RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Rob Green 4/12/24 5:38 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity J Bird 4/12/24 3:24 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity brian patrick 4/12/24 7:38 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Jim Smith 4/13/24 7:08 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Rob Green 4/13/24 1:12 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Jim Smith 4/13/24 2:16 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Jim Smith 4/16/24 9:16 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Jim Smith 4/16/24 3:03 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Rob Green 4/13/24 12:33 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Pawel K 4/13/24 1:28 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Pawel K 4/13/24 4:55 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity finding-oneself ♤ 4/13/24 11:04 PM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Dream Walker 4/14/24 7:19 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Rob Green 4/14/24 8:12 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Jim Smith 4/14/24 8:30 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Dream Walker 4/14/24 8:55 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Dream Walker 4/14/24 8:40 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Chris M 4/14/24 9:03 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Dream Walker 4/14/24 9:33 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Pawel K 4/14/24 11:27 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity Dream Walker 4/14/24 11:49 AM
RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity finding-oneself ♤ 4/16/24 5:31 PM
Rob Green, modified 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 5:38 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 5:38 AM

Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 4 Join Date: 4/12/24 Recent Posts
I've been in DN stages for years, sometimes glimpsing Equanimity, I think.

A couple years ago I used a drug called gabapentin for a few months in pretty high doses. Apparently it did some damage to my brain. Relatively mild, I'd guess, and I think nothing that would be apparent to other people from my behavior. Still, it's not good. I mainly notice it as more shallow dreams (dreams lack depth and are not as beautiful). Also I notice it in thinking, like in visual thoughts, as a kind of shallowness and blurriness. Maybe also has numbed mood a little, I'm not sure. Difficult to describe, but having gotten more intimately aware of my sensory reality through different practices I can notice these kinds of differences pretty clearly.

I believe there are different kinds of ways to help the brains heal from this.

However, one concern that has come up is, could this type of brain issue prevent stabilizing into Equanimity stage? Or stream-entry? My best honest rational analysis says:  probably not. Still the neurotic mind says: What if it can?
J Bird, modified 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 3:24 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 3:24 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 32 Join Date: 12/10/23 Recent Posts
I don't know, but I would tend to agree with your best honest rational analysis. I once read a biography of a Roshi who had recovered from heroin addiction before taking up Zen practice, and Trungpa was an alcoholic. Most of us are exposed every day to all kinds of environmental toxins, not to mention pharmaceuticals, that affect the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems... people are still managing to wake up. 
brian patrick, modified 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 7:38 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/12/24 7:38 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 71 Join Date: 10/31/23 Recent Posts
I'd agree with J Bird, probably not. A good question is, if someone here or anywhere told you it could, with some degree of believability, would you stop the practice? Given that the evidence of things like people being told they would never walk again after an accident, or be able to live a productive life, or a woman being told she would probably never be able to get pregnant after some problem with her system, but then "miraculously" these barriers are overcome. 

if my neurotic brain were saying these things to me I would intentionally not believe it. "Believe no thought" means exactly what it says. These are just thoughts. No idea if they are right or wrong, doesn't matter, I will not believe them.

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Jim Smith, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 7:08 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 5:11 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

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Rob Green
I've been in DN stages for years, sometimes glimpsing Equanimity, I think.

A couple years ago I used a drug called gabapentin for a few months in pretty high doses. Apparently it did some damage to my brain. Relatively mild, I'd guess, and I think nothing that would be apparent to other people from my behavior. Still, it's not good. I mainly notice it as more shallow dreams (dreams lack depth and are not as beautiful). Also I notice it in thinking, like in visual thoughts, as a kind of shallowness and blurriness. Maybe also has numbed mood a little, I'm not sure. Difficult to describe, but having gotten more intimately aware of my sensory reality through different practices I can notice these kinds of differences pretty clearly.

I believe there are different kinds of ways to help the brains heal from this.

However, one concern that has come up is, could this type of brain issue prevent stabilizing into Equanimity stage? Or stream-entry? My best honest rational analysis says:  probably not. Still the neurotic mind says: What if it can?


My advice is to practice noting for the purpose of observing the mind, ( not for the purpose of getting to the equanimity stage with the ultimate goal of fruition. )

Observing the mind leads to stream entry when you understand the mind from repeated observation. 
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If you can notice thoughts emotions, impulses, sensory experiences and the sense of self arising and fading then you can get stream entry from that. (Eventually you will see that there isn't a separate self distinct from the five aggregates of clinging - that is stream entry. Fruition is not a gurantee of stream entry, If you read Daniel's chapter on fruition I don't think he says it ends identity view, and he says some people don't even recognize fruition when they have it so I don't think they can be free from identity view, if they were suddenly freed from identity view they would know it.)

