fruition's between 1st path and 2nd path.

Natasha Smith, modified 14 Years ago at 1/17/10 10:24 PM
Created 14 Years ago at 1/17/10 10:24 PM

fruition's between 1st path and 2nd path.

Posts: 15 Join Date: 10/31/09 Recent Posts
Hi,

When one experiences the 1st stage of enlightenment, there after one goes through all the cycles and experiences fruition,this can happen over and over again. However, from the day, one makes a resolve to go for the higher path, from there onwards, does one experience the old fruition?Or does it ease off from there onwards, and one starts again from A&P and goes through all the Nanas again?

Can the same be said about the higher stages as well?

Thanks in advance.

Natasha
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 14 Years ago at 1/18/10 1:34 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 1/18/10 1:34 AM

RE: fruition's between 1st path and 2nd path.

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
Alright,

While there is some individual variation, the standard pattern is this:

One attains Stream Entry, and then one starts at the A&P naturally, and one gets better and better at those cycles and getting to Fruitions.

One shortly after Stream Entry begins to see hints of what is not yet done, sensations that seem "unenlightened" or poorly perceived or new or strange or previously unnoticed or something like that, however, the cycles of known territory tend to be most interesting during the early to mid part of Review, so the mind inclines to those rather than to new progress, generally.

As time goes on, which may be days or weeks or years, the sensations of new territory become stronger, and, resolutions or not, soon enough the early insights of the first 3 insight stages (Mind and Body, Cause and Effect, Three Characteristics) are showing up.

However, this intermediate territory is hard to map, and one may be getting Fruitions after cycles and yet having the neck tension and back twisting of Three Characteristics territory in the same sit, as an example.

After one crosses the new A&P of the path they are headed towards (which itself tends to be sufficiently compelling that one is not as interested in Fruitions) one generally has a harder time getting Fruitions, though they may still be accessible with strong inclination to that and reduced new investigation. It may seem that poorer practice is required to get one's hit, as better practice tends to make for progress, which necessarily at this point is away from old territory.

As the Dark Night kicks in, many will automatically incline to previous territory when things get hard. It may nor may not show up, and if it does, it may seem stale, old, vague or less satisfying, and afterglow of Fruitions may be markedly reduced, though not always.

There can be backsliding, forward progress, and backsliding again up and down from territory one has mastered into the new territory. Mapping here can be hard even for really good mappers and their really good mapper dharma friends who might be helping them with this. One can always start out with something like the A&P, and one may be able to get Fruitions, making things confusing.

After completing the new cycle, however many attempts it took, one is in Review again, and the pattern repeats itself, with hints of new territory showing up relatively quickly but not taking center stage until Review has progressed further. How many times it repeats varies by the individual, but the underlying pattern is the same.

Resolutions are a very interesting topic, and can slant one in a particular direction or another, but the dharma has a way of moving onwards when we don't even necessarily want it to, and once one is in the stream, even those who resolve not to make progress generally will anyway, and those who don't resolve to make progress will also. True, resolving to make progress does tend to speed things up, but it can also result in a rougher ride, and people forcing themselves into territory they are not yet able to handle well. I did this a lot early on and, while it did make things fast, I did pay the price at times also.

Helpful?

Daniel
Natasha Smith, modified 14 Years ago at 1/18/10 3:24 AM
Created 14 Years ago at 1/18/10 3:24 AM

RE: fruition's between 1st path and 2nd path.

Posts: 15 Join Date: 10/31/09 Recent Posts
Thanks Daniel, yes, it is very helpful.

Natasha.

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