The Great Work of the Alchemist is the creation and purification of a magical substance called the Philosopher’s Stone. This Stone represents the fundamental ground of being of an enlightened one.
This personal work demands dedication and time. For the focused practitioner given space to work, it might take a decade. For others, distracted by external demands, it can span several lifetimes or most of one lifetime.
Paths to Enlightenment
There are multiple approaches to enlightenment, each with its distinct system, definitions, and viewpoints. Yet they all converge on a singular truth: there exists a path or backdoor in reality that leads beyond conventional existence.
This path possesses a peculiar quality – not hidden, but overlooked. Consider the cornea, that transparent window of the eye. Though present in every moment of sight, the mind habitually looks beyond it, never truly seeing what enables its vision.
The Initial Challenge
The pursuit of alchemy or enlightenment presents a unique paradox: one cannot fully comprehend the goal at the outset. Deep fantasy or profound suspicion about reality typically drives initial curiosity.
The journey demands internal motivation – no external force can guide you. The jhanic consciousnesses, which we’ll explore later, arise only through spontaneous wholesome intention. However, experienced practitioners can direct attention toward profitable areas of investigation. Through committed study, one can master karma’s basic laws and explore the possibility of karmic-free action.
The Transcendental Breakthrough
With the first transcendental experience, perspective transforms completely. This experience reinforces commitment and deepens faith in the process. Yet reaching this milestone requires profound mental preparation – the mind must settle and focus intensely on its goal for breakthrough to occur.
The Path Structure
In this section of Nigredo, I outline the Great Work from a novice’s perspective, offering structure that may initially appear nebulous until direct knowledge and understanding illuminate the way.
To maintain clarity, I present the Buddhist model of the path, as it represents the most accessible mystery system for English-speaking students.
Spiritual Pathways
Occult theory recognizes various spiritual paths. Systems incorporating Kabbalah employ the Tree of Consciousness model, configured differently for distinct paths. Some paths are purely devotional, embracing music, art, and mysticism without requiring logical framework. Others root themselves in pure intellect, including the Buddhist Path of Dry Insight and the Magical Grades.
Buddhism, both mystical and alchemical, advocates a balanced approach following the central path on the Tree – aptly named the Golden Path.
The Golden Middle Way
This path follows the narrow middle way, known as the path of the Camel – referencing its corresponding Hebrew letter. Here, consciousness maintains both focused tranquility and analytical insight. Mathematically speaking, this causes consciousness to approach, but never quite reach, the transcendental. Through dedicated practice, the disciple focuses on the precise point between thought’s intention and its arising. When properly situated at this point, both intention and subsequent thought cease, collapsing the subjective/objective divide.
Finding the Path
The budding alchemist’s initial task centers on finding the path itself. Faith serves as our eyes for this quest – not to magically invoke the path, but to sustain the necessary sacrifices demanded by the Noble Eightfold Path. Success requires tenacity. Persistent investigation, coupled with regular verification of direction, inevitably leads to discovery. If the path remains elusive, one likely deceives oneself about adherence to the Eightfold Path.
The Technical Framework
For those requiring intellectual understanding, let us explore the technical aspects. Within consciousness, we find 121 types of citta (consciousness moments). Of these, 40 relate to transcendental awareness. Each citta represents a moment of point awareness, with thousands occurring every moment, each focusing on a single mental or sense object.
Active cognitive moments comprise chains of different citta. While not thoughts themselves, these form the memorable portions of thoughts – memorable because they involve choice at some level.
Stages of Transformation
The first breakthrough into transcendental awareness manifests as first path consciousness – a singular, unrepeatable moment marking the dissolution of the first three fetters. Once the mind penetrates these delusions, it never mistakes them again.
This realization generates two or three resultant citta, called fruit consciousness, still transcendental in nature. These represent the immediate ramifications of fetter dissolution. The mind then returns to its resting state.
The complete transmutation involves four stages, each marked by:
- A unique path consciousness moment
- Two or three fruit consciousnesses
- Return to baseline awareness
Jhanic Depths and Attainment
The depth of attainment varies with meditative experience. Disciples achieving breakthrough through knowledge and insight alone experience this at first jhana level. Established meditators experience their path and fruit consciousness at their deepest mastered jhanic level.
This creates five levels of jhanic depth for each path and fruit consciousness, totaling eight distinct experiences. This distinction holds particular importance for those more inclined toward intellectual rather than meditative practice.
The Role of Meditation
While the Buddha recommends meditative mastery, modern practitioners might find this challenging due to intrusive thinking. Meditation remains necessary, but samatha (tranquility meditation), while beneficial, isn’t mandatory. One may instead practice active, analytical vipassana (insight) meditation, dissecting subjective experience.
