Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry... [A TACK] [MIGRATE]

Migration 62 Daemon, modified 9 Years ago at 5/7/14 4:50 AM
Created 9 Years ago at 5/7/14 4:50 AM

Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry... [A TACK] [MIGRATE]

Posts: 66 Join Date: 5/7/14 Recent Posts
Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry... [A TACK]


A TACK - 2014-05-03 20:24:38 - Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry...

Hello everyone , would appreciate some thoughts on my practice, where i might well be and steps to take it forward.

In brief i've realised i've had A&P stuff through my life not connected directly to practice. i've now had a daily practice for about 3 years. Sitting over the last 6 months from about an hour to 2 per day.

Intention was previously just to master Shamatha without intending to practice noting - but as concentration improved this proved impossible.

Hit what I think was A&P a couple of months ago - i wrote about it here 

http://www.dharmaoverground.org/group/control_panel/manage/-/message_boards/message/5373081/maximized?refererPlid=10262

Things were OK immediately after but got pretty rough of late - dealing with content but more markedly health related problems. Focused more so on Samatha and found my self fairly easily being able to get in to formless realms quickly and easily. Was impossible to not notice that i was looking for a solid refuge in the formless, and then knowing this began process of investigation in the formless - noticing that whatever was left of the concept of an observer/sense of observation could be investigated for solidity, likewise breaking down intent to search for solidity itself for want of a permanent relief from suffering etc. looking at vibrations of what was left of any trace of a jhana or even just experience. 

Needless to say around that point day to day life consisted of a lot of vibration (me and everywhere else), concentration very strong but left with generally feeling not all there after being in the formless realms for an hour or so each time (obviously noticed discontent with this). Frequently noticed jahnic waves not in the body but seemingly in my panorama and wider "awarensss" field - completely unconnected to the breath.

Anyway - things peaked a few nights ago with health problems. I was having an allergic reaction in a Dr's office, and then things shifted. it was like the mind had enough. it was a subtle shift initially and then just profound equanimity, some bliss but by far the dominant state was equanimity coupled with lasting panoramic awareness. I've had the panoramic awareness previously after/around time of A&P but this was different. Awareness seemingly split up very clearly physical sensations, mental objects and the sense of the observer. The observer just exists in the panorama, and it was laborious to try and produce a thought stream - this became laughable and i noticed myself sniggering every time a conscious intent to think was made or an attempt to identify with a self. There really wasn't any thought stream to examine, it just stopped dead. This lasted for about 2 days. During the 2 days when not sitting in the panoramic awareness there were what i think Daniel calls formations. I could only describe what i was experiencing as similar to external jhanic waves that you find in the higher jhana's or formless realms - i.e not synced to any object in particular and just existing in the panorama of awareness - they were linked in someway to other sensations and the thought stream but hard to say how. (thankfully) These faded and equanimity with panoramic awareness is left. 

Have been investigating the awareness/observer solidly since, no object needed in practice, as soon as i concentrate even with eyes open standing up i'm in the panorama of awareness - this made day to day writing/reading etc especially difficult as also being aware of what i think were formations at the same time in the wider awareness. if i try to examine an object rather than just general awareness vibrations are extremely intense and i'm left with a huge amount of residual energy which takes over the equanimity. 

So as to today, i'm just investigating the panoramic awareness. The thought stream just stops dead in practice, no need for a focus on anything in particular, just watching the helicopter view panoramic awareness - trying to really focus on anything else seems pointless and everything else just drops out anyway. Feelings of profound bliss mixed with equanimity independent of awareness and something trying to shift again in practice are very intense - perhaps something has shifted. The notion of "effort" in watching the observer/awareness field seems paradoxical and sticky, like the effort itself comes from a self (because it's identified as such in the awareness) and thus non duality cant quite sync. The field of awareness is experienced as non dual but feels like something cant quite let go, possibly a striving (as i'm clearly doing in writing this post). Or perhaps i'm in a non dual state already and just not clearly appreciating what it is to experience reality like this - Could be that i'm confusing awareness of sensation of awareness of effort with expectation of what it is to be aware of non dual reality.

Any thoughts or feedback appreciated - 

Thanks for reading.

A

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Dream Walker - 2014-05-03 21:35:51 - RE: Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry...

A TACK:

Anyway - things peaked a few nights ago with health problems. I was having an allergic reaction in a Dr's office, and then things shifted. it was like the mind had enough. it was a subtle shift initially and then just profound equanimity, some bliss but by far the dominant state was equanimity coupled with lasting panoramic awareness. 

Any thoughts or feedback appreciated -
At the moment of the shift was there any blip/loss of consciousness? When you do your regular practice what happens?

If you're in EQ I'd read these - MCTB Equanimity
contemplativefitnessbook Knowledge_of_Equanimity_Stage_11

If you are in high EQ just relax and watch the "formations" arise and pass away on their own and investigate the gaps between them very gently.
Good Luck,
~D

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A TACK - 2014-05-04 21:21:10 - RE: Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry...

