UNDERSTANDING KRILLIN'S POWER-UP
"Mūga no Ryōiki" commonly reffered to as "No Ego Zone." This is the power-up Krillin gets in Dragon Ball Super episode 76.
I became tired of waiting on someone else to explain the meaning behind Krillin's power-up in DBS EP 76, so I decided to do my own research! Through said research, I've discovered that there is much deeper meaning & plenty of symbolism behind the power-up.
Roshi says "Mūga no Ryōiki" when explaining that Krillin is rising above himself or stepping into the realm of selflessness. This sentence is where the name for Krillin's power-up originated.
Now, let's break down what Mūga no Ryōiki means.
"Mūga" meaning selflessness, self-effacement, & self-renunciation. Also meaning anattā or anātman (non-self).
"Ryōiki" meaning area, domain, field, realm.
So, a more accurate way of saying "Mūga no Ryōiki" would be "Non-Self State" (I've personally reffered to Krillin's power-up as "State of Equanimity" which I discovered is also more accurate than "No Ego Zone.")
What happened to that nameless, newly awoken power Krillin had in ep 76?
That would’ve been cool to see in the ToP.
I’d name it State of Eq
Mūga no Ryōiki/Non-Self State: The unique power-up that Krillin attained & that is inspired of Buddhist teachings.
[I'm not going to get too deep but I plan to give substantial evidence to back my findings. My research is from the perspective of the guy on the outside looking in, because I am not a Buddhist. I'm sure someone smarter than I am & more knowledgeable when it comes to Buddhist & Hindu beliefs could explain this much better than I could. I won't cover every facet but I will try to get to the points that relate to Krillin's power-up.]
To preface, the usage of Buddhism & Hinduism in relation to Dragon Ball is not perfectly aligned. Some teachings from both factor in when it comes to Krillin's power-up, but I will primarily be focusing on the Buddhist teachings more than the Hindu teachings (although both have had some influence on the other). Inspiration is taken but there are slight differences. Just as Son Goku is the Dragon Ball version of Son Wukong, Krillin's power-up is the Dragon Ball version of the Buddhist teaching anattā.
"Buddhism relies upon the outward, mindfulness strategy to see the objects of the mind, the body and the world with greater clarity and intelligence to identify the causes of bondage and suffering... Buddhism attempts to face them and understand them with the Anatta approach or strategy, by accepting the objective reality as the starting point for the practice of the Eightfold Path (the path to nirvana)."
The Four Noble Truths comprise the essence of Buddha's teachings. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. Krillin goes through these truths.
Krillin realizes he's suffering & his suffering is diagnosed by Roshi as doubt & fear
Krillin identifies the cause of suffering is from his trauma
Krillin knows that overcoming this suffering will better him
Krillin follows the path to overcomes his suffering and attains nirvana (Mūga no Ryōiki/Non-Self State)
Anattā is the nature of all things & it is amorphous ("without a clearly defined shape or form"). Thus, in DBS episodes 75 & 76, the anattā/traumatic experiences are depicted by different objects that were transforming into enemies (fog, trees, dirt, smoke, & stones). There was no clearly defined shape or form for these enemies as they continued to change in size & transform into different people.
Krillin fought against his fears, the memories of his pain & death, his suffering, and all of his trauma. Krillin was killed by a demon when he was 16 years old & was stuck in limbo, he then had to suffer watching his friends be murdered by the Saiyans, & later was tortured by the Emperor of the Universe then was painfully blown up from the inside out. He witnessed the horrors of a murderous cybernetic monster, he was temporarily turned to stone by another demon, and afterwards he sacrificed himself to save others then was turned into candy and eaten.
Krillin needed to overcome all of these traumatic experiences to transcend/rise above himself and his limitations.