Though each path moment occurs only once, practitioners can, through meditation, access and dwell within their most recent fruit moment.
Alchemical Correlations
The four stages of Buddhist enlightenment parallel the stone’s four stages. Midway through, the work produces a magical white or silver substance, culminating in a red substance that creates gold. Symbolically, silver corresponds to the moon and natural cycles’ restoration, emerging during the albedo (whitening) stage.
This correlates with the third stage of enlightenment, where the disciple transcends sensory desire and ill-will, largely ceasing unwholesome karma creation. Their presence becomes healing, as the absence of ill-will combined with natural kindness and compassion soothes and calms – our silver-making substance restoring natural cycles through karmic mastery.
Stages of Progressive Enlightenment
While both traditions present four primary grades, their preliminary stages create nuanced correlations. The first path moment emerges at nigredo’s darkest point. A period of adjustment follows as the practitioner recognizes their previous delusion – some never fully adapt.
Albedo initiates with the second path moment, representing deepened faith and commitment. Though still within nigredo, this moment reveals the light ahead, providing direction while the goal remains distant.
Albedo peaks at the third path moment, marking the severance of the first five gross fetters, including ill-will and sensual desire. Within the sensory sphere, the practitioner now acts virtually without karma, emanating peace and harmony. This manifests as our silver substance, healing through restored lunar cycles.
The Final Transformations
At the third path moment, five subtle fetters remain. The final path moment occurs when the mind perceives all these as illusory, achieving full enlightenment. This represents citrinitas, the yellowing of the stone, manifesting as a subjective glow around material objects. The fully enlightened being becomes holy, entirely a-karmic, transcending self-regard and often developing psychic abilities.
Rubedo and Ultimate Attainment
Both Buddhas and Arahants achieve full enlightenment, sharing capabilities. The distinction lies in residues – Arahants achieve nirvana with residues, while Buddhas transcend them entirely.
Full enlightenment maintains external appearance and harmless mannerisms while eliminating self-reference beyond practical necessity. The Arahant perceives thoughts, feelings, and ideas as natural phenomena, like raindrops, beautiful but meaningless without an inner self.
These residues – experiences without attachment, physicality, and prior karmic debt – dissolve upon the Arahant’s physical death, perhaps manifesting as the rainbows often reported over dying saints.
The Buddha State
A Buddha transcends even the Arahant state, experiencing nirvana without residues. This transformation, reminiscent of Christ’s resurrection, typically spans three days. It suggests the Arahant’s permissive death followed by occupation by a being-less being.
This represents true rubedo – undeniable divine state. While Arahants may develop psychic powers and luminosity, these require cultivation. The Buddha, free from self, needs no development. They embody raw, unconditioned mind within the physical form that welcomed their manifestation – hence the deliberate wordplay in “Tathagata,” simultaneously meaning “thus arrived one” and “thus gone one.”
This ultimate being naturally evokes awe, fear, and faith – the red substance producing gold, symbolizing eternal unity with the sun.
Further Reading
Essential Books
- “Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines” by Nyanatiloka
- “The Way of the Golden Section” by George Lesser
- “Spiritual Alchemy” by Dennis William Hauck
- “The Experience of Insight” by Joseph Goldstein
Online Resources
- The Great Work in Alchemy (Wikipedia)
- Buddhist Paths to Liberation (Wikipedia)
- Jhāna in Buddhism (Wikipedia)
Video Resources
- Buddhist Meditation and Alchemy (youtube.com)
- Understanding the Four Noble Truths (youtube.com)
- The Stages of Spiritual Alchemy (youtube.com)
This fascinating exploration of spiritual alchemy comes from Dr. Simon Robinson’s groundbreaking book “Nigredo,” the first volume in his series “A Course in Modern Alchemy.” Written with both scholarly precision and accessible wisdom, this work masterfully bridges ancient alchemical traditions with contemporary spiritual practice.
At its heart, Nigredo examines the fundamental nature of consciousness and spiritual transformation through the lens of both Western alchemy and Buddhist philosophy. The book skillfully weaves together concepts like the Fisher King Wound, the Dark Night of the Soul, and the Philosopher’s Stone with practical insights into meditation, self-discovery, and the nature of reality itself. Dr. Robinson’s unique approach demystifies complex esoteric concepts while maintaining their profound spiritual significance.
The work is particularly valuable for those seeking to understand the deeper aspects of spiritual practice and personal transformation. From exploring the nature of the “Matrix of Conditioned Reality” to understanding the stages of alchemical transformation, Nigredo provides a comprehensive framework for anyone interested in genuine spiritual development. The author’s integration of Buddhist concepts with Western alchemical tradition creates a powerful synthesis that speaks to both ancient wisdom and modern understanding.
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