According to Ingram et al the Dark Night is a phase of meditation wherein the mind undergoes intense pain, depression and angst that supposedly results from having seen some basic metaphysical truths through meditation.
There is no dark night, not in the sense that Ingram describes.
There is in fact however, painful and pleasant progress.
There is painful progress for one who, does not abide in jhana, but rather relies on the perception of loathsomeness, of loathsomeness in food, re:
Here, bhikkhus, a certain one abides reflecting loathsomeness in the body, loathsomeness in food, detachment from all the world, seeing impermanence in all determinations and the perception of death is thoroughly established in him. He abides relying on these five powers of a trainer- Such as the powers of faith, shame remorse, effort and wisdom. The five faculties of faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom are blunt in him as a result he realizes the destruction of desires slowly with successive leading. Bhikkhus, to this is said the difficult means and slow realization.
But this can hardly be termed a Dark Night, simply because a Dark Night applies to someone even when they are not making progress.
Ingram makes the Dark Night out to be a state of being, whereas the Buddha delineates a dark night as a mode of progress.
This is the fatal flaw that Ingram has made in convincing eager meditators everywhere that they are in fact doomed for emotional misery.
Peace,
James