(kaialone has a good post about Krillin's trauma from Tambourine)
Kuririn and Tambourine
I have seen some people say that it makes no sense for Kuririn to be so scared of seeing Tambourine specifically, con
In addition, Krillin being in the Forest of Terror & facing all of his trauma at once is similar to the concept of Duḥkha; commonly defined as "suffering, unhappiness, pain, unsatisfactoriness, & stress." Many fail to realize that Krillin's most traumatic experience is when he was murdered at the age of 16 by a demon, Tambourine. Krillin was literally stuck in a state of eternal torture & suffering, unable to pass on. That alone left an extremely deep & traumatic mental scar that Krillin finally overcame. (What happens when a demon kills you in DB. Post by Dragon Ball Meta)
Ever stop and think about the fact that Krillin died at the age of 16 and was not allowed to enter the Afterlife and floated in a constant s
Samsara is the belief of a cycle of death and rebirth. Through karma and eventual enlightenment, the hope is to escape samsara and achieve nirvāṇa, an end to suffering. (The close equivalent is moksha is Hinduism)
Nirvāṇa "is a state of perfect quietude, freedom, highest happiness as well as the liberation from or ending of samsara... nirvana refers to realization of non-self (anattā)... marking the end of rebirth."
"Depending on the actions performed in previous lives, rebirth could be as a human or animal or even ghosts, demi-gods, or gods. Being born as a human is seen by Buddhists as a rare opportunity to work towards escaping this cycle of samsara. The escape from samsara is called Nirvana or Enlightenment." It's also important to note that Buddhists talk about energy being reborn, rather than souls.
Krillin's deaths could be seen as samsara, the cycle of death & rebirth. Then when Krillin achieves nirvana, he is reborn in a sense. His aura is different & appears similar to god ki (DB version of enlightenment & rebirth as a demi-god or god). This is meant to be Krillin's rebirth. He even says "This is the new me!"
Krillin achieved Inner Self-Actualization.
To visually convey the difference between Goku & Krillin, they meditate differently in episode 76. When Goku meditates, he is standing. Krillin, however, is sitting in a meditative position.
"Zen Buddhism... strongly emphasizes dhyāna, the meditative training of awareness and equanimity. This practice, according to Zen proponents, gives insight into one's true nature, or the emptiness of inherent existence, which opens the way to a liberated way of living."
Also in episodes 75 & 76, Krillin was unblocking his chakras, but most importantly the 7th Chakra, the Crown Chakra/Sahasrāra. (It's colour is violet or white). To symbolize this, the background behind Krillin was foggy & murky, but then it cleared away when Krillin found inner peace. (It's important to note that Goku's background did not clear away BUT Krillin's background did. That was intentional.)
This was to convey to the viewer that Krillin unlocked his 7th Chakra, Sahasrāra. The Crown Chakra's quote is "I understand." And what does Krillin say right before he gains Non-Self State?
When Krillin is in Non-Self State, there is jagged aura around his hands. This is often reffered to as aura-clad fists. I've found that it appears to visually symbolize Krillin achieving nirvana & represents, the 7th Chakra, Sahasrāra. When translated, Sahasrāra means "thousand-petalled" or "infinite-petalled" lotus flower.
(The many jagged edges of the aura around Krillin's fist = thousand/infinite petals.)
There is indication that the lotus flower is being reinterpreted as the Paradise Herb for DBS. Depending on the colour, the lotus flower can symbolize purity, ascension, rebirth, self-regeneration, & spiritual enlightenment. The Paradise Herb has a rainbow like color which symbolizes all the colors of lotus flowers & chakras. And according to legend, Gautama Buddha's first steps made lotus flowers appear everywhere he stepped. Similarly, the Paradise Herb appeared after Krillin gained confidence, understanding, & nirvana.
It's important to notice that Goku did not cause the Paradise Herb to grow. Krillin caused the herb to appear because he achieved nirvana. Krillin rose above his pain that suppressed him just as a lotus flower rises above the mud. And just like the lotus flower, Krillin can continuously rise & transform.
When Krillin attained Non-Self State/Nirvana, Krillin had ascended to samma sambuddha/Buddhahood; meaning "awakened one" "a state of awakening filled with compassion and wisdom." The last factor of the Seven Factors of Awakening is equanimity which is "mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation." This is exactly what Krillin did.
Also, the Paradise Herb🌿 that Goku & Krillin went to fetch for Master Roshi had another meaning. After Krillin achieves equanimity & Non-Self State, the herb that grants longevity appears. Remember, the end goal of anattā is to not be reincarnated anymore & the Paradise Herb allows for the increasing of lifespan & vitality. So in a sense, immortality. It is said that Buddha could live for an aeon or be immortal. Krillin can now live for a very long time as well, thanks to the Paradise Herb.
