I think that because of my chakra blockages, my breathing hasn't really been able to take as much air & my digestion hasn't been able to function properly for the last several years, causing me much solidified ignorant experience. I think the difference is worth noting for me.

Even having attained a couple of paths, it took some time to get close enough to work with & see thru this.
About a couple of weeks ago & 2 weeks after my 2nd Goenka retreat, i noticed this. I now am more able to notice
the food in my gut, and the energy that it gives or the process of my body metabolizing that food. I feel i have a more direct connection with this and that another deep rooted chakra or layer has been unblocked(or partly unblockedI think its the root chakra. The last big blockage i had a big change was the one above that.

I will see how i will handle this 'progress' onwards from now and see if it sticks, see if im efficiently able to keep seeing thru this. Since these sankharas/blockages are all due to my own habits and stuff, how I deal with it off the cushion will also tell if I fall back or not.

I changed my meditation object a couple of days ago. My object is now mostly 'body', dukkha in the body. (centered more solidified in my root/gut, and occasionally shifting the object to my limbs, w/c are less solid, to sharpen concentration) and Breath now becomes secondary in the background. Pure awareness is still often too difficult but probably my practice object is leading more in that direction. I'll see if this is consistent, especially in times of dissolution, chi drain-out, and succeeding dark nights.


For a summary of my practice history:
Started meditation & occassional/varied (wrong) techniques: July 2008
Started 'everyday' meditation atleast 10mins: Jan, 2009
Stream entry: Aug, 2009
2nd path: Sept, 2009
First Goenka retreat: Oct 2009
2nd Goenka retreat: April 2009

DKY I haven't experienced any energy dry-out anymore, I mean, I have unpleasant releases all the time, but it's been months without A&P or Dark Nights. I have some conjectures why it happens in the first place. I think dark night happens because a lot of energy accumulates in the head (this is, in essence, A&P) and the body then activates some sort of emergency mechanism to shut it down (avoiding death by head-explosion )

I suggest you try to open your front channel: this is the "conceptual vessel" in chi gung. the meditation would be: keep tongue in the palate ("roof" of the mount); Now there are a bunch of pathways for chi to flow: basically it's middle of the brain -> forehead particularly between the eyebrows; then to the throat; then through the chest, down the center of the belly, and it ends just bellow the navel, where it curves inwards towards (I guess) the intestines.

You will notice that there are two pathways from eyebrow center to the throat: either through your sinuses and then your tongue (at some point you will actually feel the tongue "sucking in" energy), or through your jaws and mandibles.

Once the blocks in this area are removed, energy can now flow "down," and this effectively allows the head to "cool off," sort of like closing a cycle in your body circuitry. Take it easy though, closing the circuit too fast might send more stuff upwards.

Then there is more stuff to open up that will get you even MORE stable and grounded. Basically it seems that the legs work as a sort of "buffer," and opening that up stabilizes things a lot.

There's loads of this stuff in Qigong theory. (they use esotherical names like "energy of the earth" and sh1t like that, but they are actually referring to concrete somatic processes).

Bruno

Does sitting cross legged with the perineum next to or touching the ground help with that, or does the "flow" specifically need to go through the legs?

For me either (1) working with the legs made a very big difference, or (2) it was sheer coincidence, and the work I've been doing in the legs, and the concrete sensations of tingling and moving energy I get in those parts, have nothing to do with the fact that I feel way more grounded than a couple of months ago.

Only time will tell :-)

From alchemicaltao.com, the "three amigos of rooting" (ankle rotations, squats & belly breathing through the legs):

http://www.precisiondocs.com/~altaoism/IS_ThreeAmigos.htm

Hey, I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this with a question, but I saw your progress notes and wanted to ask what's been on my mind. How the hell does that happen so quickly?

Here's my progress notes so far (as far as I can tell):
Cross A&P - January 1999
Start occasional and varied meditation and lots of wrong techniques - April 1999
First and second Vipassana Retreat (Suan Mokh, Thailand) - Summer 2003
First Goenka retreat - May 2008 (cross A&P again)
Started everyday meditation at least 2 hours per day - May 2008
Seven more Goenka retreats, and serving on 6 Goenka retreats, meditating at least 3 hours per day June 2009 - Dec 2009 (reached equanimity)
20 Day Bodh Gaya retreat - January 2010
50 day retreat, India - March 2010
Still in equanimity - May 2010

Nine grueling years of self-help, meditation, therapy, psychic training, weird yoga shit, eating raw foods, and pretty much all sorts of every practice known to man. Followed by 2 years of intense vipassana/meditation practice. And, It seems like I'm probably still about 6 months away from stream entry if I spend most of that time on retreat (just a guess).

