SuttaCentral
I always find it interesting to hear fresh perspectives of the dhamma from people who have a clean slate or “beginners mind”, and haven’t been entrenteched in Buddhism for too long.
I thought this astral projection teacher’s interpretation of DN2 and impermanence made a lot of sense, as well as pre-birth stories.
In DN 2 the five mundane supernormal powers are significantly preceeded by knowledge of impermanence of the body and mind. In other words this knowledge is a precondition for obtaining any mundane supernormal power, and rules out any idea of a permanent soul as in astral travelling:
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge and vision. He discerns: 'This body of mine is endowed with form, composed of the four primary elements, born from mother and father, nourished with rice and porridge, subject to inconstancy, rubbing, pressing, dissolution, and dispersion. And this consciousness of mine is supported here and bound up here.”
[…]
The sixth supermundane knowledge is superior to the preceeding five mundane, such as the mind-made body, therefore it is not profitable to become preoccupied with such states, insight and serenity must be balanced:
Sixth knowledge:
“the monk directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress… This is the origination of stress… This is the cessation of stress… This is the way leading to the cessation of stress…
"This, too, great king, is a fruit of the contemplative life, visible here and now, more excellent than the previous ones and more sublime. And as for another visible fruit of the contemplative life, higher and more sublime than this, there is none.”
Serenity and insight must be balanced:
“If the monk intent on heightened mind were to attend solely to the theme of concentration, it is possible that his mind would tend to laziness. If he were to attend solely to the theme of uplifted energy (insight), it is possible that his mind would tend to restlessness. If he were to attend solely to the theme of equanimity, it is possible that his mind would not be rightly centered for the stopping of the fermentations.”—AN 3.100 xi-xv