Kyle wrote in 2013:

I'm not sure about the 'everything arising from rigpa' but Tsoknyi Rinpoche's comments regarding rigpa completely pervading all things, and by understanding rigpa you understand all phenomena... are pointing to the fact that once recognition of one's nature has occurred, the delusion that apperceives phenomena as objectively arising qualities of experience which appear to a mind, is overcome. So that is to say, the recognition of rigpa is essentially the very first time one's experience is known accurately, and that knowledge is then the foundation for one's practice in dzogchen. It's not only the refutation that appearances are the samsaric dualistic mind, but the very idea that appearances and phenomena are subsumed into the mind or consciousness. It's the notion that the objective phenomena are non-dual with a subjective mind or consciousness, and that there is a union of those polarities.

The Dzogchen view is that both the mind/consciousness and the objective appearances are byproducts of delusion, just as Longchenpa says in the quote above; "Likewise, various kinds of phenomena are appearing in the deluded mind because of the interdependent origination of the causes and conditions of delusion." The mind/consciousness and phenomena viewed as objective, separate or subsumed within that mind are both products of delusion, grasping and clinging, imputation and conceptualization etc. The moment a mind or consciousness is posited, that which is not-that-mind arises, that is the dependent origination.

The idea is to see that the mind/consciousness and the phenomena are dependently originated and therefore both are rendered empty if that is ascertained successfully. Also, nothing truly arises from the basis (gzhi), the basis simply displays it's appearance as the five lights, but since that spontaneously and naturally formed display (lhun grub) is primordially pure (ka dag) it's not established (nor unestablished) in any way. Only when that display isn't recognized to be self-display, does phenomena arise. The basis is never involved in delusion in any way nor does it display delusion, delusion arises due to non-recognition.

The recognition of rigpa is simply the knowledge or discernment which results from ascertaining the display of the basis to be self-display. The Mahamudra instructions which say 'everything is mind' is usually a line of reasoning which runs like so: 'everything is mind, mind is empty' so it's a way of helping the aspirant to achieve recognition (if recognition didn't occur in direct introduction). Everything is the mind deems everything as nondual with the mind, and then the mind is empty i.e. insubstantial, unfindable, unestablished. It's just a way to say that which you perceive as 'objective phenomena' is truly neither the same nor different than the mind, both are imputed designations. Since dzogchen is resting in rigpa, the nature of the mind has already been recognized and so it's emptiness is implicit in the view to begin with.

2014:

https://www.dharmaoverground.org/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5542824

Bill F. wrote:

Hello,

        I am curious about those who feel they have reached 4th path as defined in MCTB and gone on to see further developmental shifts. Specifically, what method/s were most useful or what resources were most useful? What did those shifts entail?
       For example, for myself I can say that somatic practices and paying attention to the way that thoughts/feelings bounce off the body creating a sense of dissaosiciation has brought about dramatic changes in the way that reality is recieved and processed so that even post mctb 4th path there has been a signifigant reduction in the tension associated with the process of dissaosicating through thinking/feeling. This had all been described in my journal at kfd which may be lost to the wind for the second time now, not entirely sure.
      I believe my own process is not uniquely better but was just suited to my own particular history/personality, so I am just interested in what others have found most useful: continued noting? Dzogchen? Concentration? Metta? AF inspired practice? Something else entirely? Thank you.

Bill

Daniel replied:

Well, it has been 11 years, which is a pretty long time-span to try to describe, starting after medical school, spanning residency and 8 years of post-residency work, which has involved all sorts of changes. It is hard to really sum up.

First point: the implications of this space are the primary thing, obviously, that being now the reality, not that it wasn't always the reality, but this it's different when the thing knows it is the thing all the way through. So, anything about the field trying to somehow optimize itself really is the practice, such that "practice" really seems to be everything, and that happens on its own.

However, I take it that this was not your question, and you mean formal practices, techniques, and the like.

I really doubt that it is going to be something that one person could answer and have that answer mean a whole lot to anyone else, as at that point (as as every other point, but it is not known the same way), conditioning and circumstances will determine what happens, and those are obviously extremely individually variable.