On one hand, I'm totally happy to have found the Dharma, and happy to be alive, etc... and so who cares about time, anyway.
On the other hand... what's up with this? How is it possible that you reached 2nd path without even going on retreat?

Mostly out of curiosity: What's the explanation for this kind of thing? Are some people just genetically coded differently? Am I not practicing correctly? Do I have more "karma" to burn through or "sankharas"? Is there a shadow side to quick progress? Could it be that all the "wrong" practice I did actually set me back in the opposite direction? Is it possible I actually made it through first path and don't recognize it?

Maybe I should start my own thread, but since I saw your progress notes, I just decided to ask you here.

Thanks,

Daniel

My practice

First meditation course September 2000
Lived at a Vipassana Centre for a year or so. Lots of serving. Spent 10 months in India, Pali Student at Dhamma Giri, became a monk for 12 days in Burma..hehe! , Lot's of service at vipassana centres...building mostly. Cleaned Goenka's house at Dhamma Giri...and dusted his Nike running shoes..hehe!

Over a period of 9 years
12 x 10 days (Goenka)
2 x Sati (Goenka)
2 x 20 days (Goenka)

2 years or so ago, came across Buddhist Geeks then Daniel Ingram's book, then this place. Got to know the map of insight, the nanas etc...Followed Daniel's advice, Tarin's advice, and Kenneth Folk's advice

Over the last 2 years:
Practiced samatha with a kasina....maybe 1st or 2nd and maybe 3rd jhana
Integrated the Mahasi noting practice into my yogi tool box......coupled it with bare awareness of the sublest of sensations /vibrations on and in the body.....started noting EVERYTHING......resolved to get stream entry......got myself up to equanimity of formations nana a lot over the last 2 years.....kept using kasina to strengthen concentration and then investigate and note the hell out of the sensations that make up the "I".

Resolved even more to attain stream entry! Do or die attitude! Full momentum!!!!!! Went and sat my 12th 10 day course in Goenka tradition over New Year's but with my own agenda and inclusion of mahasi noting and kasina. Didn't tell anyone!

January 1st this year: At approx. 11:05 am, waiting to be served lunch on the 5th day of a 10 day, a blip out/path moment/fruition occured and 1st path was attained. On the 9th day another "special" blip out occured and the perception basline shifted! The "I" less solid and the mind much more spacious. At least one more "special" blip out since then which has left me with access to some cool stuff....but I am holding out on saying that I am past 2nd. I think I am 2nd path now. It is different to 1st. Lightening fast access to 8 jhanas and later on possible extra 9th one...possible pure abode but not certain. But according to Kenneth, what I've described may be nirodha samapatti but I am seriously doubting it still. Anyway...that's how I did it!

If I was to sum up how I did it from doing years of just "going through the motions" in the Goenka tradition?....I gave myself permission to get enlightened, I believed I could do it, I resolved to do it, I included Mahasi's noting into my practice, I upped my concentration by looking at a kasina, I noted and investigated the hell out of the sensations of "I" and saw how they blipped in and out of any experience, I noted all the subtle states and sensations that I never paid attention to, like anticipation, boredom, investigation, space, spacing out, etc......I noted and objectified EVERYTHING experienced, including the images and sensations of "I".....and I made sure to investigate all 3 of the characteristics, not just one.

Hope this helps...

Bruno: Thanks for the tips! Also, on the paying attention to the legs, nice to hear that this works for you too. Gives me more confidence to continue doing it and feel i know what im doing. Shoulders, elbows, knees are the parts that usually work for me. Will try ankle.

Daniel:

Genetically coded: I think i read somewhere that people who are more prone to insanity are more prone to getting enlightened. I've had some weird spiritual experiences since I was a kid too. Nothing serious though. It may run in my genes. Some people may have a more overactive nervous system I think im one of them.

In a buddhist past life point of view,
a psychic friend tells me I was a catholic monk for 3 lifetimes.

Shadow side to quick progress: I don't think so.

Wrong practice: I do have quite a bit of this. A wrong practice that turned into sankhara is "counting breaths" (a newbie instruction for zen meditation) that I never really erased.

Reaching 2nd path w/o retreat: I did weekend retreats in my room, and 1 weekend zen retreat. I was also just working part-time. 4-5 hours a day only. This was a big factor. Aside from that, I was living like a monk. Eating meditation. Renounciation from TV, movies, even music. (atleast I cut it down a great deal. maybe just one listen a week) Fear was what drove me. I couldn't bear to be in the dark night. It was a life or death motivation that made me go for stream entry. I couldn't stand the feeling of reaching equanimity then just falling back to the dark night. My dark night was awful.
It was desperation that drove me. Stream entry was the best day of my life. I knew things could only get better from there. I also knew that I would have to start working full time soon, so since Daniel I. noted that 2nd path was reachable, I went for that and luckily got it. (I say luckily coz i think i didn't work as hard for this one.)

