Sudden awakening orSudden enlightenment (Chinese:頓悟; pinyin:Dùnwù; Japanese pronunciation:tongo), also known assubitism, is aBuddhist idea which holds that practitioners can achieve an instantaneousinsight intoultimate reality (Buddha-nature, or thenature of mind).^[1] This awakening is described as being attained "suddenly,"^[2] "in one glance," "uncovered all together," or "together, completely, simultaneously," in contrast to "successively or being uncovered one after the other."^[3] It may be posited as opposite togradualism, an approach which says that insight can be achieved only through a long gradual step by step process.^[4][3]

The application of the term "subitism" toBuddhism is derived from the Frenchillumination subite (sudden awakening), contrasting with 'illumination graduelle' (gradual awakening). It gained currency in this use in English from the work ofsinologistPaul Demiéville. His 1947 work 'Mirror of the Mind' was widely read in the U.S. It inaugurated a series by him on subitism and gradualism.^{[web 1][5]}

The Chinese termdun 頓, as used indunwu 頓悟, translated as "subite," sudden,^[5] has a broader meaning than "sudden."^[5] It is more apt translated as "in one glance," "uncovered all together," or "together, completely, simultaneously," in contrast to "successively or being uncovered one after the other."^[3] It means that all aspects of Buddhist practice are realized, or actualized, simultaneously, and not one after another as in a gradual or linear school curriculum. Specifically, the defilements are not erased gradually, by good works, but simultaneously.^{[6][7][8][note 1]}

Subitizing, also derived from the Latin adjective subitus, is the rapid, accurate, and confident judgments of numbers performed for small numbers of items.

The distinction between sudden awakening and gradual awakening (Chinese:漸悟) has its roots in Indian Buddhism.^[11] It was first introduced in China at the beginning of the5th century byDaosheng.^[12] The term became of central importance inChan Buddhism, where it is used to denote the doctrinal position thatawakening, the comprehension or realization of the Buddhist teachings, happens simultaneously, and is not the fruit of a gradual accretion or realisation.

In the 8th century the distinction became part of a struggle for influence at the Chinese court byShenhui, a student ofHuineng. Hereafter "sudden enlightenment" became one of the hallmarks of Chan Buddhism, though the sharp distinction was softened by subsequent generations of practitioners.^[13]

This softening is reflected in thePlatform Sutra ofHuineng.

While the Patriarch was living in Bao Lin Monastery, the Grand Master Shen Xiu was preaching in Yu Quan Monastery of Jing Nan. At that time the two Schools, that of Hui Neng of the South and Shen Xiu of the North, flourished side by side. As the two Schools were distinguished from each other by the names "Sudden" (the South) and "Gradual" (the North), the question which sect they should follow baffled certain Buddhist scholars (of that time). (Seeing this), the Patriarch addressed the assembly as follows:
So far as theDharma is concerned, there can be only one School. (If a distinction exists) it exists in the fact that the founder of one school is a northern man, while the other is a southerner. While there is only onedharma, some disciples realize it more quickly than others. The reason why the names 'Sudden' and 'Gradual' are given is that some disciples are superior to others in mental dispositions. So far as the Dharma is concerned, the distinction of 'Sudden' and 'Gradual' does not exist.^{[web 2]}

While the socalled "Southern School" was said to place emphasis on sudden enlightenment, it also marked a shift in doctrinal basis from theLaṅkāvatāra Sūtra to theprajnaparamita tradition, especially theDiamond Sutra. The Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, which endorses theBuddha-nature, emphasized purity of mind, which can be attained in gradations. TheDiamond Sutra emphasizesśūnyatā, which "must be realized totally or not at all".^[14]

Once this dichotomy was in place, it defined its own logic and rhetorics, which are also recognizable in the distinction betweenCaodong (Sōtō) andLinji (Rinzai) schools.^[15] But it also leads to a "sometimes bitter and always prolix sectarian controversy between later Ch'an andHua-yen exegetes".^[16] In theHuayan classification of teachings, the sudden approach was regarded inferior to the Perfect Teaching of Huayan.Guifeng Zongmi, fifth patriarch of Huayan and Chan master, devised hisown classification to counter this subordination.^[4] To establish the superiority of Chan,Jinul, the most important figure in the formation ofKorean Seon, explained the sudden approach as not pointing to mere emptiness, but tosuchness or thedharmadhatu.^[17]