I don't think minor drug induced brain damage can interfere with observing the mind, and you don't need to worry about the equanimity stage or fruition. If they happen they happen but they are not required for stream entry. Just watch the mind.

More here.
Rob Green, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 12:33 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 12:33 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

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Thank you for the answers.

Meditation does seem to keep producing results for me (both concentration and insight), so it makes sense to keep going with that.
Rob Green, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 1:12 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 1:12 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

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I thought fruition was like synonymous for awakening. Not super familiar with the theory.
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Pawel K, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 1:28 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 1:28 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1172 Join Date: 2/22/20 Recent Posts
You can't spend your whole life worrying about your mistakes. Instead you should be mindful and look for an opening and when opportunity happens turn your flockups in to wins.
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Jim Smith, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 2:16 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 1:42 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

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Rob Green
I thought fruition was like synonymous for awakening. Not super familiar with the theory.

The theory says fruition is stream entry.

So some people just accept it as a definition rather than understanding what the process of awakening is.

Ron Crouch explains that fruition is stream entry because it undermines identity view:
As you reflect on it you see that there was something truly amazing about that moment. In that instant everything disappeared, including you. It was a moment of complete non-occurrence, the absolute opposite of everything that has ever happened in your life up to this moment, because it could not really be said to have happened to you. No doubt, it is a weird realization, but there it is. Following the experience of this absolute nothing is what my teacher aptly calls a “bliss wave.” For some time following this moment of alighting upon Nirvana you feel really relaxed and fresh. These two experiences, seeing that you disappeared and that you also feel great because of it, lead to a very important discovery that will shape how you view yourself from this point forward. You begin to understand in a very deep way that there really is something to this whole idea that the cravings of a “self” are the root of suffering. When it was gone, even for an instant, life suddenly got much better.
(There is more on this subject at the link.)
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But as a practical matter, based on what experiencers say and what Daniel wote (see my previous post above), fruition does not always give a person insight into identity view.

In this video Daniel says:
So it would be if someone said to me, "Oh yeah, I've got a car." And I said, "Ok, let me see your car." And they took me out back, and there was a burned out old shell of a car on blocks. And you can call it a car, maybe, but it doesn't do all the things a car is supposed to do. And there are actually things that do what cars are supposed to do.

And so linguistically, I think of stream entry as a question of function. If it doesn't function like stream entry, well then pragmatically or practically, it's not stream entry, just like a burned out shell of a car is not a car. And so if whatever you think of a stream entry is not performing like stream entry should perform, with natural cycling, with rapid access to states, with hopefully repeat fruition, maybe even multiples, maybe even if you're lucky duration, and clear presentation of doors that eventually become easily distinguished from random state shifts or random formless realm things. Then, there's no point in calling that stream entry, because it's not doing what stream entry should do.

It looks to me like Daniel isn't talking about identity view, but if you believe removing identity view is the main ingredient in stream entry (and that is something the vast majority of Buddhists believe), then the sentiment applies. If "stream entry" doesn't remove identity view, it's just like a burnt out shell of car is not a car.

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It's a short video here is the full transcript:
Hey.

Welcome to a video about diagnosing stream entry.

Well, I routinely get questions which are basically, "Will you diagnose me?" or "See if I have stream entry." or "Confirm that this is stream entry" or "What do you think of this experience, was that stream entry?"

Regardless of the specifics, there are four basic cases.

The first is they do not have stream entry, and some person on a forum, or me, or whoever else says, you don't have stream entry. Ok. Good. No problem.

The next case is they do have stream entry, and someone says, you have stream entry. Okay. Now you can identify with an attainment or whatever, or maybe that can cause some hiccups. Not that much of a problem.

The next case is that they do have street entry and someone says, you do not have stream entry. Well, they have stream entry so while that can cause a little bit of confusion, it's relatively minimal, and the attainment is what it is, regardless of whether or not someone calls it that.

But the last case is the serious problem, and that's where they do not have stream entry and someone says: you have stream entry. And in this case, they've just been totally screwed if they believe that.

And not only have they been screwed, they will go around spreading this crazy to other people and they will call things like the arising and passing away, which is by far the most common mimic, stream entry. And they will call equanimity stream entry. And they will call some momentary opening into some formless realm or something else stream entry. Or a momentary taste of boundless consciousness or boundless space or nothingness, or neither perception or non perception, they will call that stream entry.