That said, my formal practice has been all over the place, everything from samatha to magick to Brahma Viharas to AF-inspired stuff to very Dzogchen-inspired stuff to lots of things that are really hard to describe, as I don't see a lot of people talking about that territory, such as what to do with the waves of subtle unrightness that can slowly move through the body (did have a brief conversation with Chuck Kasmire about that years ago), and things like energy work, cognitive restructuring, and things that are very vipassana: noticing very fine points of subtle parts of feelings and the like, as well as dream-work, things that are very zazen (practice-enlightenment, which, from a certain point of view encompasses all of this), and on and on...

More specifically, and to paraphrase Chi Nul, just because the Sun is shining brightly, that doesn't mean all the snow will melt at once, and the implications of the field integrating this understanding into all sorts of brain regions, patterns, feelings, old habits, constructs, and things has been totally fascinating. That has been the most remarkable thing, as the fundamental insight runs into parts of the brain that might not have been used for years, feelings that might not have been felt since decades ago, ways of thinking about the world that are clearly out-dated and yet didn't get reworked until some very specific situation brought them to light in some way, and all of that, now being perceived in this totally different way, can transform itself into something better

That basically goes along with my very brief blurb on integration in MCTB, which says basically: get the insight, and reality will integrate itself.

Overall, it has been fascinating to explore old things in a new light, as well as get into new things in that same new light, and so the key really is the new light.
Also see: Luminosity vs Clarity
The Transient Universe has a Heart



Daniel M. Ingram:
Luminosity is both a useful and possibly very misleading term.

Here's what it is doesn't mean: that a person will suddenly see things more brightly, that there will be more light in things than the standard amount, or anything like that.

Here's what it points to, said a number of equivalent ways:

1) In the seeing, just the seen. In the hearing, just the heard. In cognition, just the cognized. In feeling, just the felt... This standard line from the Bahiya of the Bark Cloth Sutta in the Udana is one of the most profound there is in the whole of the Pali Canon. It means that sensations are just sensations, simply that, with no knower, doer, be-er (not beer, as that is a beverage), or self in them to be found at all.
2) Point one, taken in its logical inverse, means that the "light" of awareness is in things where they are, including all of the space between/around/through them equally.
3) Said another way, things just are aware/manifest/occurring where they are just as they are, extremely straightforwardly.

Helpful?

Daniel

缘起性空是什么意思?(上)