Guifeng Zongmi, fifth-generation successor to Shenhui, also softened the edge between sudden and gradual. In his analysis, sudden awakening points to seeing into one's true nature, but is to be followed by a gradual cultivation to attainbuddhahood.^[4]

This gradual cultivation is also recognized byDongshan Liangjie, who described theFive Ranks of enlightenment.^{[web 3]} Other example of depiction of stages on the path are theTen Bulls, which detail the steps on the Path, The Three Mysterious Gates ofLinji, and theFour Ways of Knowing ofHakuin Ekaku.^[18] This gradual cultivation is described by Chan Master Sheng Yen as follows:

Ch'an expressions refer to enlightenment as "seeing your self-nature". But even this is not enough. After seeing your self-nature, you need to deepen your experience even further and bring it into maturation. You should have enlightenment experience again and again and support them with continuous practice. Even though Ch'an says that at the time of enlightenment, your outlook is the same as of the Buddha, you are not yet afull Buddha.^[19]

In the Fivefold Classification of the Huayan and theFive Periods and Eight Teachings of the Tiantai, the sudden teaching was given a high place. However, it was still inferior to these schools' Complete or Perfect teachings.

The Pure Land Buddhist patriarchShandao clarified that the Pure Land teaching is a sudden Dharma Door, since on birth the pure land, one attains sudden non-retrogression, while all other paths of practice will take countless lifetimes.Honen explained it as “the sudden of the sudden (頓中頓) teachings”.^[20]Shinran classified the pure land path as the easy path of Sudden Crosswise Transcendence (contra the Lengthwise and difficult practice of the "path of sages").^[21]

In the Japanese Pure Land school, the realization ofshinjin (true faith), which guaranteed one's birth in thepure land, was often described as a sudden religious experience. This was called "ichi-nen" (the one thought moment) or “faith in one nenbutsu” (shin no ichinen) by figures likeShinran andKōsai.^[22]

Jinul (1158-1210), a Seon master, followed Zongmi and also emphasized that insight into our true nature is sudden but must be followed by practice to ripen it and attain full Buddhahood.^[23]

In contemporary Korean Seon,Seongcheol defended the stance of "sudden insight, sudden cultivation". CitingTaego Bou (1301-1382) as the true successor of theLinji Yixuan line of patriarchs rather than Jinul, he advocatedHuineng's original stance of 'sudden enlightenment, sudden cultivation' (Chinese:頓悟頓修; Korean:돈오돈수) as opposed to Jinul's stance of 'sudden enlightenment, gradual cultivation' (Chinese:頓悟漸修; Korean:돈오점수).^[24] Whereas Jinul had initially asserted that with enlightenment comes the need to further one's practice by gradually destroying the karmic vestiges attained through millions of rebirths,Huineng and Seongcheol maintained that with perfect enlightenment, all karmic remnants disappear and one becomes a Buddha immediately.^{[25][26][27][28]}

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When Zen was introduced in the west, the Rinzai stories of unconventional masters and sudden enlightenment caught the popular imagination.D. T. Suzuki was a seminal influence in this regard. It was Suzuki's contention that a Zensatori (awakening) was the goal of the tradition's training.^[29][30] As Suzuki portrayed it, Zen Buddhism was a highly practical religion whose emphasis on direct experience made it particularly comparable to forms ofmystical experience that scholars such asWilliam James had emphasized as the fountainhead of all religious sentiment.^[31]

Dzogchen (Wylie:rdzogs chen, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known asatiyoga (utmost yoga), is a sudden-enlightenment tradition of teachings inIndo-Tibetan Buddhism andYungdrung Bon aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimateground of existence.^[32] The primordial ground (gzhi, "basis") is said to have the qualities of purity (i.e.emptiness), spontaneity (lhun grub, associated withluminous clarity) andcompassion (thugs rje). The goal of Dzogchen is knowledge of this basis, this knowledge is calledrigpa (Skt.vidyā). There are numerous spiritual practices taught in the various Dzogchen systems for awakeningrigpa.

The Advaita tradition emphasizes that, since Brahman is ever-present, Brahman-knowledge is immediate and requires no 'action', that is, striving and effort, as articulated by Shankara;^[33][34][35] yet, it also prescribes elaborate preparatory practice, including yogic samadhi and contemplation on theMahāvākyas,^{[34][36][37][38]} posing a paradox which is also recognized in other spiritual disciplines and traditions.^[34][39]

Classical Advaita Vedānta regards the liberated state of beingAtman-Brahman as one's true identity and inherent to being human. No human action can 'produce' this liberated state, as it is what one already is.^[34] As Swami Vivekananda stated:

The Vedas cannot show you Brahman, you are That already. They can only help to take away the veil that hides truth from our eyes. The cessation of ignorance can only come when I know that God and I are one; in other words, identify yourself with Atman, not with human limitations. The idea that we are bound is only an illusion [Maya]. Freedom is inseparable from the nature of the Atman. This is ever pure, ever perfect, ever unchangeable.

