The “heroic path to nibbana” relies heavily on the use of “incantations“.
In a nutshell, there are 8 incantations in total.
4 live within the “understanding folds” of the 8-fold path to nibbana: “right view” and “right intention”.
I call these “the 4 nudges”.
4 live within the “unification folds” of the 8-fold path to nibbana: “right effort”, “right mindfulness”, “right unification”
I call these “the 4 refinements”.
The 4 nudges
The 4 incantations of the “understanding folds” of the 8-fold path to nibbana are “coarse movements”.
They have as their goal to persistently “nudge” you in the right direction and to “course correct” you when you are moving in the wrong direction.
They proceed from more coarse targets to more refined targets.
1: strong dukkha: pain
2: weaker dukkha: inner conflict
3: diversion: avoidance
4: diversion: anger
The 4 refinements
the 4 incantations of the “unification folds” of the 8-fold path to nibbana are the refined movements
They have as their goal perfecting the process of extracting insight from discomfort and attaining the total end of suffering in the process.
They too proceed from more coarse targets to more refined targets.
3: unwholesome sense-desire => liberation from attachment to sense-desires
4: conceit => liberation from the deepest source of suffering: nibbana