Yeah, the injunction definitely remains the same, though as you know, it’s nearly impossible to separate one’s conceptual understanding (Right View) from the practice and the way it’s applied. So in that sense there is no difference, and yet there’s all the difference in the world.

Often times people will practice correctly, get into the Dark Night, and then make up all sorts of stories/beliefs about practice (that simply aren’t true) and will then stop practicing in a way that will help them get through. See where I’m going with this? You can’t separate the two…

Best,

-Vince

I think it is absolutely accurate to call the type of practice that Daniel suggests, and which I have done, map-based practice. Checking one’s practice against the maps are one thing, but using their fundamental insights to guide one’s practice is another. For example, I knew that crossing the A&P was the first major breakthrough that I was looking for, and also knew that 3-weeks was a good rough approximation of how much time it could/would take someone (on retreat) to do so. I used this knowledge to strategize my practice. I also knew that once one had gotten into equanimity that it would be easier to get back into it, and so I knew I had a good chance at getting stream-entry on a retreat of 1-month of duration. Also, on that very retreat, having known that it was common to cycle (or fall back) between the 9th and 11th nana, I didn’t get disheartened (though it certainly hurt) as I time-and-time again got into high equanimity, fell back into desire for deliverance and then cycled back through re-observation (ouch). I kept the noting strong, noticed new things that I hadn’t before, and after the 5th (or so) time cycling through equanimity I got stream-entry. Also, having known about the review phase, I quickly recognized the patterns that I was going through, and became even clearer about their fundamental descriptions (from my own experience).

At this point, having gone through these cycles a couple hundred of times, I’m very familiar with how the maps line up with the territory (as I wasn’t before I got stream-entry and then began to cycle). Knowing this is extremely helpful as I am able to recognize these patterns in myself, and not take myself to seriously when I’m dark nighting all over the place (which, you can ask my wife, happens all the time… hehehe). I can also see these patterns playing out in other folks, and when I point it out skillfully they are often more empowered to practice, to not project their dark stuff out onto the world, and to find a way through this territory. I think, just as it did with me, at some level having this knowledge is extremely practical and valuable.

When you say, you feel like you’ve regressed, I hear what you’re saying. I went through the dark night, for well over a year, not having even known that I crossed into it (and that was with knowing the maps fairly well). At that point, it wasn’t so clear how the maps were helpful beyond inspiring me to practice (as you mentioned). The one thing that is helpful though, is knowing that a feeling of regression is almost always a sign of deepening, especially when one is practicing well.

My suggestion would be to go on a good-length retreat (6-12 weeks if you can manage it), finish this up, and then make assessments about how helpful (or not) the maps are. Nothing beats getting a more balanced perspective post-dark night. Of course, you don’t have to a long-retreat to get stream-entry, it just helps. But again, that’s map-based practice for ya.

that, and I think there’s a false sense of linearity, at least prior to stream-entry. Generally things happen in order, but, e.g., i can show all sorts of dark night crap during one sitting then drop into just purely physical energy release in the next, or even during a sitting I can get good concentration, face a lot of stuff like lose of center of the field of vision, feeling the body “falling apart”, getting upset, etc., then minutes later be just suffering kundalini crap.

Also I am a huge fan of being skeptical of attainment. As far as I know I’ve made as much progress as nothing, in fact, i feel like I’ve regressed. Is it just a vision or the A&P? How can you judge for sure?

Yes, I absolutely agree. Skepticism, especially with respect to what we think we may have achieved, is a really helpful counter-balance to the overwhelming desire to attain that usually comes with map-based practice.

Perhaps I’m just re-stating what you’ve said, but one thing I’ve found helpful is remember that maps and conceptual frameworks that guide our lives and thought need a healthy dose of skepticism. We need to keep questioning our understanding and application of them with the assumption that our current understanding isn’t the final one.