Dream Walker:
A TACK:

Anyway - things peaked a few nights ago with health problems. I was having an allergic reaction in a Dr's office, and then things shifted. it was like the mind had enough. it was a subtle shift initially and then just profound equanimity, some bliss but by far the dominant state was equanimity coupled with lasting panoramic awareness. 

Any thoughts or feedback appreciated -
At the moment of the shift was there any blip/loss of consciousness? When you do your regular practice what happens?

If you're in EQ I'd read these - MCTB Equanimity
contemplativefitnessbook Knowledge_of_Equanimity_Stage_11

If you are in high EQ just relax and watch the "formations" arise and pass away on their own and investigate the gaps between them very gently.
Good Luck,
~D


Thanks DW - Your words are appreciated.

I'm in knowledge of review/review now emoticon

will piece this all together at some point, but for now just having fun entering fruitions in different ways and cycling when i sit

emoticon

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Dream Walker - 2014-05-04 21:59:46 - RE: Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry...

A TACK:
Thanks DW - Your words are appreciated.

I'm in knowledge of review/review now emoticon

will piece this all together at some point, but for now just having fun entering fruitions in different ways and cycling when i sit

emoticon
Congratulations, I spent a lot of time reviewing and it sure is fun after the work leading up to it. (Just make sure to blip in private and wash you hands afterwards.) emoticon

A TACK:

...i'm just investigating the panoramic awareness. The thought stream just stops dead in practice, no need for a focus on anything in particular, just watching the helicopter view panoramic awareness - trying to really focus on anything else seems pointless and everything else just drops out anyway. 
Any thoughts or feedback appreciated -

This is something I recommend doing....the Panoramic Awareness. You are in the honeymoon phase now and it lasts for most people about month or so and then the energetic intensity wears off and you get so used to the new state that everything calms down to your new baseline "normal". Enjoy the intensity now. I wish I had practiced the Panoramic Awareness more because when it faded I really missed it a bunch. At second path it came back and I could with sustained effort reside in it. At third path it is your baseline state until you add thinking layers to it which obscures it, until you let go of thinking again. 
Play around while the intensity lasts and maybe explore the jhanas a bit....resolutions/intentions have much power to them right now too. (edit: Health problems... healing intentions.. blip...hint hint)
Good luck,
~D

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A TACK - 2014-05-04 22:56:26 - RE: Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry...

Dream Walker:
A TACK:
Thanks DW - Your words are appreciated.

I'm in knowledge of review/review now emoticon

will piece this all together at some point, but for now just having fun entering fruitions in different ways and cycling when i sit

emoticon
Congratulations, I spent a lot of time reviewing and it sure is fun after the work leading up to it. (Just make sure to blip in private and wash you hands afterwards.) emoticon

A TACK:

...i'm just investigating the panoramic awareness. The thought stream just stops dead in practice, no need for a focus on anything in particular, just watching the helicopter view panoramic awareness - trying to really focus on anything else seems pointless and everything else just drops out anyway. 
Any thoughts or feedback appreciated -

This is something I recommend doing....the Panoramic Awareness. You are in the honeymoon phase now and it lasts for most people about month or so and then the energetic intensity wears off and you get so used to the new state that everything calms down to your new baseline "normal". Enjoy the intensity now. I wish I had practiced the Panoramic Awareness more because when it faded I really missed it a bunch. At second path it came back and I could with sustained effort reside in it. At third path it is your baseline state until you add thinking layers to it which obscures it, until you let go of thinking again. 
Play around while the intensity lasts and maybe explore the jhanas a bit....resolutions/intentions have much power to them right now too. (edit: Health problems... healing intentions.. blip...hint hint)
Good luck,
~D


Thank you emoticon I've been blipping non intentionally in public (too much concentration!) but i know what's going on i'll keep my blipping to myself

re. keeping with the panorama - yes that's my intention, certainly when not formally sitting i'll just be noting degrees of width in awareness 

Thanks again - and you're absolutely right, resolutions already made emoticon

p.s if it helps anyone going for stream - i really really sharpened up my concentration before deliberately practicing insight with full commitment - i.e quickly in to 4th Jhana while sitting on public transport etc, and then likewise with formless realms. After that just started deconstructing the formless realms and things happened exponentially.
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Eric B, modified 9 Years ago at 5/7/14 4:48 PM
Created 9 Years ago at 5/7/14 4:47 PM

RE: Going from Equanimity to Stream Entry... [A TACK] [MIGRATE]

Posts: 187 Join Date: 8/24/09 Recent Posts
A TACK, thanks for your detailed descriptions of what you were doing in the formless realms.  I would really appreciate any additional details you can add.  I think this is the route I should have gone down a couple years back.  Better late than never...

Eric

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