Greetings, Friendlies!
The sense I have, and I could be very wrong about this, is that between Watts and Buddhadāsa we have a range encompassing all the other versions of awakening I’ve heard. In Ingram’s list, for example, the Psychological Models and the Nothing to Do Schools fall into Buddhadāsa’s range. The Non-Duality Model matches Watts’ description. The more astonishing experiences seem to fit Watts, the more common ones Buddhadāsa.
In MN 26 (among others), Gotama says his dhamma is “Duddasa”, difficult to see; hard to perceive; difficult to understand. Watts.
In AN 6.47, he says it is “immediate, clearly visible, inviting, … personally sensed by the wise”. Buddhadāsa.
What do you think, Sīvaka: When there is greed within you, do you know “there’s greed within me,” and when there is no greed within you, do you know “there’s no greed within me”?
Yes.
With hatred, confusion, and those qualities of mind associated with greed, hatred, and confusion: When they are within you, do you know they are present? And when they are not within you, do you know they are absent? [1]
Yes.
It is in this way, Sīvaka, that the dharma is clearly visible, immediate, inviting, uplifting, to be personally sensed by the wise.
(Translation, Stephen Batchelor, After Buddhism.)
Your thoughts?
***
[1] I hear you. Let’s table “do you know when you are confused?” for now.
Dharma PhD 
4 replies on “Subjective Experiences of Awakening, Part 4, Filling Out the Range”
Shannon, in Part 1 of this series, you penned:
The idea is something like: if I have these kinds of experiences, I will think, “Yeah, this is an awakening moment kind of thing”.
I agree. I’ve had five epiphanies (awakenings) during the first 79 years of my life. They were many years apart. Each caught me by surprise. Each was an embodied experience that I immediately sensed as extraordinary and transformative. It’s a “knowing” that doesn’t require thinking. Although each is vivid in memory, I am unable to describe them effectively with words that are available to me.
Thank you, dear Dharma Sister, smilingly Sharon
LikeLike
It is such a treat to hear from you. A “knowing” that doesn’t require discursive thinking. Brilliant. Very right hemisphere. We’ll get to that soon. ;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t resist. Clicking on the link to #3 of the series, I’m greeted by this message:
LOL!
LikeLike
Oh gosh! Fixed. Thank you. :)))
LikeLike