What Happened Before…Albedo

The Philosophers Stone.

My interpretation of this elusive and semi-mystical ‘thing’ is that the ‘Stone’ is the subjective experience of the alchemist. In Nigredo, this is recognised as depressive symptoms that arise as it starts to dawn on the alchemist that one cannot simply ‘think oneself happy’. Alchemy is a path of the intellectual who often finds themselves in a dark and depressive prison — caused, although hardly recognised at this stage, by thinking itself.

The subjective reality of the alchemist is initially ‘raw’ and unworked. Until the first three fetters are realised, one is too caught up with one’s fictional but valued personality-view. However, once the alchemist recognises the first three fetters to be illusory, they achieve ‘stream-winner’ or sotāpanna, and the necessary new perspective to start their ‘Great Work’ — which is the gradual transmutation of subjective experience into an understanding that transcends suffering, eventually.

The Seven Deadly Sins

We start Albedo with an exploration of the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ — categories of behaviour associated with the creation of unskilled karma. The alchemist seeks, whether they are aware of it or not, mental tranquility. This permits the development of ‘insight’ — which is what realises the various fetters.

The Cosmos

At some point, however, there seems to be a recognition that one’s suffering is, in some way, largely one’s own fault. Getting angry at others becomes pointless, and a certain resolve occurs to address one’s own moral deficiencies. This might involve grim work, including resolution of current and deeper, i.e., childhood traumatic experiences.

Karma

The alchemist, through natural intelligence, learns to recognise the force of mental balance — karma. Now unattached to any concept of personality, they strive to eliminate unhelpful thoughts, actions, and words largely for the sole purpose of a quieter life.

As they progress in weakening and eliminating the fetters, they operate in a manner where one promotes skilful karma and tends to absorb unskilful types. At a certain stage, the habitual generation of unskilled karma ceases, and the alchemist experiences a lightening of subjective experience. This is Albedo — the second stage of the Stone and the second part of this course.

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.”
— The Dhammapada 1:1