But stream entry should perform like stream entry. It should do all the things that stream entry should do. and if it doesn't do that well, then what is it?

So it would be if someone said to me, "Oh yeah, I've got a car." And I said, "Ok, let me see your car." And they took me out back, and there was a burned out old shell of a car on blocks. And you can call it a car, maybe, but it doesn't do all the things a car is supposed to do. And there are actually things that do what cars are supposed to do.

And so linguistically, I think of stream entry as a question of function. If it doesn't function like stream entry, well then pragmatically or practically, it's not stream entry, just like a burned out shell of a car is not a car. And so if whatever you think of a stream entry is not performing like stream entry should perform, with natural cycling, with rapid access to states, with hopefully repeat fruition, maybe even multiples, maybe even if you're lucky duration, and clear presentation of doors that eventually become easily distinguished from random state shifts or random formless realm things. Then, there's no point in calling that stream entry, because it's not doing what stream entry should do.

So I hope this video has helped, and I hope that there is a whole lot more terminological sobriety and skepticism and reasonable performance testing in the world of path and state and stage diagnosis.

Good luck.
Practice well.
Best wishes.
Thank you.


Shinzen Young says that most of his students awaken gradually. Based on his description it seems to me they are not awakening from fruition. Fruition happens in an instant, there is (supposedly) a dramatic change - that isn't gradual.


When it happens suddenly and dramatically you’re in seventh heaven. It’s like after the first experience of love, you’ll never be the same. However, for most people who’ve studied with me it doesn’t happen that way. What does happen is that the person gradually works through the things that get in the way of enlightenment, but so gradually that they might not notice. What typically happens is that over a period of years, and indeed decades, within that person the craving, aversion, and unconsciousness—the mula kleshas (the fundamental “impurities”), get worked through. But because all this is happening gradually they’re acclimatizing as it’s occurring and they may not realize how far they’ve come. That’s why I like telling the story about the samurai.

This samurai went to the Zen temple on the mountain and lived there for many years. He didn’t seem to be getting anything out of the practice. So he said to the Master, “I think I need to leave. Nothing’s happening as a result of this practice.” So the master said, “Okay. Go.” As he was coming down the hill one of his former comrades, a fellow samurai, saw him in the tattered robes of a Buddhist monk, which is equivalent to a glorified beggar from a samurai’s point of view, and he said, “How could you be so undignified to join the counter-culture of Buddhist beggars?” and he spit on him. Now in the old days the samurais were extremely proud. Any insult to their personal dignity meant a fight to the death. So the monk who had formerly been a samurai just walked on and after he’d walked a certain distance, it occurred to him that not only did he not need to kill this guy, he wasn’t even angry.

When people practice noting, they go through the process Shinzen describes and they can lose identity view. But sometimes this happens long after fruition not during fruition. So my advice to everyone is to keep noting, but don't worry about the progress of insight, it isn't necessary to go through those stages and not everyone does. Focus your attention on  observing the activity of your mind not on stages that might or might not occur and might not live up to the hype.
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Pawel K, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 4:55 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 4:55 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1172 Join Date: 2/22/20 Recent Posts
As you reflect on it you see that there was something truly amazing about that moment. In that instant everything disappeared, including you. It was a moment of complete non-occurrence, the absolute opposite of everything that has ever happened in your life up to this moment, because it could not really be said to have happened to you. No doubt, it is a weird realization, but there it is. Following the experience of this absolute nothing is what my teacher aptly calls a “bliss wave.” For some time following this moment of alighting upon Nirvana you feel really relaxed and fresh. These two experiences, seeing that you disappeared and that you also feel great because of it, lead to a very important discovery that will shape how you view yourself from this point forward. You begin to understand in a very deep way that there really is something to this whole idea that the cravings of a “self” are the root of suffering. When it was gone, even for an instant, life suddenly got much better.

Author here didn't seem to have noticed the most important aspects of this experience and instead sells snake oil.
I have zero reason to believe that this person ever experienced genuine fruition.
The blip itself might have been the same type of seizure but it doesn't matter without having opened eyes.

To be fair having closed eyes is a very common condition, especially in dhamma circles.
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finding-oneself ♤, modified 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 11:04 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/13/24 11:04 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 576 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
I don't think it can in the way you describe because the body has an insane built in healing mechanism.

So just take a multiprogned approach and throw everything at it. 

Do stuff to help the body heal. And keep practicing.

If you are religious or spiritual, pray. If you want.

