Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

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b man, modified 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 4:20 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 4:20 PM

Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

Posts: 199 Join Date: 11/25/11 Recent Posts
Hi All, 

just wondering how many people have found that getting SE has changed the direction of their life in some dramatic way i.e new career/life purpose/vocation etc?

best, 

Bman
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Noah, modified 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 4:34 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 4:34 PM

RE: Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

Posts: 1467 Join Date: 7/6/13 Recent Posts
It happened for me in early January (which is when I graduated college) and made me realize that if I could get to 4th Path within a year or so, and drastically improve my mental health, it would be worth delaying entry to the job market (even though that looks bad on a resume).  So now I basically meditate full-time in daily life while working in the low-cognitive-demand of the service industry.
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Laurel Carrington, modified 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 5:39 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 5:39 PM

RE: Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

Posts: 439 Join Date: 4/7/14 Recent Posts
It happened to me after 4th path, and not immediately, but certainly related. I've decided to go to half time at work and retire in three years, which is earlier than I originally thought. I feel that this part of my life is winding down and I'm already letting go. There've been other changes as well. What's nice is there is a lot of space around these decisions. 
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Ryan J, modified 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 6:11 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 6/10/15 6:06 PM

RE: Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

Posts: 121 Join Date: 2/19/14 Recent Posts
I've done basically the same thing as Noah, even graduating in January no less, although I'm not sure I've had a fruition, but I'd say I'm in high-Eq. So my decision has been made irregardless of fruition. Scanning the literature, and Jack Kornfield in particular, notes that fruition is definitely a spectrum. For some it's a huge, huge deal, for others it's nothing at all. Hokai Sobol posted on this forum that he doesn't recall 'entering the stream', and I think Nikolai has noted elsewhere that it may not be so straightforward. The take home message is: your mileage may vary.

But platitudinous and vague answers aren't very fun. So I'll raise my own post Ona Kiser who was gracious enough to offer her second book for free on her blog, where she gets MCTB 4th path and basically completely reorientates her life afterwards, from magickian to Christian, no less! It's one of the most interesting books I've read, and I think any serious meditator should read it on the grounds it gives a sense of potential interplay between insight and morality.

Here is the blog page referencing the book: http://onakiser.com/2014/08/15/and-then-what-happened/
Here is the book: https://onakiser.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/a-soul-suspended.pdf
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b man, modified 8 Years ago at 8/12/15 4:14 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 8/12/15 4:14 PM

RE: Stream Entry and then a change of life direction?

Posts: 199 Join Date: 11/25/11 Recent Posts
thanks guys, I'm finding that since learning vipassana 4 years ago, and practicing regularly, I have changed quite a bit. Im wondering now if I even want to be doing a job that is desk based anymore. Does anyone relate to this? Is this just a phase perhaps, or should I seriously consider looking at a career change?!

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