Hey guys!

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Dark Night Yogi, modified 11 Years ago at 8/18/12 5:19 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/18/12 5:19 PM

Hey guys!

Posts: 138 Join Date: 8/25/09 Recent Posts
Hey guys, just saying Hi... What's up?

I used to go here a few years ago.. Following the maps, it seemed like I attained 3rd path. Unbelievable, or not. Sure or not? Really don't know for sure, but at least 2nd path. Anyway, i haven't talked about this and haven't meditated in almost 2 years. Can't believe its been that long.

And i don't really notice any much effects of the dharma attainments (1st path, 2nd path, 3rd path) in day to day life.
Wondering if its because i don't sit. Anyone experience the same thing? Stopped sitting?

Anyway hope you all have a good sit and best wishes on your practice!

Hopefully i get motivation to sit again soon.
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Tommy M, modified 11 Years ago at 8/18/12 8:15 PM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/18/12 8:14 PM

RE: Hey guys!

Posts: 1199 Join Date: 11/12/10 Recent Posts
Hiya, I remember you posting a while back and wondered where you'd got to.

I used to go here a few years ago.. Following the maps, it seemed like I attained 3rd path. Unbelievable, or not. Sure or not? Really don't know for sure, but at least 2nd path. Anyway, i haven't talked about this and haven't meditated in almost 2 years. Can't believe its been that long.

And i don't really notice any much effects of the dharma attainments (1st path, 2nd path, 3rd path) in day to day life.
Wondering if its because i don't sit. Anyone experience the same thing? Stopped sitting?

What do you mean by "effects"?

Whether you're still sitting or not, Path seems to be a permanent change in brain functioning; genuine attainment leaves one in no doubt as to how profoundly day to day life is changed when that happens. That being the case, at least based on my own experience, I would suggest a re-evaluation of your whereabouts in the MCTB model as I don't believe your diagnosis is correct based on the information available. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I know how easy it is to get caught up in figuring out the technicalities and criteria, and sometimes an honest opinion, whether correct or not, gives you a reason to get back to investigating your experience again.

Hopefully i get motivation to sit again soon.

Aren't you already motivated?

Silly question, perhaps, but I'd like to know why it is that you're asking a question on a hardcore practice-based forum while suggesting that you're lacking motivation. Maybe, at some level or another, you're already motivated and just haven't noticed it yet...check it out, see what's going on in your moment-by-moment, bare sensate experience and see what's what.

Welcome back btw, hopefully you'll get back into a practice again and post some notes!
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Daniel M Ingram, modified 11 Years ago at 8/19/12 4:04 AM
Created 11 Years ago at 8/19/12 4:04 AM

RE: Hey guys!

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
Hey, welcome back!

When I think about how I personally generally use the term third path, what I generally mean is the following:

1) Cycles and has access to all the stages of insight, this having been a perk of getting 1st path.
2) Walks around with an direct, realtime appreciation of the the spaciousness of things, of the centerlessness of things, of the agencylessness of things that is incomplete but still relatively obvious in realtime.
3) If has formless realms, should be able to get Nirodha Samapatti, whose benefits are remarkable and afterglow profound.
4) Should have an appreciation for what is meant by "in the seeing is just the seen" etc far beyond the average person, meaning that phenomena are just where whey are without any obvious knower, perceiver, etc of them, though with some holes in this knowledge
5) These incomplete but still impressive perceptual feats should point very clearly towards something that is accomplished when those gaps no longer remain

Anyway, regardless of what you did or can perceive, more practice is fun and rewarding, and if you have anything even close to third, time to claim your rewards, as they should be many at that point...

Enjoy!

Daniel