Ep14: The Arahant - Daniel Ingram
In this interview I am joined by meditation teacher and author Daniel Ingram. Daniel sparked great controversy when in 2008 he named himself an ‘arahant’, one of the highest attainments in Buddhism.
Daniel sparked great controversy when in 2008 he published his first book ‘Mastering The Core Teachings Of The Buddha: An Unusual Hardcore Dharma Book’, signing it as the Arahant Daniel Ingram.
Naming himself an arahant, which is one of the highest attainments in Buddhism, flew in the face of cultural taboos against disclosing one’s enlightenment.
In this conversation we delve into Daniel’s childhood mystical experiences and how he overcame a lack of meditational talent to embark upon a life of intense retreat and practice.
We discuss his meditation challenges and accomplishments, and lay out the stages of awakening and how to traverse them.
At the end, Daniel turns the tables on *me* and questions my own experience and motivations!
Topics included
– Daniel’s childhood mystical experiences
– Crossing the arising and passing away in a dream
– Daniel’s first retreat and overcoming a lack of meditation talent
– ‘Learning to feel my feet’
– Travelling to India
– Coming face to face with sickness and poverty in the slums of Calcutta
– Learning a powerful meditation technique in Malaysia that changed everything
– How an old Burmese monk introduced Daniel to a map of insight
– How to find the right meditation path for you
– Lead through strength but don’t get stuck
– How Daniel used personal pride as an aid on the path
– Dark Night of the Soul and the Dhukka Nanas
– A summary of the cycle of insight
– Daniel’s dark night
– Achieving stream entry
– The God-Gerbil
– Aftershocks of awakening
– Why Daniel believes in disclosing attainments
– Rapid fire practice guide
– I want to attain stream entry, what do I do?
– I have attained stream entry and I want to attain 2nd, what do I do?
– I have attained 2nd path and I want to attain 3rd, what do I do?
– I have attained 3rd path and I want to attain 4th, what do I do?
– I am an arrant – now what?
– Daniel turns the tables on Steve
– Where do Steve’s questions come from?
– What is his experience of map theory?
– How does Steve use maps when teaching meditation?
To find our more about Daniel, visit: integrateddaniel.info
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James