1.缘起性空的思想,概要言之只是:一切法由于无自性,因此得以随缘幻现;幻现的一切法,虽然历历在目,但却如梦幻泡影、如露亦如电。当我们真正信解这个道理之后,则当戏论灭尽,与人无诤讼,同时内心了无牵挂。接着,人生仅剩的唯是,行所当行,受所当受--而实无功德。
2.佛教的宇宙论是比较倾向现象论,而不是形而上学的本体论,就是以经验可及的现象来剖析它的本质到底是什么?此外佛教也不是纯粹的宇宙现象论,它更进一步是一种摆脱痛苦的方法,它的重点是在摆脱人类一切的痛苦。为了要摆脱人类一切的痛苦,佛陀发现痛苦是源自于人们对现象的曲解。佛陀由于发现众生这种对现象曲解、扭曲的认知,将带给自他无边的苦恼,从而提出缘起性空、缘起无我的思想(方法)以对治之。所以缘起无我不仅是佛教对客观现象的解释,同时也是佛教达到灭苦的方法。
3.一切都只是功能和现象的变化而已,此中并没有生命,也没有身体和意识——我所了解的佛法只是这样。
4.‘缘起无我论’或‘缘起(毕竟)空义’是佛教的根本思想。任何团体及个人倘若观念偏离缘起空义,将不被承认是佛教的一员。尽管它仍然可能是伟大的宗教、严密的哲学或道德情操令人敬重的个人。
5.佛法本无多,真正可以超生了死、渡出苦海的并没有几句话。学问在于广博,要学要读的很多,但修行是愈少愈好。中观般若那么多,但说起来,只是‘缘起’二个字而已。如果有人能深解缘起的甚深义,那么,当下便可远离戏论了!有人说‘弱水三千,我只取一瓢而饮。’一瓢饮就能解渴了,但如果站在河边,细数流水三千而不取饮,那就只好渴死河边了。
6.缘起无我义,这是非常深的佛教义理,佛陀曾说:‘缘起甚深极甚深!’虽然我们常闻佛教徒云‘缘起、缘起’,但真正了解缘起无我义的人,相对于口说缘起者,比例恐怕是非常少的。
7.什么叫做‘缘起’:缘起就是说很多条件来呈现、完成一件事情;什么叫‘性空’:就是说一切事物既然都是条件的组合,那么它们就不会有自己的本性、自己的个性,没有不变性、永恒性、和自主性
就是这样而已。
8.缘起无我的大意是:一、有情的 存在,不是没有原因的,他们之所以出现在世间,际遇报应各有不同,乃依无明意识和业的力量所造。二、有情长劫轮回于三界,展现种种不同的生命状态,并营造出不同的身心活动,但这些状态和活动,都只是根、境、识和合的假相,没有实体、没有核心,而且变化不居、迁流不息。无我的理趣,扼要的说,虽只是以上两点,但对于执着感官经验、迷信唯物思想且一向散乱的广大群生而言,是多么难以理解的!尤其是意欲掌握缘起无我的心要,并援引心要融入生活净化三业,以至于断渴爱、灭戏论、寂静无诤、任运随缘之境,对于是非心重、诤胜心强的有情,更是难上加难!
9.现象有两部份,即现象的表相和现象的本质。现象的表相是指一切有因有缘而生起、逝灭的人、物、理、事(含三世轮回、因果业报);现象的本质则是无常、无我、空。不见空者,非佛教;离现象之表相而论空者,非正解空义的人。由于三世轮回、因果业报非具足四禅八定难以现观(唯能信解),而表相更是无量无边,修行人也无法一一遍观,所以现代禅建议行人,应特重未到地定,随时随地活在眼前一瞬,并集中心力观五蕴皆空即可。因为未到地定坚固者便能作深观,而真能照见五蕴皆空者,便可止息贪嗔得解脱。
10.佛教所说‘诸法如幻’,它和‘业报不失’是一并讲的,可说是一体之两面。说山河大地如梦幻泡影其前提是承认世间有山河大地;说财富名利如梦幻泡影,当然是肯定财富名利的存在,然后才说它们是如梦幻泡影的;说六道轮回如梦如幻,同样也是肯定六道轮回、业报不失的现象。如梦如幻的空义,并没有否定如梦如幻的事实——修禅的人如果没有认清此点,则易陷入断灭空之中。
11.佛说‘缘起甚深极甚深’,空义的通达是不容易的。钝根的人必须从很多方面的观察,才能慢慢了解空,他起先要从‘世间是短暂的、痛苦的’‘人性是卑鄙、绝情、善变的’‘人生如客居旅店,最后还是双手空空’‘社会充斥着伪装、作秀、包装和宣传’‘世事都是刻意、作为的结果,是各种条件的组合’……等等角度的省思、感触之后,才能渐渐信解空义。而利根的人却直从‘诸法是根境识和合而呈现的’——般若中观的这一根本理趣的思惟观察便可步入涅盘门。也就是说,利根的人未必遵从苦、无常、无我的次第学习起,他单从缘生即幻生、幻生即无生的观察,便能化解贪着顺入涅盘。
12.佛说:‘缘起甚深极甚深,缘起之寂灭性(涅盘)倍复甚深极甚深。’‘缘起’是指一切存在、延续的人、物、理、事,包含时间、空间、精神、物质、运动(‘三世轮回’也是一种运动现象),以及事物的理则和定律(‘因果业报’也是一种定律),这一切皆基于一定的原因和次第所形成。‘缘起之寂灭性’则指向这存在、延续的一切法的本性——粗显的是生灭无常、迁流不住,充满痛苦、缺陷和不安;深刻些的是虚幻不实,就如同梦境、空花、水月、阳焰、海市蜃楼;而最极幽隐的是寂静无生——涅盘。
13.‘凡是依赖因缘而存在的事物,其本身就如梦幻一般不真实。’般若中观的根本奥义,对于普遍学佛者而言,是一种容易被理解、演说,却难以被信仰、接受、奉行的真理。
14.从佛教的观点来看,人类的身心——也就是‘五蕴’都是‘因缘所生’,没有主体性、自主性,不是单一、自成、有核心的存在;人们通说的‘你’‘我’‘他’‘社会’‘国家’‘世界’,以及‘感情’‘理智’‘正义’‘幸福’……等等的一切,其实都是相对、权宜、暂时安立的复合性概念。对这一现象事实,越有认识的人,则会越远离憍慢自恃。因此说,谦卑柔软的人格,不单是涵养而已,实是相应真理的表现。