Non-Self State is used solely by Krillin as his own unique technique & a spiritual transformation. When he & Goku prepare to defeat the fake Super Shenron, Goku goes SSB and Krillin goes NSS (Non-Self State). Krillin's power is activated like a god transformation. (Goku went SSJB instead of a normal SSJ form because god ki doesn't leak energy out, unlike the energy of normal Super Saiyan transformations.)
Now if we were to find Dragon Ball techniques/power-ups that are similar to Non-Self State, they would be Potential Unleashed (slight similarities), God Ki (more similar), & Ultra Instinct Sign (very similar).
Similarities to Potential Unleashed:
Non-Self State is similar to Potential Unleashed because they share the concept of inner power. Gohan's Ultimate form was unlocked by Elder Kai and it is Gohan's own latent power and beyond that. Non-Self State is similar but much more spiritual than Gohan's Potential Unleashed. Krillin's is not simply powering up. Nor can Non-Self State be unlocked for you with somebody else's help. It is a power that can only be found on your own. It's not just releasing all of your energy, it is enlightenment which is shown to be more than just raising your ki & more than normal mortal ki control. Krillin had to prevent his energy from releasing energy outward & focus inward. Gohan's power is not like this. There are similarities between Potential Unleashed & Non-Self State, but they aren't too close.
Out of the 3 power-ups, Non-Self State has the least in common with Potential Unleashed. Non-Self State has more in common with God Ki & Ultra Instinct.
Krillin's Non-Self State is described in a way that is similar to how god ki works. That being to calm yourself & not let your energy slip out. Krillin controls his mind & energy so his ki doesn't leak out. That is very similar to how Vegeta & Goku explain how god ki works (link to qoutes here).
A calm mind and ki control... "Is this what they call god ki?" I want answers Toei!
Similar method, principles, & similar aura. At the very least, Krillin attaining Non-Self State is learning god ki basics without advanced training. Krillin has stepped into the realm of the gods, which is what Sahasrāra is.
What's also interesting is that when Krillin keeps his energy from leaking out, that too is symbolic as well. Krillin is focussing his energy inward (ātman) not outward (anattā). Krillin is not letting external realities worry him & he has found his true power, his true self. (This has similarities to one of the Zen Buddhism teachings of Renzai Zen. The teaching of kensho: "seeing one's true nature")
And it's not like there is only 1 way to attain god ki. We've seen more than one way in the series.
Goku attained god ki through a god ritual.
Vegeta attained god ki through being trained by a godly being.
Krillin attained god ki through enlightenment.
(When we include Uub, that's another way to attain god ki. According to the latest info, Uub was reincarnated with godly energy.)
Similarities to Ultra Instinct:
We've already established that Non-Self State has been presented as god ki. And fascinating enough, god ki is needed in order to achieve one of the technique of the gods, Ultra Instinct. Obviously Krillin does not know an Angelic technique as Goku does. However, Non-Self State does share many similarities.
Also, it's possible that Krillin's power-up, Non-Self State, may have stopped appearing because of the very close resemblence to Ultra Instinct in order for UI can stand out more. They aren't only similar in appearance, but in how they are attained as well.
Visually, both Non-Self State & Ultra Instinct have an aquatic/flame-like aura. Non-Self State has a white aura. Meanwhile, Ultra Instinct Sign's aura has a mixture of white & blue colours. When Goku uses Mastered Ultra Instinct the aura is white, red, blue, & purple. (Red & blue & purple colours possibly because of SSG & SSB).
The way the 2 techniques are activated have similarities as well.
As I stated at the beginning, for a while, I have called Krillin's power-up "State of Equanimity." And the Buddhist concept of equanimity is upekṣā
Equanimity: mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper, especially in a difficult situation.
Upekṣā: "stability in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune. It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain."
After knowing the definition, being in a state of equanimity/upekṣā has great correlation to what Merus says to Goku: "It will activate when you achieve self-control in the face of a jarring shock to your emotions. Such is Ultra Instinct."
