Monday, July 18, 2022

Meeting of the Dharmas: Ingram & Armstrong

Guru Viking, Daniel Ingram, Delson Armstrong, 2/18/22; Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

Episode 136: Meeting of the Dharmas: Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong
(Guru Viking, premiered Feb. 18, 2022) In this episode Guru Viking hosts a dialogue between [arahants or fully enlightened beings] Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong.

Dr. Daniel Ingram, MD, is an independent Buddhist writer, author of Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC).

Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, author of A Mind Without Craving, and the star student of American Burmese Theravada teacher Bhante Vimalaramsi of Annapolis, Missouri.

Dan and Del discuss the similarities and differences between their doctrinal positions and personal experiences of the four-path model of Buddhist enlightenment (the four stages), which ranges from stream entry to arhatship.

In this collegial yet rigorous dialogue, Ingram and Armstrong engage in detailed debate on the differences in their positions that draw on personal experience, Buddhist text examples, and issues of scientific verification.

They also discuss the effect of enlightenment on psychopathy and other personality disorders, reflect on which meditation methods best fit different personality types, and conduct in-depth analysis of the phenomenon of the "cessation of feeling and perception" (nirodha samapatti).
Also available on YouTube, iTunes, and Spotify by searching "Guru Viking Podcast."

TOPICS
  • 00:00 - Intro
  • 01:49 - Daniel on stream entry
  • 05:03 - Delson on stream entry
  • 08:08 - Afterglow of stream entry and Dependent Origination
  • 14:34 - Three fetters discussion
  • 24:24 - Does stream entry result in moral improvement?
  • 28:49 - Can you retrain a sociopath with loving-kindness meditation?
  • 30:51 - Does stream entry make sociopaths and psychopaths more dangerous?
  • 35:18 - Saints and psychopaths, how can we differentiate?
  • 41:03 - Second path and the reduction of craving and aversion
  • 47:30 - Second path vs. stream entry, which is more profound?
  • 53:13 - Daniel on third path
  • 56:18 - Delson on third path
  • 59:23 - Daniel’s critique of the traditional third path position
  • 01:03:05 - Delson and Daniel dialogue about third path
  • 01:10:40 - Is it possible to completely eradicate craving and aversion?
  • 01:16:00 - Scientific testing and Bhikkhu Analayo’s critique
  • 01:23:39 - Delson on TWIM, the importance of method
  • 01:26:18 - What is nirodha samapatti?
  • 01:28:08 - Comparing Daniel and Delson’s abilities
  • 01:29:33 - How to train for nirodha samapatti
  • 01:32:25 - Different personalities and jhana aptitude
  • 01:36:43 - Resolution training and balancing enlightenment factors
  • 01:38:18 - Steve on Delson’s yoga training and the three humours
  • 01:43:40 - More on matching personality types to meditation methods
  • 01:53:58 - Arhatship and agency
  • 01:56:20 - Agency vs. conceit
  • 02:00:21 - Disagreement between Daniel and Delson about outcomes of arhatship
  • 02:08:30 - Compassion vs. suffering
  • 02:13:01 - Suicide and arhatship
  • 02:21:17 - The dusty end of the path...
LINKS

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