15.生命的现象乃是因缘和合暂时呈现的幻相,我们为了方便起见,权且安立假名说这是‘你’、‘我’、‘他’,但事实上刹那生灭中并没有可称之为‘法’的固定相,和合积聚中也没有可称之为‘我’的独立相;就如虚空与大海本没有国界和四大洋之别,先前乃随俗立名,最后则积非成是,问道:‘太平洋的灵魂在哪里?’
16.众生因为‘萨迦耶见’未破,所以对他来讲,世间有一成不变的时间、空间,有天堂、地狱,有佛、有魔、有阿罗汉、有菩萨,有初果、二果,有五、六、七、八……等等,这些都是因为‘自性见’——‘迷惑的思想和心态’才有的。若有一朝自性见破除了,所有的戏论,就通通息灭。因为上述的一切分别,都是以自性见为前提,自性见就像运动时的座标一样,有了座标才有运动可言。而当这座坚固的座标——自性见打破时,世界就是无量光、无量寿、不可思议的世界了。
17.一个尚未开悟的人,当他在谈论古代禅师或佛菩萨的时候,都含有自性见在胸中——以个别的‘单位’看待六祖、永嘉、黄檗、临济、南泉等人,也把观世音菩萨当做是‘一个’菩萨——这也是还未开悟的证明。而一个真正开悟的人,从他的心眼看出,则只见因缘,不见人我。他不会把菩萨、祖师,甚至众生当做个别的‘单位’来看待,他于众生中不起人见,也就是佛学上所说的‘补特伽罗见’;也不会于自己生起我见——‘萨迦耶见’,他只见缘起,并在缘起中游戏而已。
18.人本来是可以自在无碍的,却因误认‘身心是我’,且形成根深蒂固的惯性,甚至已成‘无功用’了,所以烦恼不断,苦惑丛生。由于妄执身体是我,思惟、感受是我,自然变得只关心自己的身体和意识(包括感受、感觉、感想、思考、思想、记忆、印象、经验),也为了保护这两样东西,陷于盲目偏见、矛盾空虚之中。就像苍蝇一般,刚刚才挥走,很快就又飞回原来的地方——一切所关心、挂碍的都只在一己身心上,没办法跳出五行外,成为自由人。
19.常对同修说:‘人生就像烂泥巴堆,不要在当中咆哮!’什么是咆哮?咆哮就是情绪激动大吼大叫;在此,也是指意气风发、傲慢自恃、眷恋贪爱、紧张不安……等等。多年来我深深痛感人生真的没有什么!人生很快就过去了!眼前当下的身体,眼、耳、鼻、舌、心、肝、脾、肺、手、脚、筋、骨、血、肉、脂肪,以及记忆、经验、知觉、思惟……,我都感到它们只是一堆组合物而已,它们属不可知的因缘,不属于我。
20.一般人之所以不能悠闲、不能随缘,是因为他们不相信也不了解佛说‘人生如梦’的道理,他们被自己的眼睛、自己的意识以及众人的眼睛、众人的意识所蒙蔽;误认时间、空间、物体、运动……以及精神现象、心理活动、哲学义理……等等都是真实存在的——心态上既然对存在的这一切‘当真’‘认真’,又怎么能够不固执?又怎么能够趋向解脱呢?
21.人们因为误认事事物物都是真的,所以‘很当真’地执着,也‘很当真’地放下,因此,无论是执着、还是放下,都是不解中观的人。
22.倘不能正见正观诸行无常、诸法无我,心离一切实在感、自性见,则无论如何快乐逍遥或刻苦修行,永远和佛门之解脱是没有交涉的。
23.‘诸法无所得’并不是因为修行者具无所得之心,诸法才无所得,而是诸法本来就是无核、无体、无实、无所得!
24.真正的修行并不是为了日后的摆脱轮回,而是人类皆有‘脱离痛苦’的热切需要。生活中随处可见人们由于缺乏智慧,导致身心苦痛、无限煎熬,这是眼前明显不过的事实;同时,尽管五蕴无我,但因果业报还是有的,如果真的把铁钉吃下去,则会肚破肠流,真的从屋顶往下跳,则会血肉模糊——并不因为五蕴无我是现象界的事实。
或许可以这样说,人类很少为了‘我’,因为‘我’只是一种概念,人类真正朝思暮想、咆哮怒吼的是数不尽的欲望和贪婪——并且也因这些欲望和贪婪使他身心痛苦。而我们修行所重视的,是信、解、行、证缘起无我空义,这空义可以疗愈我们因欲望和贪婪所引生之当下苦,至于脱离未来轮回之苦,只是水到渠成、法尔如是的自然结果。
25.由于诸法因缘生,因缘生即无自性,无自性的世间一切法,虽然体相历历在目,但究其真实,到底不生、无生、从本不曾存在过!从本不存在过的世间一切法,当然也丝毫不会有如何灭、如何消除的问题!既然一切都没问题,那么佛弟子内心怎么会有真正的遗憾呢?
缘起性空是什么意思?(上)
缘起性空是什么意思?(上)
推荐:佛教基本知识
Sharing Pam's experience as I mentioned in my previous post. Previously Pam had the I AM realization up to one mind earlier this year, and many peak experiences of nonduality and mind-body drop in meditation. But a breakthrough insight made these her natural state now as the obscuring view of a background Self is penetrated and the true nature of mind reveals itself.

