Hi,
this is is a somewhat different path from Vipassana. If you practice self inquiry you should progress through these stages as my teacher Thusness wrote (also similar to my own progression): http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.sg/2007/03/thusnesss-six-stages-of-experience.html
In this path you realise directly the luminosity, the pure Presence, Awareness first. But awareness is initially reified as the Witness, then the Witness collapse into a single undivided field but still feels independent and unchanging, then eventually Anatta, 3C comes in and the transience, the reflection is realised to be the mirror (instead of standing back as if the mirror mind is a background or even abiding as a changeless mirror ‘unified’ with transient reflections which is non dual but still not anatta), then progress into D.O. And empty clarity.
If you practice MCTB, the luminosity aspect comes only later at 3rd and 4th path but is quickly transformed into direct anatta sort of non dual luminosity due to heavy emphasis on 3C and Bahiya Sutta style pointer on anatta so not much danger of reification. Dzogchen, Zen, Advaita, Thusness stages etc starts with luminosity first and slowly refines.
It depends on your inclinations. I am more inclined towards the direct path that stresses realising the luminosity or mirror bright consciousness or pure presence from the start. But it is not without dangers and without guidance and right view one can be stuck reifying awareness for a Long time
As Thusness wrote in DhO in 2009:
“Hi Gary,
It appears that there are two groups of practitioners in this forum, one adopting the gradual approach and the other, the direct path. I am quite new here so I may be wrong.
My take is that you are adopting a gradual approach yet you are experiencing something very significant in the direct path, that is, the ‘Watcher’. As what Kenneth said, “You're onto something very big here, Gary. This practice will set you free.” But what Kenneth said would require you to be awaken to this ‘I’. It requires you to have the ‘eureka!’ sort of realization. Awaken to this ‘I’, the path of spirituality becomes clear; it is simply the unfolding of this ‘I’.
On the other hand, what that is described by Yabaxoule is a gradual approach and therefore there is downplaying of the ‘I AM’. You have to gauge your own conditions, if you choose the direct path, you cannot downplay this ‘I’; contrary, you must fully and completely experience the whole of ‘YOU’ as ‘Existence’. Emptiness nature of our pristine nature will step in for the direct path practitioners when they come face to face to the ‘traceless’, ‘centerless’ and ‘effortless’ nature of non-dual awareness.
Perhaps a little on where the two approaches meet will be of help to you.’
P.s. I’m from Singapore too