Look into the book titled, the Biology of Belief. Skip to the end. If you believe you are being healed, genuinely, it may mobilize the troops on a cellular and molecular level.

Work on vitamins, diet, exercise.

Sleep. Everything you can think of.

It's a confidence and belief game. So if you throw everything at it, boom, you know you have everything in your favor that you can control.

A few months isn't that long. If it helps to hear how blessed you are compared to the guy who quit after years.

I wish you the best with everything. Good luck : )
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Dream Walker, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 7:19 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 7:19 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1770 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Rob Green
Hi, welcome
I've been in DN stages for years, sometimes glimpsing Equanimity, I think.
perhaps yes/no as you are vague

A couple years ago I used a drug called gabapentin
For what purpose?
for a few months in pretty high doses.
a few months, vague. what is high doses mean, vague
Apparently it did some damage to my brain.
how did you decide that? vague
Relatively mild, I'd guess, and I think nothing that would be apparent to other people from my behavior.
how do you know? mild? you guess? non apparent? vague
Still, it's not good.
it, is vague.
I mainly notice it as more shallow dreams (dreams lack depth and are not as beautiful).
ummmm, ok , what was it like before? during? shrug
Also I notice it in thinking, like in visual thoughts, as a kind of shallowness and blurriness.
ummm, ok
Maybe also has numbed mood a little, I'm not sure.
i'm not sure either
Difficult to describe, but having gotten more intimately aware of my sensory reality through different practices
apparently "it" is difficult to describe...different practices? vague
I can notice these kinds of differences pretty clearly.
oh, difficult to describe and yet pretty clearly....ok

I believe there are different kinds of ways to help the brains heal from this.
glad you believe, any evidence? The brains?

However, one concern that has come up is, could this type of brain issue prevent stabilizing into Equanimity stage? Or stream-entry? My best honest rational analysis says:  probably not. Still the neurotic mind says: What if it can?
one concern? who's concern? yours?
what type of supposed brain issue? yours specifically? vague
I have absolutely any way to evaluate anything you have posted.
welcome to the Dho, please be as concise as you can if you wish a useful answer. 
good luck, emoticon
~D
Rob Green, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:12 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:12 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 4 Join Date: 4/12/24 Recent Posts
Well, this Dream Walker sounds like a real asshole. Though I guess that's a too vague description.

If you have this kinds of expectitions of precision on this forum I guess I'll stay away from now on. Anyways, thanks for the other kind replies.
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Jim Smith, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:30 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:29 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1792 Join Date: 1/17/15 Recent Posts
Rob Green
Well, this Dream Walker sounds like a real asshole. Though I guess that's a too vague description.

If you have this kinds of expectitions of precision on this forum I guess I'll stay away from now on. Anyways, thanks for the other kind replies.


For some reason the moderators don't see it. It is unfortunate because it is keeping people from participating.

A lot of forums have a block or ignore feature. Here I just learn who's posts are not going to interest me and I don't read posts by those people. It doesn't take long to figure out who to ignore.
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Dream Walker, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:40 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:40 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1770 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Rob Green
Well, this Dream Walker sounds like a real asshole. Though I guess that's a too vague description.

If you have this kinds of expectitions of precision on this forum I guess I'll stay away from now on. Anyways, thanks for the other kind replies.
https://www.dharmaoverground.org/home
"To help keep the place more inviting of participation by those who can benefit from helpful friends supporting friends in their practices and sharing the intimate and deep adventures that these explorations can produce, the following ground rules have been adopted:
  • No name-calling or ad hominem attacks"
Perhaps I "sound" (noting sound noting sound) like or not like a "real" ( or unreal as the case may or not be) an asshole. I agree vehimitately with your ability to post up, until and either including or not,  freedom to be as vague as wishes may be. 
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Concise questions tend to get concise answers sometimes.
Welcome to the forum! again
~D
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Dream Walker, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:55 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 8:55 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1770 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Jim Smith
Please help me understand your following comments.

For some reason the moderators don't see it.
what do the moderators not "see"?
(you may explain your opinion on what "some reason" may entail)
It is unfortunate because it is keeping people from participating.
What is "it" again?
Please give your opinion (how you know) participation is or is not effected unfortunately

A lot of forums have a block or ignore feature.
True, I would love to have many options to improve this forum.
Here I just learn who's posts are not going to interest me and I don't read posts by those people. It doesn't take long to figure out who to ignore.
Perhaps you are wiser than I. So you ignore quality for others in favor for your own. Hmmm, I wish I could also be so callus to those who do not know yet to "ignore" for the benefit of all being.
Please keep on being as beneficial as possible, as I too try my best to do.
emoticon emoticon emoticon
~D
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Chris M, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 9:03 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 9:03 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 5407 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Let's see if we can turn down the temperature, okay?