[27/8/18, 5:22:49 PM] Pam: Btw I penetrated another level.
[27/8/18, 6:28:38 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Cool
[27/8/18, 6:28:41 PM] Soh Wei Yu: What level?
[27/8/18, 8:14:11 PM] Pam: Just came out of Crazy Rich Asians movie.
[27/8/18, 8:14:27 PM] Pam: I recorded in my memo:
‎[27/8/18, 8:15:13 PM] Pam: ‎"25 Aug 2018
Read Kiloby last night on investigating the lack of boundary in field of perception. Upon waking, it cracked open. The room is one whole seamless seeing. No division. No here no there no me centre. This shift carries over the whole day everywhere I look.

26 Aug 2018
Upon waking and contemplating IT IS ALWAYS NOW, the mind suddenly got out of the way and there it is! Oh! This is what they are talking about! Just this happening. This sight this sound this moment. Now. Now. Now. Every moment actualizes out of itself, magical, vivid, pulsing with life. Such peace. Such joy. Nothing seems to matter. Just this lifeing instance, as it is.

27 Aug 2018
Read UG Krish last night. Upon waking same experience as his description. Only sense contact points of body with bed. No other parts of body exists.

[27/8/18, 8:21:17 PM] Pam: Haha think can't claim as 'level' la. But certainly a big thing for me, going by the amount of peace experienced.
[27/8/18, 8:38:16 PM] Pam: I was so damned sick of hearing 'everything is as it is' over and over again, because I could not get it. Now I do.

[27/8/18, 8:39:12 PM] Pam: Either you see it or you don't. You won't see it till you do!

...

[28/8/18, 6:59:46 PM] Pam: Just not that long ago I had similar ignorance about an unchanging ultimate background
[28/8/18, 7:00:04 PM] Pam: Was stuck in Advaita's Brahman.
[28/8/18, 7:23:42 PM] Pam: So, awareness is not other than foreground activity. They co-arise and then leave no trace upon falling away.
[28/8/18, 7:56:52 PM] Pam: Actually I find transience and emptiness freeing. Magical while phenomena last, and upon dissolution it is finished business. But most minds fear this and need to grasp onto something absolute and permanent.
[28/8/18, 7:57:53 PM] Pam: Now listening to Daniel Ingram's podcast Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha
[28/8/18, 7:58:46 PM] Soh Wei Yu: 👍
[28/8/18, 8:34:28 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Would you say that it is very clear now that in seeing just the seen and awareness as manifestation and all agency are seen through like Daniel description of fourth path?
[28/8/18, 8:34:57 PM] Pam: Yes very clear
[28/8/18, 8:35:13 PM] Pam: My depression is gone
[28/8/18, 8:35:21 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Wow nice
[28/8/18, 8:35:26 PM] Pam: I feel very peaceful

