The Stream-entry Buddhist Blog
Long-format Pāli Canon-based Teachings and Essays
by Upāsaka Michael Turner
(f.k.a. Anagārika Pasannacitta)
Buddhist Therapy, Life Coaching, and Dharma Training
— One-on-One Buddhist Stream-entry Training by Request —
Becoming a Stream-enterer is hard. Here's how to do it.As a teacher dedicated to guiding my students toward spiritual progress, I sent a detailed letter to a middle-intermediate Dhamma practitioner and meditator explaining why I am dismissing him from my program. In this letter, I explain the importance of correct and sufficient practice and I outline and detail the harmful nature of the various Wrong Views he subscribes to that are hindering his spiritual progress, such as his attachments to violent entertainment and modern interpretations of the Dhamma, his desire for shortcuts to enlightenment, his reliance on "insight meditation" (vipassana), and his clinging to the myth that the jhānas equate to stream-entry or any other stage of Buddhist enlightenment. I also took the opportunity to explain what Buddhist renunciation truly means for those who are dedicated to achieving stream-entry, a.k.a., awakening; and the critical importance of yonisomanasikāra in the development of Right View and progress along the Buddhist path.
Teacher's Note
Why I am sharing this private letter publicly? In short: because people want awakening, but they are going about it all wrong. I am sharing this letter with others not only because it brings light to what Buddhism actually is — beyond the misrepresentations of Buddhism that are overwhelmingly prevalent today — but also because it serves as a clear manifesto of the approach that I follow in my instruction of the early Buddhist texts (EBT) to my students; with the emphasis being on learning and cultivating the views and practices that slope them toward stream entry, or beyond. My intention is to provide potential future students with a clear understanding of what they can expect from me and my guidance as someone who successfully coaches veritable stream-enterers. While reading this, it is absolutely necessary to understand that what I teach, and how I teach it, reflects my understanding of where each of my students are along the Buddhist Path and what each one of them needs to hear and do in order to make further progress toward nibbāna. I don't teach them how to get to stream-entry or arahantship as much as I teach them how to make continuous progress from where they are on the spectrum of spiritual development, gradually taking them to higher and higher attainments along the Buddhist Path. In support of that, I don't teach "generally" to any of my students; I teach precisely to each of my students based entirely on their individual needs and abilities. Accordingly, I am holding the student that this letter is directed at to a set of standards that are uniquely appropriate to his level of experience, his current place along the Path, and his personal hindrances — these standards should not be taken to apply to all (or any) of my other students. For additional information on my approach and my teachings, please see this page. (the student's name has been changed for confidentiality) Dear "Jonathan," Working with you for the past couple of years has been a journey of maturation and exploration, and I am grateful for your trust in me as a Dhamma instructor and stream-entry coach. Our time together has overflowed with valuable lessons and insights, and I sincerely appreciate the effort and time you've invested in your spiritual journey. I have been giving the time we have spent together a lot of thought, especially our last several sessions. As I reflect on our journey, it's important to acknowledge the progress you've made but also the unwavering challenges that you continue to face. You clearly possess an unyielding determination to advance on the path to awakening, and your commitment to seeking spiritual progress is evident. I've been privy to your determination for stream-entry firsthand many times. However, over these years, we've continued to have several recurring obstacles that hinder the profundity of your spiritual progress. Our discussions have and continue to centre so often on the misconception that meditation will inevitably lead to stream-entry and that worldly pleasures and unwholesome sources of pastimes can coexist harmoniously with profound spiritual growth. As we've discussed ad nauseam, these notions reflect a misalignment with the core principles of the Dhammavinaya and are deeply steeped in contemporary distortions that fuel widespread Wrong Views. This is, unfortunately, a result of how the Buddhism of the Buddha, a doctrine that is over 2,500 years old, has evolved over just the past couple of hundred years (and especially in the last 60 years or so) into the pop-Buddhism that we have on offer today, which is chock-full of misrepresentations of the Dhammavinaya and has been further distorted and disseminated by so many "trusted 'meditation' teachers." These distortions of the Buddha's teachings have become so widespread as to have overtaken and obscured the original teachings in mainstream Buddhist circles, replacing