To gain Non-Self State, Krillin calmed himself in the face of jarring shocks to his emotions and gains an aura that resembles Ultra Instinct. Krillin very well could have discovered a technique or state of being with similar principles to Ultra Instinct. It's not uncommon for him to learn techniques on his own. Krillin even taught himself to fly on his own, while others where taught by a master.
To add, there is research about athletes being in "the zone" which is real life Ultra Instinct. There are 2 ways to get into the zone.
As a former athlete, I can greatly understand this. There are many times that an athlete needs to to Get in The Zone in order to win. It happens in any sport. You just let everything flow or you turn on the clutch in order to push yourself to outdo your competition. You will at times react without thinking & out maneuver your opponent. It's real and Dragon Ball does a good job at portraying this for Goku & Krillin (as well as Roshi in the anime & to a degree in the manga).
The way Krillin achieves Non-Self State is "clutch." The way Goku initially activates Ultra Instinct Sign is "flow." But when Goku goes into Mastered Ultra Instinct, it has always been shown to be "clutch." Both Non-Self State & Ultra Instinct need great focus in order to activate.
THE WATER DROPLET SYMBOLISM
One last similarity is that in episode 76. For Goku, a droplet sound is heard and ripples are seen below him in the foggy background when he calms himself. For Krillin, he clears the foggy background then a droplet is heard & seen as it splashes into the water below when he is rising above himself. This water analogy shows the peace they attained. The difference is that only Krillin achieved enlightenment at this time.
Even when Goku's manga counterpart achieves Ultra Instinct Sign, he says "All I've done is get rid of unnecessary emotions... my heart's as calm as the gentle streams of Mount Paozu."
Goku & Krillin both got rid of the unnecessary emotions that held them back as they calmed their heart & mind. Only then were they able to "become like water."
SUMMARY OF KRILLIN'S POWER-UP:
To simply summarize Krillin's journey of attaining Non-Self State:
Krillin was constantly suffering from PTSD (Duḥkha), he faces all the trauma at once & has no choice but to overcome his trauma (Eightfold Path, Four Noble Truths, Seven Factors of Awakening). Krillin meditates, gains understanding & unlocks his 7th Chakra, thus achieving Nirvana (Mūga no Ryōiki). To illustrate his metaphorical rebirth as a god, Krillin gains a godly aura. The Paradise Herb symbolizes the lotus flower and it appears after Krillin is awakened & had achieved Nirvana. The Paradise Herb also symbolizes that Krillin attained immortality by being able to potentially live forever from the heavenly herb. This is Krillin's ascension to Buddhahood (meaning: awakened one) which is represented by Krillin's Non-Self State A.K.A. Mūga no Ryōiki.
First of all, Krillin has been training with 18 & is able to keep up with 18, who is extremely strong & has infinite stamina. It's difficult to dispute that Krillin is now equal to or above Namek Saga SSJ. With that in mind, when trying to power scale Non-Self State, there are 3 possibilities.
If Non-Self State is comparable to Potential Unleashed, Krillin's power scales between SSJ2 & SSJ3.
If Non-Self State is comparable to god ki, Krillin's power scales between SSJ3 & SSJ God.
If Non-Self State is comparable to Ultra Instinct (Sign or Mastered), Krillin's power scales above SSJ3 to SSJ God but with the peak skill similar to UI & all of Krillin's mastery of martial arts are on full display.
Either way, Krillin gained quite the amazing power-up. (And this is me being reasonable with how crazy power scaling is in DBS.)
Krillin gaining this power-up isn't just out of nowhere, nor is it simply Krillin raising his ki. It has deeper meaning. And contrary to what most of the fandom inaccurately think, Krillin is one of the most skilled martial artists in all of Dragon Ball. He has to fight in a way to defeat stronger opponents in nearly every battle he has been in.
In DBS, Gohan underestimated Krillin's skill & was quickly eliminated by Krillin when they were sparring. Then, Krillin almost defeated Goku, someone more on par with Krillin's skill. Krillin nearly won because of his skill & smarts. It took Goku transforming into SSJ to not be eliminated. Even then, Krillin still confidently faced SSJ Goku. It wasn't until Goku went SSJB that Krillin was truly outmatched, but he still put up a fight (yes Goku was testing him with SSJB). If Krillin had enough time to calm his mind & use Non-Self State, I have no doubt the match would've gone on longer. That's just a testament to Krillin's skill. Goku & Krillin are Roshi's two greatest students and they show why they are the most skilled martial artists of their respective races (Saiyan & Earthling).