[28/8/18, 8:42:46 PM] Pam: It is just seeing. Not the seen as object. The 'object' is made of seeing alone. There is no object.
[28/8/18, 8:44:11 PM] Pam: sounds = hearing alone
thought = thinking alone
[28/8/18, 8:44:54 PM] Soh Wei Yu: But should also see that there is no seeing besides seen
[28/8/18, 8:45:04 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Otherwise seeing becomes unchanging and inherent
[28/8/18, 8:46:11 PM] Pam: oh...to me the seeing is changing
[28/8/18, 8:47:09 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Yes so no seeing besides colors, no hearing besides sound yes?
[28/8/18, 8:47:44 PM] Pam: yes just colours, not object PLUS colour
[28/8/18, 8:58:27 PM] Soh Wei Yu: 👍


[29/8/18, 11:58:24 AM] Pam: Anyway, here is what it is like ever since few days ago, upon waking:
‎[29/8/18, 12:00:06 PM] Pam: 28 Aug 2018
Like a blind person who suddenly sees. Repeatedly saying in my head "OMG IT'S LIKE THIS"

Everything in room stay where they are except they are now jumping with aliveness. Sight, sound, touch sensations heightened as if all my sense doors have open nerve ends. Totally melting into intimacy, merging with whatever is happening. I am these sounds, these colours, the air brushing my skin. OMG this is what people have been talking about. There is 100% certainty that I have broken through.

Feeling of gratitude, compassion, completion and a great understanding.

No desire to move or do anything but to stay still and soak in this presence. Nothing to seek nothing to hold onto. For the first time in my life I feel zero tension in body, free, serene and at home with myself.



[29/8/18, 1:48:40 PM] Soh Wei Yu: Btw what triggered your I AM realization previously? My Friend asked
[29/8/18, 2:17:58 PM] Pam: The first opening I had was while sewing and listening to a satsang. One line by the teacher just opened up a crack into a glimpse of oneness.
‎[29/8/18, 2:29:28 PM] Pam: 13-16 Jan 2018 Chiangmai
read The Untethered Soul

24 Jan 2018
PEAK EXPERIENCE
Flash of no self, floating in timeless presencing merging into ONENESS while handstitching dark grey hem and listening to Rodriguez's line: Consciousness is closer than intimacy. Felt total bliss
I've come to learn this week that Pam Tan just had a breakthrough awakening. I've been expecting that, as I felt she was close. She is the fifth Singaporean that has spiritually awakened (by awakened here I mean at least the realization of anatta) after encountering me, John or our blog (and there are about 20 others from other countries that have also awakened to anatta/emptiness in part through the influence of our blog or conversations -- but I am not a guru or teacher, and ultimately all awakenings comes from one's own potentiality, contemplation and investigation more than an external source or trigger). I am going to share excerpts about it in the next post, with her permissions.

This brings the lofty ideals of "awakening" from the realm of stories and myths back to earth. It's the tangible, normal folks like you and me, who achieve awakening. And very much as it should be -- after all, examples were given in "The Supreme Source: The Fundamental Tantra of Dzogchen Semde Kunjed Gyalpo" of how some of the Dzogchen masters were prostitutes who nevertheless awakened through receiving intimate pith instructions from their masters. Furthermore the Zen teachings always emphasize how spirituality or spiritual awakening is never separate from the mundane and ordinary life of "chop wood, carry water". And Kunjed Gyalpo tells us, "Seek the location of the heart essence through phenomena that derive from it and come to appreciate it through the skillful means of not conceptualizing in any way whatsoever. Since the heart essence occurs naturally, dharmakaya is not elsewhere." Nirvana is after-all, samsara rightly seen. It is never about separating yourself or becoming distant and aloof from the nitty gritty of daily lives but rather, the complete gapless/undivided engagement and spontaneous living where even the term 'intimacy' no longer quite apply any longer (who is being intimate with what?)

Awakening is our birthright, our buddha-nature (potentiality for awakening) is never sealed off from anyone nor is it ever the province of an elite group of people. For as Padmasambhava also stated, "If he practices, then even a cowherd can realize liberation. Even though he does not know the explanation, he can systematically establish himself in the experience of it." So as I just told another friend I met a few days back, you must trust in your own capacity.

Spiritual awakening used to be relegated to great yogis residing in far off remote places very distant from the lives of ordinary city folks, such that most people will never believe that it is accessible or relevant to the ordinary lay people like you and me. I believe this perception or stereotype will certainly change as time passes.