Now, life is busier and practice is more difficult.

I think the way meditation is explained to us in Goenka retreat is different from what i was feeling when i was going thru it at the time.

It's like, Goenka says its ok. Disillusion is just disilluion, its all just normal.. comes and goes, comes and goes.
My thinking was more like, what the hell is going on here? This is 'not' normal, this is wild scary shit. I just want to get this over with and return to normal life. This is unacceptable. Furthermore, I was reading stories of people who say they were in the dark night for years! Coupled with my dark night being Very strong! I seriously thought i would be like that for 9 years, in confusion, fear and dissolution! Hahaha! This was ever since first reaching A&P. This was a big factor.


I think my own addictions and cravings was a good gauge for knowing if i was practicing well. It was like, "Ok, if buddha says that living like a monk is what it takes, let's see. I won't give in to my addictions." So everytime i fell back into dark night or worse, the 3 characteristics stage, its nearly impossible for me to resist my cravings in this stage. I could only resist my cravings in A&P and equanimity... so honesty was a good gauge. This was a big factor. renounciation

Now, back in the flow of real life, I would rate my moment to moment 'enlightenment levels' based on my ability to work with my stuff. I do have some issues that I'm still trying to heal, or at least cope with in a level where it doesnt cause stress..
That's why the advice ive been seeking lately is also on techniques that work with stuff - Because gung-ho practice got me results, but gung-ho practice didn't teach me how to deal with real life. Maybe its true, living a monastic life is in my blood hehe.

Dear yogis,
The importance of not revealing the attainments of insight knowledges is just because it may be false mental impression or however true it may be there is a tendency of attachment to it.It will abstract or struck in the further advancement of the practice. Still there are many unwholesome mental defilements to be removed. A lot of work to be done. By indirectly encouraging the unwholesome mental states of pride and conceit. It is having the character of mental rigidity (very subtlest form of greed). ones in the mind if there is rigidity there wont be any humbleness and kindness etc. It is the gateway of unwholesome mental states. If we are revealing the insight knowledges we miss the understanding the notion of three universal characters of Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta. The mind simply sees as permanence, happiness and self. If the mind is rigid it cannot go in to the path of nibbana. It goes in the opposite direction. It will make the others persons envy indirectly by ones own progress.To attain nibbana the mind needs to be more balanced and flexible. See that in the practice and general activities be mindful all the time. The contuinity of practice is the secret of success.

Hmmmm, I don't really agree with Prem now since he came in and edited all of what he had originally wrote.

I think this quote is really interesting Daniel.

What makes you think it will take you 6 months? I mean, what are you basing that guess on?

Thanks for the question. The guess is mostly arbitrary. It's based mostly on two things:
1) My best guess for where I am on the Progress of Insight Map. My assesment is that I seem to have made it to Equanimity perhaps last September or so and have been dipping in and out of the Dark Night for a few months.
2) The trajectory at which my equanimity seems to have been developing over the last few months. Like, its sorta like I feel my mind settling down to a state of equanimity with more and more of my sensory reality. More and more sensations that used to provoke reactions, now I can have equanimity with, they don't slip by unnoticed like they used to. And, if "Stream Entry" really is what they say it is, that it's some sort of cessation, or some sort of gap in the mind-body experiential world, or whatever... then I imagine it requires a whole lot of equanimity to allow into it. And, observing the nature of my mind as it is now, it doesn't seem that this level of equanimity has yet been cultivated.

So, I could be totally totally wrong about this in any direction. But, it's just a guess based on a little map in my mind of how much equanimity I experienced 2 years ago, 1 year ago, today, and what I imagine might be necessary to enter the stream.

Why do you ask?

For me... at least in my experience... Equanimity is something that seems to have developed over time, rather than me just saying "I resolve to have equanimity" and then *Boom* I have it.

Hi Daniel,

I used to think like that too for a very long time having been immersed int he Goenka tradition for most of my yogi career. Equanimity is something you develop and have to perfect. Well, this is correct to some degree....equanimity is a parami after all. And it is good to be equanimous. But you will find that if you truly are getting to "equanimity of formations" nana, that it is called that for a reason. It is damn easy to be equanimous with all formations/sankharas. Especially in high equanimity where it is easier to see the whole picture as Daniel described in another thread. The whole panoramic view where it all happens, all "you" arising and passing away phenomena. You don't have to worry about equanimity if you are objectifying and noting all the phenomena that take centre stage. It will develop by itself and truly be experienced at the 11th nana which takes its name for the reason that it allows this insight to arise. Just my two cents.

