusses different kinds of awakening.

https://inquiringmind.com/article/2701_w_kornfield-enlightenments/

In this article Shinzen Young says (I'm paraphrasing) that most of his students awaken gradually without any distinguishing event to mark a transition to awakening. I think that is the surest method. Meditate regularly over many years and you gradually wake up.
https://www.lionsroar.com/on-enlightenment-an-interview-with-shinzen-young/

But the problem measuring success rates is that nobody counts drop-outs. So when anyone say "this method will work if you stick with it" you don't know what the probability is that any particular person (ie you) won't stick with it. 

To greatly over simplify, I think the two books that best describe a map of awakening is https://www.mctb.org/ and https://apacoaches.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cook-Greuter-2007-Ego-Development-Nine-Levels-of-Increasing-Embrace.pdf

MCTB describes what happens if meditation is used as a spiritual practice, including multi-day retreats. It also covers a lot of the possible weird states (jhanas and nanas) that people label as "spiritual". 

9 Levels describes what happens as a human matures and matures beyond most other humans. This kind of maturity might come through spiritual practice or just a responsible, well-lived life. 


What people often get wrong (myself included) is to go searching for what is the highest/greatest awakening and use the highest/greatest practice method. The idea is "if I'm doing the highest practice, it will solve all my problems."  But really, that's just a fancy way of blindly hoping things will magically happen. And there are a lot of spiritual (and martial arts) traditions/teachers that will basically lie and say "yes, this will fix everything for you!"

What is much more important is think critically about what >specific< improvement you >personally< want in your life. What specific things do you want to improve?

After you are clear about that, then pick the specific practice/treatment/exercise method that supports that improvement. Many people would improve their life more with exercise and diet than meditation. Or through psychotherapy rather than meditation. Or through going back to school/training and getting a job which earns more money.  etc. etc. etc.

It's very important to "get real" about what you are seeking and what practice actually support that improvement.

This is correct. There is no "one right way". Everyone has their own path. There are some general patterns (see MCTB and 9 Levels) but the lives/personalities of every person is different.



NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. I want to make this very clear. Enlightenment is not a magical way that makes you understand everything and always know what to do. Traditions/teachers will lie and say it is, but it isn't. Life is just as challenging and confusing, maybe even more so after you are enlightened. Of course, it's a good kind of challenging and a good kind of confusing, but it's a lie to say there is no challenges and no confusions. Of course, you might say "then you must not be enlightened" --- which is a totally fine thing to think/say.

The most important thing is to trust your self, develop and trust your own best guesses, don't give your critical thinking away to someone else, don't give up your personal power, etc. etc.  A good practice will make you more clear minded and independent. A good teacher will make you more clear minded and independent.  Any practice or teacher that makes you lose your sense of reason and makes you dependent is bad. What you are looking for is a practice/teacher that makes you more sane and hopefully more kind. But be sure to focus on becoming sane, because then you'll naturally be kind.

I'm aware of the Maps of Insight and have written about it before.

Thing is, I've devoted thousands of hours of effort to life goals, only to see them go up in smoke. I'm turning to self-enquiry now to deepen my awakening, which it seems to be doing. (I have a lot on my plate but am strangely happy in the now as I write this)

I'm aware of a voice which has guided my actions in awakening and beyond. I feel more in touch with it now as my practice deepens. 

In the earliest form of Buddhism, one of the characteristics of stream-entry is the ending of doubt about the path. This means that because you have experienced how the practice produces awakening, you know what awakening is, you understand how to practice, and you know what you have to do to perfect awakening. There is still a lot of work ahead and you can still learn from individuals with more experience, but this is not a promise about something that happens when you awaken that might be true or false, it is part of a definition of what awakening is. 

Meditation and mindfulness can produce different effects. You might pick one or a combination of those effects and call that enlightenment, then you can say what those effects are like and you might be right or wrong. Or, you can create a set of criterion that defines awakening and leave it as an "exercise for the reader" to figure out how to fulfill those criterion - by whatever means they manage to fulfil the criterion, if they do fulfill the criterion they are by definition awakened.

I am not trying to advocate either system, but I think it is helpful to understand the difference. The difference is whether you think enlightenment is a natural phenomenon (of psychology or physiology) or if it is something defined by the human mind.

Just to be clear, are you aware of Ms. Cook-Grueter map? That's a much different map and I found it to be very helpful.

Based on my reading and experiences, I believe I've entered the initial stream entry. I don't identify with the mind, and I have renewed faith in the Dharma. I seek to go further.

I wasn't initially aware of the other model, but it looks similar to other things I've encountered before. I have about 22+ years of spiritual and psychological study behind my practice. (not blowing my own horn, just stating that I've done many things, yet don't know everything)

Unfortunately, people seem to disagree about awakening this or that...makes finding the right information difficult!