— Adi Shankara's commentary on FourthVyasa Sutra, Swami Vivekananda^[40]

Yet, it also emphasizes human effort, the path of Jnana Yoga, a progression of study and training to realize one's true identity asAtman-Brahman and attainmoksha.^[34][36][37] Whereasneo-Advaita emphasizes direct insight, traditional Advaita Vedanta entails more than self-inquiry or bare insight into one's real nature, but also includes self-restraint, textual studies and ethical perfection. It is described in classical Advaita books like Shankara'sUpadesasahasri^[41] and theVivekachudamani, which is also attributed to Shankara.

Sruti (scriptures), proper reasoning and meditation are the main sources of knowledge (vidya) for the Advaita Vedānta tradition.^[42][43][38] It teaches that correct knowledge of Atman and Brahman is achievable bysvādhyāya,^[44] study of the self and of the Vedic texts, and three stages of practice:sravana (perception, hearing),manana (thinking) andnididhyasana (meditation),^[38] a three-step methodology that is rooted in the teachings of chapter 4 of theBrihadaranyaka Upanishad.^[45][46]

Shankara regarded thesrutis as the means of knowledge of Brahman, and he was ambivalent about yogic practices and meditation, which at best may prepare one forBrahma-jnana.^{[web 4]} According to Rambacharan, criticising Vivekananda's presentation of yoga and samadhi as an Advaitic means of knowledge, Shankara states that the knowledge of Brahman can only be obtained from inquiry of theShruti, and not by Yoga or samadhi, which at best can only silence the mind.^[47]

Ramana Maharshi made a distinction betweenakrama mukti, "sudden liberation", as opposed to thekrama mukti, "gradual liberation" as in the Vedanta path ofjnana yoga:^{[web 5][note 2]}

‘Some people,’ he said, ‘start off by studying literature in their youth. Then they indulge in the pleasures of the world until they are fed up with them. Next, when they are at an advanced age, they turn to books on Vedanta. They go to a guru and get initiated by him and then start the process of sravana, manana and nididhyasana, which finally culminates in samadhi. This is the normal and standard way of approaching liberation. It is called krama mukti [gradual liberation]. But I was overtaken by akrama mukti [sudden liberation] before I passed through any of the above-mentioned stages.’^{[web 5]}

The teachings of Bhausaheb Maharaj, the founder of theInchegeri Sampradaya, have been called "the Ant's way",^{[note 3]} the way of meditation,^{[web 8]} while the teachings of Siddharameshwar Maharaj, his disciples Nisargadatta Maharaj and Ranjit Maharaj and Nisargadatta's disciple, Ramakant Maharaj have been called "the Bird's Way",^{[note 4]} the direct path to Self-discovery:^{[web 8]}

The way of meditation is a long arduous path while the Bird's Way is a clear direct path of Self investigation, Self exploration, and using thought or concepts as an aid to understanding and Self-Realization. Sometimes this approach is also called the Reverse Path. What Reverse Path indicates is theturning around of one's attention away from objectivity to the more subjective sense of one's Beingness.^{[note 5]} With the Bird's Way, first one's mind must be made subtle. This is generally done with some initial meditation on a mantra or phrase which helps the aspirant to step beyond the mental/conceptual body, using a concept to go beyond conceptualization.^{[web 8]}

The terms appear in the Varaha Upanishad, Chapter IV:

34. (The Rishi)Suka is a Mukta (emancipated person). (The Rishi)Vamadeva is a Mukta. There are no others (who have attained emancipation) than through these (viz., the two paths of these two Rishis). Those brave men who follow the path of Suka in this world become Sadyo-Muktas (viz., emancipated) immediately after (the body wear away);

35. While those who always follow the path of Vamadeva (i.e., Vedanta) in this world are subject again and again to rebirths and attain Krama (gradual) emancipation, through Yoga, Sankhya and Karmas associated with Sattva (Guna).

36. Thus there are two paths laid down by the Lord of Devas (viz.,) the Suka and Vamadeva paths. The Suka path is called the bird’s path; while the Vamadeva path is called the ant’s path.^{[web 9]}

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