In my case, equanimity has always been fast. The longest I've spent in one equanimity state was about 4-5 days. Thats low-medium-high. Or usually about 2-3 days.. something like that.. Sometimes just 1 1/2 days.

Or is it usually: the closer you are to stream entry, the stronger and shorter are the equanimity periods? So if you think you're experiencing equanimity, then you should see if the duration becomes shorter and shorter and the level of equanimity increases?
(I don't know.. Im just guessing..my experience of pre-stream entry was very fast. From A&P, just 2 months I think til stream)

Hey Nikolai,
I might have given the wrong impression. I'm not really "worrying" about equanimity, and don't give too much importance to what Goenka says.

I'm not sure why, but I seem to be miscommunicating myself pretty well on this website.

Thanks for the reply, Dark Night Yogi,

Right now, I have no clue whatsoever.

I think you could consider yourself quite fortunate to have a fast experience from A&P to stream entry.

Tearing down Equanimity is as or more important than attaining it, meaning, to see the Three Characteristics of everything that makes up Equanimity is more important than some sort of dwelling or "mastery" or whatever of equanimity.

Many get hung there as it is so nice after the Dark Night.

Tear it down. It all comes and goes. See all that, space, you, ease, peace, equanimity, doubt, anticipation, mapping, intention, all of it, arise and vanish as sensations again and again through the bones.

You can have all the Equanimity you want after stream entry and it will be way better. Don't stop.

Daniel

The legs are very important, maybe key, in grounding. Especially the connection between the kidney 1 point that one breaths through in the breathing technique Bruno mentioned and the earth is supposed to be central. Also the heels have a special connection to the root. Another thing I have read several times and which seems to match my very modest experience is that when the feet are on the ground earth energy is pulled up through the feet and transformed through the legs to a softer more refined energy then if you sit with feet crossed as then most of the energy goes straight from the earth into your perinium and creates a much more crude and volatile energy. Sort of like the difference between breathing with your nose vs breathing with your mouth.

In certain traditions of qigong they sit in the throne posture with with on the ground precisely to have a stronger connection to the earth. If you look at asana those were you have your feet on the ground are much more grounding than those where you do not. Standing meditation as is done in qigong (Zhan Zhuang) is VERY grounding, balancing and builds a lot of energy. In addition it lets you work to correct your entire posture and alignment in a very nice way. It also eventually naturally opens your microcosmic orbit. I loved it when I was doing it.

Opening the orbit as BRuno suggested seems like a good idea. THe small universe meditation CDs you can by at springforestqigong.com is considered by several posters at thetaobums.com as a very good and safe way to open the orbit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyVzsDaMXN4

Wuji standing meditation as is shown in the youtube video is considered very good for digestive issues and affects the spleen and pancreas in particular which are key organs for digestion. It is also, like other standing meditation, very good at grounding you. THe key is how the hands are held so maybe you should find a video that displays that more precisely. Such standing postures are considered ok to learn on ones own as once you are in them posture gets naturally self corrected as long as you relax and look for the best way to stand. Also once the energy starts moving you will be surprised at how it moves you into the right posture.

I really don't mean to be the Dharma Retard or something, but how do you tear down everything without Equanimity?

I seem to be really misconfused by my misrepresentisatisation of myself here... but does it seem like I'm wanting to "have" equanimity?

I don't really want equanimity, or stream entry or enlightenment or whatever... I don't know what the fuck I want, and I've never known that, I don't want to know what I want, and I don't expect to know it anytime soon. Wanting something seems to be something that comes and goes, comes and goes... and I don't understand why this whole "I'm a meditator" thing should be any different? Why should this whole "stream entry" thing be some thing to have?

Qutie frankly, Equanimity can fuck itself in it's own ass for all I care. I don't have any special love-mate attachment to the damn thing, I just find that it's supremely helpful in the process of coming to know reality.

Yes... tear it all down. That's what I've been doing. I don't plan to stop.... and I don't get what all this hype is about.

Of course... I do stop. I stop over and over and over again! I'm human! ... and I may be the Dharma Retard again.... but I thought that was why I meditated in the first place... to not stop... to catch the conditioned response to try to solidify things and instead to continue to penetrate to their true nature. I thought that the human condition is that we all resist the coming and going constant dissolution of our reality until we start to learn otherwise. Am I dumb here?

- Daniel