Do I think that Non-Self State will make a return? I doubt it because DBS is extremely Saiyan centric. But it should & I'd love for Non-Self State to return! If not in the anime then in a new DB game as Krillin's unique power-up. NSS looks cool, has interesting inspiration, and it expands the Earthling lore of Dragon Ball as well as expanding on what we know about god ki. It's also a smart & creative way that can make non-Saiyan fighters (like Krillin) get stronger in a reasonable way.
I did SO MUCH research! 😩 I even searched through Google in Japanese to to find information. I searched for things like 無我の領域 and searched for Japanese reviews & summaries of DBS episodes 75 & 76. I used Google's built-in translator as well as personally translating the information myself. I was able to learn a great amount from all of my research & find the true meaning behind Mūga no Ryōiki/Non-Self State.
All in all, it was fun to disect this power-up & find it's inspiration. At first, I was surprised that nobody else discovered this years before I did. But Krillin isn't a Saiyan & he is underestimated by most of the DB community, so it makes sense why most didn't search for deeper meaning. However, some of us did speculated that Krillin did learn god ki. Now we can back it up with more evidence!
The team that worked on these two episodes have my praise for how well written & inspired the episodes are. One of the writers even worked on "Buddha: The Great Departure" so there's no doubt that the Buddhist symbolism in those episodes were purposefully included.
Also, I have yet to finish reading Journey To The West. There may be references from it that tie into Krillin's power-up that I do not have knowledge of at the moment.
Thank you for reading my research! Please share this around & reference this post if you'd like to. I hope this brings more insight to the Dragon Ball community. Maybe this can inspire others to research more about Dragon Ball & discover deeper meaning of things throughout the series.
Mūga no Ryōiki/Non-Self State is a spiritual transformation in a way similar to Super Saiyan God & Migatte no Gokui/Ultra Instinct.
This path to enlightenment is fitting to be learned by Krillin who's creation was inspired of the Buddhist shaolin warrior monks.
Goku & Krillin attain similar power through similar principles. Krillin gained a higher state of mind first. Goku gained an advanced version afterwards, thanks to his training from the Angel, Whis. Both still have room to keep improving & growing to higher levels of power.
Both Non-Self State & Ultra Instinct are spiritual awakenings. DBS chapter 39 is even titled "Sign of Son Goku's Awakening." & we've gone over info that reveals Krillin had an awakening as well.
The 7th chakra transforms you and is a connection to a higher state of consciousness & to the divine. 7th chakra has a connection to rainbows and the moon. We see that the Paradise Herb has rainbow colours 🌿🌈 & there are 3 moons in the Forest of Terror. 🌑🌑🌑
One of the stones for 7th Chakra/Sahasrāra is the moonstone. The stone represents new beginnings, inner growth and strength. It soothes emotional instability and stress, and stabilises the emotions, providing calmness. In DBS EP 75, the moon is shown when Goku & Krillin are about to spar outside Krillin's house, and again when Krillin is in deep thought as he trains alone outside at Kame house under the moonlight. Then in episodes 75 & 76, there are 3 moons seen inside the Forest of Terror, emphasizing & foreshadowing Krillin's spiritual transformation.
The way the branches of trees are shown in the Forest of Terror seem to resemble a bodhi tree (tree of enlightenment) in an altered way to fit DB's world. It's said that Buddha achieved enlightenment under a bodhi tree. Krillin achieves enlightenment in a forest of trees. Also note that inside of the Forest of Terror, the trees have a rainbow tint & sometimes a rainbow glow, (the rocks & some of the ground have a rainbow tint as well) representing the chakra colors & Krillin's eventual awakening.
Krillin being in the Forest of Terror is interesting to me. The "lin/rin" part of Krillin's name is derived from "shaolin" which means little forest. Then the temple Krillin trained at before he trained with Roshi is named Orin Temple/Orin-ji. It can be translated as big forest temple. That's a lot of forests.
