Ajahn Dtun’s four stages of awakening
Glossed from his autobiography (tapes exist at Boonyawad of him explaining to the bhikkhus his stage in more details; or so I recall being told, while there ca. 2017).
Pages given from the PDF (download here). Bold formatting mine, emphasizing the key insights that would qualify him for each stage.
NB: second and last stages attained when doing walking meditation, third while lying down, and stream-entry while sweeping (!)
1. Stream-entry
📅 Vassa 1978 🛕Beung Khao Luang (1st vassa)
“One morning a few days later, I returned to my kuṭi after the meal. Once having taken care of my personal business, I started sweeping the veranda floor in preparation for walking meditation. As I did so, I thought of the events over the past few days. At that moment an understanding arose in my heart exclaiming, ‘All that arises, must by its very nature cease.’ In that moment my mind clearly saw the decay and decline inherent in everything. I felt as though my mind had lucidly seen the very nature of these natural phenomena until it acknowledged the truth: ‘All that arises is of the nature to cease.’
It seemed like within a single mind-moment the mind had flipped over. This was due to it understanding the sabhāva-dhamma and knowing full well the meaning of what had taken place in the mind. Since that moment I sensed that my heart had been greatly transformed, as if it had been turned over. When looking at any material object the mind knew that it was merely a composition of natural elements. It didn’t view anything as being attractive in any way at all.” pp. 51
2. Once-returning
📅 November 1979 🛕Wat Khao Chalak (2nd vassa)
"One afternoon while doing walking meditation I contemplated on the intrinsic unattractiveness of my own body and my mind further let go of its attachment and identification towards my body. In doing so I was aware that the emotions of greed and sensual desire had been weakened even more, as was aversion and displeasure. In my heart I knew the identification with the body as being self had been further weakened." pp. 81
3. Non-returning
📅 24 June 1982 🛕Samnaksong Cittabhavanaraam, Pathum Thani (5th vassa)
“By 9.30 p.m. I went up to my kuṭi and lay down. I continued practising samādhi, keeping mindfulness established at the mind. I then observed the arising of a sabhāva-dhamma: a bright ray of light came racing through and my mind moved outwards shedding off its ‘rust’ or the anusaya1 in the process – I witnessed the mind completely abandoning satisfaction and dissatisfaction. I was overcome with a feeling of indescribable amazement. The moment the mind moved outwards and shed its rust, a knowing arose within: the mind has separated away.
From where mindfulness and clear comprehension came from I don’t know, but it was much greater than before. The following morning I looked upon everything as being just nature. My mind was so cool and tranquil, experiencing only an indescribable lightness and ease. If anyone said anything inappropriate it didn’t affect my mind in any way. I knew that all feelings of satisfaction and dissatisfaction had now been shed. My mind has separated away and let them go. When I saw other people, I fully comprehend that they’re all the same. I also had a greater understanding of each person’s emotions or personality and know their state of being is normal and natural for them. Within everybody I see only emptiness – completely open – there is no me or them. This feeling is one that I had never known or experienced before.” pp. 115-116
4. Arahantship
📅 Early 1992 (likely February/March, as it is after his discussion with LT Maha Boowa on 22 Jan 1992, at LP Chah’s funeral) 🛕 Wat Boonyawad
“One day as I was practising sitting and walking meditation, my faculties of mindfulness and wisdom remained constant throughout the entire day, staying aware of the present. The mind was free of all thoughts and emotions pertaining to the past or future.
It remained solely in the present and dwelled in emptiness for the entire day. Late that night as I was doing walking meditation, mindfulness and wisdom were still focused at the mind observing the arising and ceasing of all mental formations, until – in a single mind-moment – sati-paññā clearly perceived the mental formations to be merely a mode of the mind, while simultaneously letting go of the delusion that had always attached and identified with these formations as being the mind itself. In that instant my mind entered into a state of subtle emptiness – it had been freed. It no longer clung to any aspect of conventional reality; it was impartial and free with only pure knowing arising within the mind.
A feeling of indescribable wonder arose in my heart together with the knowing that my mind had been freed from avijjā. Mindfulness and wisdom clearly saw everything that I’d been preserving, on account of being too afraid to destroy it, was in fact avijjā. It was then that I lucidly saw within my mind: That which thinks is not the mind; rather, it is that which does not think – that, is the mind. By no longer protecting or preserving anything, the moment my mind saw the arising and ceasing of all mental formations, mindfulness and wisdom perceived this clearly and let go of relative, conventional reality to leave only absolute purity of mind.” pp. 156-157
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