My dear friends,

The seventh and eighth precepts in Atiśa's "The Best" are:

These precepts touch deeply on the gradual vs. sudden enlightenment debate within Mahāyāna Buddhism. Let us explore this with care, for this is a topic that has been a source of rich and nuanced discussion across different schools and lineages.

"The best higher attainment is the lessening of your mental afflictions."

This precept speaks to a gradual process of purification and transformation. It suggests that spiritual progress can be measured not by extraordinary experiences or flashes of insight alone, but by a steady and noticeable reduction in one's mental afflictions (kleshas) : anger, greed, ignorance, pride, jealousy, and the like. This aligns well with the gradualist perspective found in many Tibetan traditions, particularly in the lam rim ("stages of the path") teachings, where the path to enlightenment is understood as a systematic and step-by-step process. Through diligent practice—such as the cultivation of ethical conduct, meditation, and wisdom—mental afflictions gradually diminish, like clouds thinning to reveal the clear sky of the mind.

This gradual lessening is seen not just as a preliminary stage, but as the very essence of progress on the path. Each step on the path requires patience and persistence, a continual refinement and purification of the mind. In this sense, the gradualist path teaches that enlightenment is achieved through a series of insights, each deepening and expanding as one's understanding of the Dharma grows, accompanied by a corresponding lessening of the mental defilements.

"The best sign of higher attainment is a decrease in your attachment."

The decrease of attachment also points to a gradual process, where clinging and grasping slowly lose their hold as wisdom deepens. However, this can also be seen from the perspective of the sudden schools, such as in Chan (Zen) or certain Vajrayana practices. From the perspective of sudden enlightenment, when true insight into the nature of reality (emptiness, or śūnyatā) arises, attachment naturally falls away—instantly and completely, like a rope being cut. Such teachings suggest that a direct and profound realization can sever the roots of attachment, rather than merely trimming the branches, resulting in a sudden and transformative awakening.

However, even within these sudden traditions, there is acknowledgment of a process that precedes and follows this experience. For example, in Zen, while enlightenment can be sudden, there is often a long period of intense practice leading up to that moment of sudden insight—a kind of gradual preparation. And after the moment of sudden awakening, practitioners often continue to work on "maturing" that insight, deepening it, and bringing it into every aspect of their daily life.

Integrating the Two Perspectives

Atiśa’s teachings do not dismiss either perspective but rather point to the heart of spiritual practice: the transformation of the mind. Whether one approaches this as a gradual reduction of mental afflictions or as a sudden shift in perception, the essential measure of progress is the same—the lessening of attachment and affliction:

From the perspective of the Bodhisattva path, enlightenment is not an abstract ideal but a lived reality, manifesting as greater compassion, kindness, and wisdom. Whether one’s progress feels slow and steady or rapid and immediate, the truth is that the fruit of practice will always be revealed in how we relate to ourselves and others:

There is, in this teaching, an echo of Biblical wisdom as well:

The fruits of spiritual practice are not just lofty experiences but a transformation of character—a shift from self-centeredness to love, from fear to peace, from grasping to freedom. In this way, we see a parallel between the slow growth of a tree bearing fruit over time and the possibility of sudden flowering when the right conditions converge.

A Path That Embraces Both

In the end, whether one follows a gradual or sudden path, what matters is the continual lessening of mental afflictions and attachments. Sudden enlightenment can be seen as a peak moment on the gradual path, a breakthrough that must still be integrated and deepened. And even the gradualist must prepare the conditions for sudden insights, allowing spontaneous realizations to arise as the fruit of sustained effort.

Atiśa’s precepts offer a reminder that, regardless of the method or school, the true measure of attainment is in the heart’s transformation. It is not about how quickly or slowly one reaches enlightenment, but about the authenticity of the journey—the growing purity of intention, the softening of the ego, and the blossoming of wisdom and compassion.