Discourse on path attainment and different path models currently being followed by pragmatic practice

4^th  Path (based on MCTB) and its equivalent stage based on the Sutta Pitaka (Theravadan Four Stages of Enlightenment)

There appears to be a growing consensus by those of us who had followed the developmental progress via a la MCTB: not only has the yogi experienced a few important permanent shifts in the way one relates to phenomena, the attainment of 4^th path appears to have given us a "complete set of tools" necessary to investigate in real time any type of manifesting phenomena.

So...what does this mean? is "done what needed to be done"? or is it more work yet ahead (for those aiming at what the Buddha called "full liberation")

My experiences attaining to 4^th path had a couple of interesting elements I believe are worth discussing. One was what I still to this day hold as the very first time I fully got to experience (well, "experience" is not the correct word, it is more of a direct contact, but for the sake of simplicity I will use it. Should the reader have any question about what I mean by it, please do not hesitate to write me and I'll gladly go into as much detail as necessary in order to fully explain it) the full, complete, unstained, and utterly pure nature of the manifest universe (which is often called by Theravadan Buddhist "seeing the Dhamma eye"). The other element worth mentioning was a sense of "completion", or rather of "complacency" with the perception shift that had just happened. There was a sense of "laziness", or a lack of interest to get up and do anything. It was as if something transcendental had taken place and that now, a mechanism had been started off leading an unavoidable destination. In a way, the feeling of "doneness" was indeed appropriate.

After letting things settle a little bit, and encountering some really interesting insights along the way (refer to "Laughing uncontrollably with Dhamma - A Letter to Ian Reclusado" for an example of these interesting insights) I decided to spend some time understanding some of the deeper repercussions of attaining to 4^th path. What I found was pretty fascinating, at least to me.

First of, the attainment of 4^th path had made me crossed a “tipping point” (an expression used by Kenneth Folk) in the practice. I had gone past a point of no return (recall going past the 4^th stage of insight: the Arising and Passing of Phenomena). I know this because after the whole “honeymoon” phase of attaining to 4^th path was over, the old Jorge began to slowly make an appearance once again. All the elements that arise from the sense of “Self” began to manifest, and with them, Jorge started to once again act based on the mental formations that were being created once more from these elements. This “Jorge” started again to really like itself, and continued to strengthen as it roots started to grow larger and stronger. There were again present the many self-centered thoughts and ideas that were common place during the practice previous to the attainment of 4^th path. It wasn’t long until I found myself going through dark nights once again, some of them many times worse than the worse ones I had experienced before. It was as if the element of dukkha was both more clear and stronger than it was before, although I also noticed that within a few seconds of close investigation of all the emotions present at a given time, the latter would dissipate and leave no trace (as if making a mess on a Teflon pan, and then picking it up with a spatula. Nothing really sticking to the pan as well as no residues of any kind being left behind)