them with false Dhamma coupled with convoluted meditation techniques, systems, and maps; and effectively making the true Dhamma a niche practice and something of a subculture. As you know, the Buddha predicted that this would happen. When I closed our last session, I was left with a dilemma and lingering concern for you and our time together. My intention has never been to discourage you but rather to support you, to course-correct you, and to guide you toward a path that aligns more closely with authentic teachings and the many millennia-tested principles and practices that could otherwise underpin your spiritual aspirations. With a heart filled with dāna and mettā, I have invested significantly more time with you than I have with any other pro bono student that I've ever worked with, not just in the number of years that I've worked with you, but also in the amount of time that I spend with you during each of our weekly calls, often spending upward toward an hour or more with you; this is even more than the 50 minutes of session time that I provide to those students who fully support my pro bono program by providing me with session dāna. I have generously given you much of my free time solely for the benefit of your development; however, the effort and energy have not been reciprocated. I've focused this much effort on you as an act of genuine dāna because I believe in you and because I saw it as a valuable investment of my time in someone who I think has the qualities and capacity for awakening. I've only wanted to help you shake off the taints of so many distractions and misunderstandings of the Dhamma that have held you back for so long, and those that continue to cause you so much personal dukkha. But despite my time, effort, and care, I conclude that I have failed. Not only have I been unable to uproot your attachment to wrong views but also to your persistent craving for unwholesome diversions and your cavalier attitude toward meaningless distractions. For other students, this wouldn't be so grave of a disconnect, but you are much further along the Path, so the bar must be set higher if you are to make further progress. Distractions can be so harmful: they turn us away from the practices, ideas, and possibilities that make true happiness possible. You continue to regularly choose unwholesome distractions over your Dhamma practice despite my repeated instructions to you. Time and time again. This is no longer supportable. And so it is with a heavy heart that I must acknowledge that our current dynamic has reached the point where it is no longer possible for us to navigate these differing perspectives and paradigms in a way that doesn't waste time. I have wanted nothing more than to see you progress and overcome these obstacles that stand in the way of your growth, but it has been clear to me for a very long time that what I teach isn't what, or how, you want to practice. What I say doesn't align with your understanding of the Buddha's dispensation, despite the depths of the Sutta Nikaya from which I teach, and my experience of it. Not everyone is going to agree, or even like, what I have to say or teach — I convey as much on my website as a sort of disclaimer — however, it's not my aim to cater to those people; my aim is focused on helping those people who have it within themselves to ultimately benefit from my direct understanding and expertise. Right View, Not Right Concentration
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The Teacher"The only thing that prevents people from awakening, stream entry, and directly experiencing the stages of enlightenment is incorrect instruction and/or insufficient practice."
– Michael Turner Hello! My name is Michael Turner (my Dhamma name is Upāsaka Pasannacitta).
I am an Early Buddhism mentor/instructor, ariya-puggala (sakadāgāmi), therapist, life coach, and Buddhist precept holder. I work with dedicated Buddhist practitioners of all levels, from beginners to advanced, to help them attain measurable progress toward happiness and Nibbāna. This kind of one-on-one training is uncommon for most lay practitioners. If you are interested, please visit my coaching page or training page to learn more, or contact me to discuss becoming a Buddhist trainee today. Categories
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Michael Turner is a sakadāgāmi and a former Buddhist anagārika. He is also a deeply accomplished stream-entry mentor, Buddhist therapist, and applied-dharma teacher. He emphasises and teaches the practical application of the Buddha's teachings in our everyday lives to overcome the problems that stand in the way of making measurable progress toward Buddhist enlightenment and he is particularly adept at explaining them in ways that can be easily understood and practiced by Western Buddhists. He has been meditating and cultivating the views and techniques that generate indestructible resilience, inner-strength, and direct experience for almost 30 years and has helped countless numbers of students and peers enhance and course-correct their practice to make veritable progress along the path toward Nibbāna.
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