摩訶止觀 3.199

3.199

4. Explaining the gradual and sudden: "Gradual" means sequential, relying on the shallow by which to proceed to the deep; "sudden" means suddenly complete, suddenly reaching the ultimate. This also has no different purport, but rather corroborates and establishes the biased and the perfect. The calming and contemplation of the [first] three teachings are all gradual; the calming and contemplation of the perfect teaching is termed sudden. This is explaining according to the names, and their meaning is already evident. