Greetings Ben,
Ben wrote:To me, it is entirely possible that what you experienced was not Bhanga-nana (according to the tradition).
Entirely possible to me too. Given the insight-knowledges framework of the Visuddhimagga is not my path, I have no inclination to desire, wish or hope that that's what it was either. If it was, it was - if it wasn't, it wasn't. It did however correlate with what Goenkaji said I should expect to be experiencing in the latter stages of the 10-day retreat when he would be mentioning the word
bhanga, and from what I could overhear from other discussions between the AT and students I wasn't lagging behind anyone in terms of expected progress.
Ben wrote:You may recall the warnings SN Goenka gave during a ten-day course that there is a real danger in being seduced by the pleasantness of the experience.
Yeah, no worries about this... he was even more insistent on the maintenance of equanimity! Unlike some people who rock up to a retreat, I'm not it for a "good buzz" and wouldn't be interested in meditation at all were it not for the Dhamma and for Samma Sati and Samma Samadhi being components of the Noble Eightfold Path.
Ben wrote:Knowledge of terror, danger and disenchantment are actually separate meditative experiences or nanas.
Yes I know, they're the next ones in line, even if (to me at least) they feel very alien in the context of the Buddha's teachings on the reasons and motivations for dispassion and cessation. This is the second time I've mentioned this, so I feel I should provide something from the Dhamma to substantiate it. Here is an extract from a Q&A session between the Buddha and Sariputta, as recorded in
SN 12.31 - Bhutamidam Sutta -
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"Excellent, Sariputta. Excellent. One sees with right discernment that 'this has come into being.' Seeing with right discernment that 'this has come into being,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of what has come into being. One sees with right discernment that 'it has come into being from this nutriment.' Seeing with right discernment that 'it has come into being from this nutriment,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of the nutriment by which it has come into being. One sees with right discernment that 'from the cessation of this nutriment, what has come into being is subject to cessation.' Seeing with right discernment that 'from the cessation of this nutriment, what has come into being is subject to cessation,' one practices for disenchantment with, for dispassion toward, for the cessation of what is subject to cessation"
I have not found similar sutta parallels for the insight-knowledges of fearfulness, misery or disgust. Rather, clear-seeing tends to be regarded in the suttas as a positive experience, such as that of realising you've been cheated in the past, and now needn't be cheated any more. No terror there! Equanimity, as per Goenkaji's own instruction however, to such an experience/insight seems a far more valid reaction/response, aligned with the Buddha's own instruction, than experiences of fearfulness, misery or disgust.
Metta,
Retro.
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."