--- In Pali@yahoogroups.com, "hasituppada" <hasituppada@...> wrote:

>
> Dear Jeff,
>
> I agree with you. Samatha and Vipassana go hand in hand. One who
> can initially get into deep samadhi, can easily progress to
> absorptions. Buddha's teaching is simple and he made it clear to
> every one. It is we who try to make it difficult. >..

... If meditation is properly followed the Buddha says in
Satipatthana

> Sutta, one can attain nibbana not in seven years or seven months

but

> in seven days.

--------------------------
Dear Hasituppada,

Majjhima nikaya 26, the Ariyapariyesana-
sutta
"This Dhamma which I have
realised is indeed profound, difficult to perceive, difficult to
comprehend..."
Perhaps when we think it is not so hard that is
the time to be concerned. It may be mana or subtle attasanna (self)
that is thinking like that.

The true path is subtle and one can go very wrong by mistaking
strange experiences that come with concentrating as signs of
progress.

The Anguttara Nikaya Book of the tens XI (iii) 103 Wrongness
From wrong effort proceeds wrong mindfulness; from that wrong
concentration. From wrong concentration proceeds wrong knowledge.
From wrong knowledge proceeds wrong release......

massa micchaasati pahoti, micchaasatissa micchaasamaadhi pahoti,
micchaasamaadhissa micchaa~naa.na.m pahoti, micchaa~naa.nissa ‚04
micchaavimutti pahoti. Eva.m kho, bhikkhave, micchatta.m aagamma
viraadhanaa hoti, no aaraadhanaa.

RobertK