when I say that the 4th path of Daniel's and Ipsissimus (or the 3rd path and Magus grade) are equaled, I only mean that these grades are equaled in what they represent in their respective developmental systems.
So, when you reach the 4th tech path, realize its goal, you are maxed out in this particular development system and when you hit the Ipsissimus grade, take the initiation, realize all that has to be realized, you completed The Great Work, you are maxed out.
That makes more sense actually, and the 4th path realization, with the dropping away of the insight problem entirely, definitely leaves room for more development. This may also offer a clearer view on why people like Daniel, who's meditative career has been vastly more intensive and deep than the experience of many of us who claim the same attainments, experience a far deeper level of insight and a more pronounced experience of emptiness.
Are these two states of consciousness and attainments with all what they represent and come along with, really equal in all regards?
I think not.
There are certain similarities between the two systems, granted.
That been said, in my opinion, we can not really mix and mach attainments of these two rather diverse development systems. How on earth could we? The practices of the Insight path and that of magick are quite dissimilar. All that we can do (and hopefully can) is to see similarities, maybe conceptual linking and try to combine the experiences only to come out more enlightened and ready to go on.
IMHO
True, and I think you've pointed to something really interesting here too. In MCTB, Daniel says:
Integrating these two perspectives into one causal field without artificial dualities or boundaries is quite a project, one with the potential to lead to very high levels of realization or to madness. It is the high-stakes way to play the game, but unfortunately seems to be largely unavoidable past a certain point.
This seems to be true in my experience, more so recently and, synchronistically, you appeared on here. Ha! I disagree that the changes which happen upon "AF" put an end to the powers but I won't know for certain until that is realized, but to be honest the experience of the PCE, particularly the full-blown, stable ones, changes something in ones relationship towards these abilities. That said, I've probably been more magickally active in recent weeks, in terms of doing minor empty-hand stuff, than at any time since I started on the insight path so I stand to be corrected at any time.
Have you studied the Liber B vel Magi?
You might be surprised.
I had read it before but hadn't really studied it in detail, I've always been interested in how Uncle Al mapped the attainment of nirodha samapatti with the entry into Kether. NS itself is something which has been discussed on here recently, there's uncertainty as to whether of not it's a sort of super-fruition or whether it's actually saññā-vedayita-nirodha as the NS most commonly mentioned here is like a very particular entry and exit into cessation. If it's saññā-vedayita-nirodha, then one remains fully aware and reality is experienced clearly and purely, a'la PCE[1], without any "me" involved at all, by which I mean affective feelings which remain after 4th path is attained. I'll get a proper read at that link tonight and see what comes of it.
Well, A.'.A.'. grades are based on the tree of life (as are the Golden Dawn and RC grades), so in this regard rupa jhanas may be viewed as similar to some of the sephirot below the Abyss and arupa ones way beyond the Abyss or even above Kether, in my opinion.
Interesting. You may be interested to know that there are another five jhanas above the 8th arupa jhana which are, on here at least, referred to as the Pure Land Jhanas. They're only accessible at 3rd path, although I know a few people who've said they had access to them at late-2nd path. Definitely given me some stuff to think about with this above/below the Abyss thing as that makes perfect sense, I'll need to practice rising on the planes again to compare the result.
You cant make it past your level of attainment/initiation (initiation in this context doesn't mean formal initiation in a brick temple), no way. Vision gets distorted, you just cant get in, no matter what. Master Therion at first visited only first two and felt he wasn't ready to go on and later on had difficulties accessing some of the higher Aethyrs (not that it matters, enochiana is sublimely subjective, IMHO).
I see, I didn't quite know how that worked having had nowhere near the level of initiation required when I dabbled at the time. Your point about Master Therion is really, really, fucking interested! I'm a big fan of his work, without a doubt my favourite writer on magick, but that fact, particularly when taken alongside the claims of Neuberg about the reality of the whole ZAX incident, seems to suggest that his level of initiation wasn't quite what he proclaimed. As you say though, it doesn't really matter.
How the Qlippothic flip-side would work in jhanic terms? Food for thought, I agree.
My speculative take is that this may align more closely with the States of Deprivation in Buddhist terms. I'm not a fan of Grant's take although have never given it any serious investigation, he's batshit mental but an entertaining read.
Anyhow, it's great to chat about this stuff with you and it'll be cool to see how your investigations go.
[1] Nick on here did an excellent article about the Fruition attainment which is worth a read if you're interested.
http://thehamiltonproject.blogspot.com/#!/2011/07/yogi-toolbox-lengthening-fruition.htm