Technologies allow for new possibilities never existing before in history, such as the exchanges between supportive adventurers on the path across thousands of miles, or even become a platform for a gathering of strong practitioners at various stages and from various traditions and backgrounds. Technology provides a fertile ground for cross-cultural, cross-traditional exchanges that may foster deeper understandings and fruitful discussions. Add to that, a growing number of people seem to be adapting to a "pragmatic dharma" (refer to Daniel Ingram's writings on this) attitude of open sharing from their experiences, transcending old dogmas and taboos surrounding the topic of spiritual awakening.

In contrast, people living just 50 or 100 years ago aren't nearly as connected to others today, and genuine spiritual teachers (much less truly attained and realized spiritual masters) and teachings and fellowships may be limited to certain localities and may be hard to come by. Today, a truly realized spiritual master may be a Skype call away even if he/she lives in another country. Nowadays, you can have an equivalent of Nalanda library available through a mouse-click away, or the entire Buddhist canon available on your iPad, thanks also to translators at foundations like 84000.co. Also, as John commented before, many practitioners in olden times may not have very strong view due to the lack of easy access to written spiritual texts or scriptures (even though they may be very dedicated, disciplined and sincere, perhaps more so than modern day people). So consider ourselves to be very fortunate.

More people are now able to read up and get connected with spiritual resources and fellowships with the help of an open internet which brings entire libraries of information to their fingertips. This is certainly not a replacement for a face-to-face spiritual community or teacher which always remains important and most valuable, but at least more people are becoming aware and have a huge resource available to their aid and have more directions.

May the growing awareness of this potentiality - the innate potentiality to awaken to our true nature, spread like wildfire in time to come for the benefit of all motherly sentient beings. And may technology continue to evolve and become an even greater aid for our spiritual advancements.
Very good description by Daniel Ingram.

Daniel Ingram:

https://www.mctb.org/…/37-models-of-…/dependent-origination/

‘...First, the elimination of ignorance entails direct realization of the three characteristics, meaning a highly developed degree of awakening to the natural and basic truth of all sensate phenomena, everything that is actually experienced. In this way of perceiving, reality is no longer broken up at a core perceptual level into perceiving subject and perceived object. Nor is anything taken to be unchanging, static, or continuous at a very basic perceptual level. Thus, nothing comprises, forms, or fabricates a deluded sense of an autonomous self, a volitional self, a doer, controller, a “this”, an agent, a separate, permanent, split off, centrally perceiving, independently existing consciousness, subject, awareness, or watcher. This becomes hardwired at the sensate level through clear perception and investigation of the sense doors. At this point in practice, sensate reality is no longer split up artificially into name and form (mentality and materiality, thought and the other five sense doors), as each is just part of the variety of qualities occurring in the fluxing volume of experience.

This then has profound implications for the experience of the six sense doors, as now there is, for lack of a better way to put it, only one wide-open, volumetric sense door and it is sensing itself. Thus, there is really no contact, as there is no sense of anything split off that would be contacting some thing “out there”; there are instead just the qualities and textures of transient space. As there are just the qualities and textures of transient space, it can no longer be said that the qualities and textures called vedana belong to anyone, not that vedana isn’t still causal, since it is. At this point in practice, gone is some sense in that undifferentiated field of a split off “this side” that could try to move closer to pleasant sensations (fundamental attraction), move farther away from unpleasant sensations (fundamental aversion), or tune out boring sensations in a way that creates a sense of perceptual duality (fundamental ignorance), this being the basic implication of craving.

Thus, there is also no solidification of anything, as the whole transient field directly and immediately knows its own utter transience, and so the sort of clinging to any sense of a permanent, continuous “self” referred to here is rendered perceptually impossible. Without any possibility of habitual solidification, the special type of becoming or existence referred to here can’t happen, as it is directly known that no separate thing transmigrates, nothing remains, nothing makes up some stable core of perpetuating consciousness or self. That is all so far so good, as it goes. In fact, if you do insight practices well enough, you too will come to see that all that abstract-sounding theory suddenly describes experience to a tee! How cool is that? In fact, it is very, very cool.

However, finally, in the last two links, we have a problem, that being the annoying fine print regarding the end of suffering promised by the Buddha. As clearly demonstrated in the suttas, and as should be obvious, a body was born, and while the body lives, there will be pain, aging, sickness, and finally death. Then, we have the endless debates between the Mahayana and the Theravada about what happens next, but vastly more important to the pragmatist is understanding the links from one end to the other of this lifetime to the degree that they can be understood while a body still lives.’