This is a brief note for the second half of the chapter 5 of Manual of Insight (ISBN: 9781614292777). The digital version we used for this note can be found at here.

At the end of each paragraph, the range of pages in the book that this paragraph concerns is marked. For instance, “P.275-277” indicates that it starts at page 275 and ends at page 277.

Insight

Discerning Physical Object and Noting Mind

By diligent practice, practitioner finds the physical object and the mental noting come in pair. He observes that following the appearance of the physical object, there arises the mental noting. The physical object and the mental noting are separated phenomena. (P.275-277)

Realizing Intention

By continuing his practice, practitioner clearly realizes the intention before bodily movement. (P.277-279)

At this stage, practitioner may experience unpleasant feelings, which will disappear when stop noting. He may see dream-like visions also. Or, he may feel lazy. (P.279-280)

Knowledge of Arising and Passing Away

By continuing his practice, practitioner clearly realizes the disappearance of an object. Prior to this stage, he had to note new object that arose before the disappearance of the previous object, so that he cannot clearly realize the disappearance. So, now he can realize the appearance, duration, and disappearance of an object clearly. (P.280-281)

Then, practitioner finds the consciousness discrete, falling into a series of segments, and each object arises and passes away in its own segment. This is the knowledge of arising and passing away. Noting flows without much effort. TODO (P.281-282)

At this stage, practitioner is likely to see a bright light, to experience rapture, or to feel light and comfortable. (P.283-284)

Knowledge of Dissolution

By continuing his practice, practitioner finds that object and the noting of it appear and disappear rapidly, so that he cannot realize the form or content of the object, but the instant disappearance. He may think there is something wrong with his noting, since he cannot realize the object clearly as before; but in fact, this is a sign of making progress. Now, the gap between adjacent segments becomes clear to him; he understands that segments are truly separated. (P.284-286)

Realized that everything is dissolving, unpleasant feelings may arise, and the pleasant feeling that arose previously now fades. Fear may arise since he realizes that nothing persists. Disenchantment may arise since he realizes that nothing exists (in the sense of lasting). Then, desire of escaping from these unpleasant feelings may arise. Or, he may reflect that practice is unpleasant since noting these weary things is disgusting. Because of these, he may feel impatient and unstable. (P.286-289)

Equanimity towards Phenomena

By continuing the practice, noting the unpleasant feelings when they arise, these unpleasant feelings fade. Other unpleasant feelings, such as pain, stiffness, and itching, will not arise too. Now, practitioner experiences the dissolution with equanimity. (P.289-289)

The noting comes to be very sensitive and subtle, as if running by itself. While nothing invades his noting, practitioner feels delightful. (P.289-292)

Fruition

Entering Fruition

While continuing the practice in the stage equanimity towards phenomena, there is a sudden lift of the swiftness and clarity of noting during several moments; immediately after these moments, both object and noting mind disappear abruptly, and nothing arises. This indicates that, even if there are objects to see, to hear, to touch, and so on, he will not perceive any of them. This state of “emptiness” lasts shortly, from several moments to minutes. It is a sign of attaining the first fruition. (P.292-293) ¹

Fade of Fruition

When the state of “emptiness” fade, practitioner is left in a peaceful state for hours or days. During this period, he may feel that objects cannot be distinguished clearly, let alone noted. And after, when objects can be noted again, it is found that the ability of noting retrogresses to the stage knowledge of arising and passing away rather than retrogressing to the beginning stage, which is discerning physical object and noting mind. ² (P.293-295)

Re-entering Fruition

By continuing his practice after the fade of fruition, practitioner goes through the successive stages of sight, from the stage knowledge of arising and passing away to equanimity towards phenomena, and experiences the first fruition again. This process will be much quicker than before since it starts in the middle of the progress. (P.295)

Determinations

As the commentaries put, if practitioner predetermines the length of period of staying in the fruition absorption (that is, absorbed in the “emptiness”), he will experience so. In this situation, during his period of fruition absorption, he can easily emerge from the absorption and be absorbed into fruition again. (P.295-296)

During the process of re-entering fruition, practitioner can also predetermine the length of period of staying in each of the stages. When the predetermined period of current stage ends, the next stage will arise spontaneously or after resolving like “may the knowledge of ⋯ arise”. In this way, practitioner can en-enter fruition very soon. (P.296-297)

Higher Fruitions

After attaining the first fruition, practitioner may continue his practice for attaining higher fruitions. He first determine the length of period of the process of entering the next higher fruition. “May the fruition that I have already attained no longer arise during this period of time; may the next higher path knowledge and fruition knowledge arise instead.” So does he resolve ³ and continue his practice. He goes through the stages from knowledge of arising and passing away to equanimity towards phenomena, and enters the higher fruition. The state of “emptiness” then fades; and the practitioner retrogresses to the stage knowledge of arising and passing away. He repeats this process till attaining the fourth and the last fruition. (P.298-300)

---