I’m working on a short book project and today I constructed a little visual map to try and convey, as simply as possible, the progress of insight. It’s a handy map for seeing the various stages (16 in all) that one goes through on the way to stream-entry (or the 1st stage of enlightenment). Click the image to see the larger version.
For more info on this particular map, check out a book by Mahasi Sayadaw called The Progress of Insight, or even better yet check out Daniel Ingram’s book Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha.
This post was written by:
Vince Horn - who has written 832 posts on Numinous Nonsense.
Vince Horn lives as a modern monk. He spends part of his year in silence, meditating, introspecting, and developing spiritually. The rest of the time he spends engaged in the world, where he produces and hosts the popular show, Buddhist Geeks, works in the production department of the spiritual publishing company Sounds True, and writes for various publications—including on his personal blog Numinous Nonsense—and enjoys living in Boulder, Colorado with his wife Emily. Read his full bio here.
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September 13th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Nice diagram, dawg. Can’t wait to read some chapters…
September 15th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Hi Vince,
Have you graphed the “fractal” map as well – the one with cycles superimposed on the slower macroscopic progress?
Also, I note that the “tail” of this cycle doesn’t connect to the “head” of the next one – there’s an entire “dip” missing from the sine wave – would that be the review phase?
Finally – here’s a similar map graph, from a different tradition. I really enjoy these parallels.
http://onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2005/03/14/landscape/
Cheers,
Florian
September 15th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hi Florian,
No, I haven’t mapped the fractal map, except in my notebook. I don’t think I have the skills to make something comprehensible in photoshop as I barely managed to create this sine wave! Ha Ha Ha.
And yes, the tail of this cycle doesn’t not connect perfectly with a new cycle, rather there is a review phase, and then out of the mature part of the review phase the new cycle begins.
And thanks for the link to the I Ching landscape thing. That’s uber-geeky!
September 15th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
while i am getting tired of maps, here is another graphical depiction:
http://bp0.blogger.com/_YNNjiff_GM4/R-Hkh6V6LFI/AAAAAAAAABE/Du6lVDoyDC4/s1600-h/insight+knowledges.png
from here:
http://theravadin.wordpress.com/2008/03/20/vipassana-knowledge-and-the-path-to-nibbana/
September 15th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Yeah, that’s an uber-geeky map… I like the perceived progress/enthusiasm line. It’s not uncommon during the big dip in enthusiasm (dark night territory) to get tired of the maps.