[PWRichard]

Welcome, Truelotus and thanks, stuka. Here in Korea, there's a strong attachment to the idea that enlighenment is instantaneous. That doctrine won out over the 'gradual enlightenment' doctrine that preceeded it. (Not all Zen traditions emphasize sudden enlightenment) One monk pointed out that in the sutras many people became enlightened as soon as they heard the Buddha's teachings. I (tried to) point out that those people were already ascetics or practitioners of other religions, so they already had ethical and concentration training. That is, they were prepped before they encountered the Buddha. He just gave them the final push. It's much, much more common in the suttas for someone to hear the Buddha's teachings, see them as at least potentially of great value, and become a monk in order to undergo the gradual training.