I think taking some time to review and reflect on this most recent exchange would be a good idea for all of us. Even if we don't intend to seem like a jerk, our posting style can cause others to make that judgment. Likewise, resorting to name-calling as a response isn't a good choice, either, and actually does violate DhO's rules.

Jim Smith, your suggested tactic is the right one when we just don't want deal with another poster who upsets us, whose communication style is abrasive, or who we just don't like - ignore them.

I won't manage this message board like you're all children just learning to get along.  You're adults, and you're meditation practitioners, to boot. You're capable of communicating with each other without constant intervention.

Thank you.

- Chris M
DhO Moderator
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Dream Walker, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 9:33 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 9:33 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1770 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Chris M
Let's see if we can turn down the temperature, okay?

I think taking some time to review and reflect on this most recent exchange would be a good idea for all of us. Even if we don't intend to seem like a jerk, our posting style can cause others to make that judgment. Likewise, resorting to name-calling as a response isn't a good choice, either, and actually does violate DhO's rules.

Jim Smith, your suggested tactic is the right one when we just don't want deal with another poster who upsets us, whose communication style is abrasive, or who we just don't like - ignore them.

I won't manage this message board like you're all children just learning to get along.  You're adults, and you're meditation practitioners, to boot. You're capable of communicating with each other without constant intervention.

Thank you.

- Chris M
DhO Moderator
Thank you Chris.
I apologize to those who felt offended in any way.
I shall try better.
​​​​​​​~D
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Pawel K, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 11:27 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 11:27 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1172 Join Date: 2/22/20 Recent Posts
I think that if you want to complain about vagueness on dharma forums and to demand being more explicit in regards to what is being said then there are much better targets for your crusade than new users who come here with an issue.
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Dream Walker, modified 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 11:49 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/14/24 11:49 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1770 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Ni Nurta
I think that if you want to complain about vagueness on dharma forums and to demand being more explicit in regards to what is being said then there are much better targets for your crusade than new users who come here with an issue.
Thank you for your feedback. I will endevor to not give the impression to others that I complain, demand, target or have a crusade.
I apologise again for my style of responding that causes anyone discomfort in any way.
I will try to do better in the future.
​​​​​​​~D
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Jim Smith, modified 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 9:16 AM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 9:16 AM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1792 Join Date: 1/17/15 Recent Posts
This quote from Daniel is also relevant to my previous post:
https://www.mctb.org/mctb2/table-of-contents/part-v-awakening/37-models-of-the-stages-of-awakening/a-revised-four-path-model/
It was only when I had gotten so sick of the cycles and realized that they were leading nowhere that I was able to see what has nothing to do with the cycles, which also wasn’t anything except a strange untangling of the knot of perceiving them.


I am not against noting meditation. I think it works very well.

But I don't think the progress of insight is helpful and I think for many people it doesn't really work the way it is said to, so in my opinion people should do noting but not get distracted by stages and levels. Just watch your mind. Everything you experience externally and internally you experience through your mind. If you watch your mind you won't miss anything.
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Jim Smith, modified 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 3:03 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 3:03 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 1792 Join Date: 1/17/15 Recent Posts
This is more in line with my thinking about stream entry...

​​​​​​​https://www.reddit.com/r/streamentry/comments/igored/insight_buddhism_a_reconsideration_of_the_meaning/
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finding-oneself ♤, modified 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 5:31 PM
Created 5 Months ago at 4/16/24 5:31 PM

RE: Could brain damage from drugs prevent Equanimity

Posts: 576 Join Date: 1/7/14 Recent Posts
Hey Rob. I don't want you to leave. I'm sort of begging you. I know it ain't perfect, but you can get a lot of help here. I just don't want you to quit too soon before you may find benefit.

It's an inherent problem with digital text based communication. It's very hard to know what the other people are thinking, or how they are, and what their energy is like.

I can maybe explain why there is a culture of "precise" here. Because people used to try to precisely describe in as much detail, what sensations make up their reality. Or just describing our lives. Or both. I say "used to", past tense, because it's part of the history here. It seems like people did it more in the past. But they still do. Just maybe not as much. IDK

But, if it doesnt work out here, you could always try reddit/stream entry. It similar to this in terms of content, with a different type of culture. Good luck

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