The enemies that appeared were a combination of Goku & Krillin's fears from past opponents. Krillin never saw King Piccolo so that was somebody Goku had fear of. (Even Bulma appeared/transfigured there for comedic affect.) Goku's Saiyan nature allows him to dismiss trauma much easier than Krillin's human nature. The apparitions show that both have their fears of the past. Goku was able to conquer his fears faster. Krillin, who has experience greater trauma, was able to soon conquer his fears & transcended himself.
Krillin may have had an Overactive Seventh Chakra. "In the overactive (or hyperactive) mode, the seventh Chakra can lead a person to have obsessive thoughts. Such individuals live in the past or constantly think about the future." Krillin was partially living in the past due to his traumatic experiences. An Overactive Crown Chakra fits better for Krillin than having an Underactive Crown Chakra in which a person would behave selfishly (unlike Krillin, who is constantly shown to be self-sacrificing).
The 7th Chakra's colour is violet or white. We see that Krillin gains a luminous white aura, but what about the violet colour? The sky inside of the Forest of Terror has a violet hue & there is a violet aura around the enemies at one point. This could be explained away as a dark or evil kind of aura & atmosphere, as to which it may be. BUT there is a lone violet coloured butterfly that appears only once. It is symbolic. Butterflies have metaphorical meaning.
The violet coloured butterfly. Butterflies are often a metaphor representing spiritual rebirth, spiritual transformation, change, hope and life. This foreshadows & represents Krillin's spiritual rebirth & transformation.
The teaching of anattā is a belief that there is no eternal soul or Supreme Soul/God. Since in Dragon Ball, living beings have souls & there are many gods, the exact doctrines of Buddhism don't perfectly align. This could be why in Dragon Ball, Krillin is surprised that Goku is training with Kami because it contradicts his Buddhist beliefs. But I am unsure. Also the Hindu teaching of ātman (soul, true self) could apply a bit more in Dragon Ball in this instance. Regardless, the Dragon Ball version of Nirvana was achieved by Krillin.
The aura around Krillin's fist could also be inspired of the history of the Luohan and Shaolin. Visually displaying his mastery of martial arts.
Luohan's 18 Hands seems that it could be a reason Toriyama paired Krillin (a Shaolin) with C-18. Or it's just a coincidence. Probably coincidence, but its interesting to think about.
"Depending on the actions performed in previous lives, rebirth could be as a human or animal or even ghosts, demi-gods, or gods." This can apply for Uub as well. He was reborn with god ki, while Krillin had to awaken to nirvana to gain access to god ki.
Both Krillin & Goku both calmly breathe to activate their power. They control their breathing to enter Non-Self State & Ultra Instinct. The breathing is to show them going into a type of a meditative state. In order to convey their hightened spiritual state, hey do not do the traditional screaming that usually involves anger to power-up or transform.
Krillin's Non-Self State resembles Goku's Ultra Instinct more than Roshi's pseudo Ultra Instinct from the manga. The build up that Roshi's "power" had was little to none. It just suddenly appeared. Unfortunately, it is poorly explained & poorly implimented in the story. I have no problem with Roshi having something similar to UI, but the execution was wack. (Example: Roshi blindfolds himself to not be affected by beautiful enemies & he is able to use his "power/technique". The enemies merge into an "ugly" woman, Roshi decides to take off his blindfold so he can lose his technique & get beaten up.)
We could infer that the Immortal Phoenix did still grant Roshi immortality. It could've brought the Paradise Herb to Roshi. Or the Immortality Elixer could have been made from the Paradise Herb. Reason being, Roshi didn't truly have a secret technique that would boost energy in an instant that he was going to teach Goku & Krillin. Roshi says if it did exist then he would be the first to know of it. (It's implied Roshi didn't know what Krillin was talking about. Baba says she doubts that Roshi even knew of a secret technique.) But Krillin had discovered something Roshi had not, & Krillin respectfully gave credit to his master. BUT Roshi did know of the blessed herb that was able to extend the lifespan. But there's still the small possibility that Roshi did have some knowledge of this power.
"Pursuing the threefold training (higher virtue, higher mind/concentration, higher wisdom) leads to the abandonment of lust, hatred, and delusion. One who is fully accomplished in this training attains Nirvana." Roshi is still shown to be full of lust, so this is one of the major reasons why he is unable to acquire Non-Self State.
