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**QEoMi752** · 07-22-2012, 12:11 AM

Dear friends,

Do the ideas of "sudden" and "gradual" enlightenment exist in all Buddhist traditions ?

I'd also be interested in your own opinions about these concepts.

with kind wishes,

Aloka

According to my understanding, one should develop the 8-fold path to attain enlightenment so it has to be a gradual practice.

However, we find references to sudden enlightenment in suttas. But, if I am not mistaken, all of them were either ascetics (like Bahiya) or monks. So it is possible that their minds were already developed to a certain extent when they received the specific liberating teachings from the Buddha.

07-22-2012, 12:11 AM	#3
QEoMi752 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 458 Senior Member	Dear friends, Do the ideas of "sudden" and "gradual" enlightenment exist in all Buddhist traditions ? I'd also be interested in your own opinions about these concepts. with kind wishes, Aloka According to my understanding, one should develop the 8-fold path to attain enlightenment so it has to be a gradual practice. However, we find references to sudden enlightenment in suttas. But, if I am not mistaken, all of them were either ascetics (like Bahiya) or monks. So it is possible that their minds were already developed to a certain extent when they received the specific liberating teachings from the Buddha.
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