Tang Sanzeng from Journey To The West is sometimes referred to as the Longevity Monk. Krillin (a monk) receiving longevity due to the Paradise Herb could be a reference to this.
Krillin is even able to advance the Solar Flare in a way nobody else has been able to by creating the Solar Flare x 100. An advanced technique that blinds the opponent even if their eyes are closed & is also able to prevent the opponent from sensing Krillin's ki. Do you know how amazing of a feat that is to stop somebody from sensing your ki without being an android/cyborg?! That has to be a product of Krillin's enlightenment.
The Forest of Terror is a realm between this world & OtherWorld, a place between life & death. It's possible that this forest is putting Krillin in a near death-like state, allowing Krillin to spiritually transform. And Goku was at near death when Ultra Instinct Sign was triggered. Could be some correlation between the two.
In a way, the Forest of Terror is putting Krillin through his very first great traumatic experience. When Krillin was killed by a demon, he was stuck in limbo & unable to pass on to the Afterlife. In DBS, Krillin goes into an entrance that looks like the mouth of a giant demon in order to reach the Forest of Terror, a plane that exists between the living and the Afterlife, a type of limbo. In DB, Krillin was stuck in a state of constant suffering after Tambourine killed him. In the Forest of Terror, Krillin was prevented from leaving & had to face all of his trauma at once. Krillin had to relive being stuck in limbo with added traumas & he then overcame all of his trauma. To add, there's the fact that Fortuneteller Baba is involved in this episode and Baba has a strong link to the Afterlife & she freely travels to Other World. All of this appears to be intentional story telling. It's very interesting to think about.
Krillin rises above himself after he gets out of the water. This could represent how a lotus flower rises above from muddy water. And the lotus flower representing enlightenment & awakening. [There's a rap reference I could make about Krillin coming "up out the mud" Lol.]
Earthlings do have transformations. Its not a hair colour change like Saiyans, nor do they turn into giant monkeys (although some humans are capable of transforming into werewolves & such). Krillin demonstrates that Earthlings are capable of spiritual transformation, but it is very rare and very difficult to obtain. As far as we know, the only known Earthling to spiritually transform is Krillin.
When Krillin & Goku fight an apparition of Super Shenron, it appears to be random, BUT it could be a reference to the dragon Anavatapta. Both are godly beings, Anavatapta resides in a lake & is later said to have resided in a cave, while Super Shenron appears inside the cave-like entrance to the Forest of Terror. Anavatapta is also called Zennyo Ryūō & in an apparition, it is described as a golden snake riding on a dragon & it is usually depicted as a small dragon in Japanese art. Then in DBS EP 76, the apparition of the smaller Super Shenron is a golden dragon that wrapped itself around Goku like a snake. Was this intentional? It seems highly possible.
Krillin's Non-Self State parallels Aang's Avatar State (ATLA). Both are based off of the same teachings. Just as Aang has to focus & let go in order to enter into the Avatar State, Krillin has to do the same to enter Non-Self State. They acquire great cosmic power a higher state of mind that makes them god-like. (If its difficult for you to wrap your head around what Non-Self State means & how it works, simply imagine it as Krillin's Avatar State.)
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/No_Ego_Zone
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Forest_of_Terror
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Paradise_Herb
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Potential_Unleashed
God Ki without physical transformation
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/God-like_Saiyan
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Aura_of_a_God
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Autonomous_Ultra_Instinct_(ability)
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/Autonomous_Ultra_Instinct
https://www.britannica.com/topic/anatta
https://www.hinduwebsite.com/buddhism/anatta.asp
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatt%C4%81
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%80tman_(Buddhism)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%E1%B8%A5kha
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa%E1%B9%83s%C4%81ra
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Noble_Truths
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhy%C4%81na_in_Buddhism
Upekṣā (the Buddhist concept of equanimity)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upek%E1%B9%A3%C4%81
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praj%C3%B1%C4%81_(Buddhism)
Pāramitā (perfection/transcendence)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%81ramit%C4%81
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhahood
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha-nature
Japanese Zen - Zen Buddhism
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Zen
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra
https://www.chakras.info/crown-chakra/
https://www.arhantayoga.org/blog/crown-chakra-divine-energy-of-sahasrara-chakra/
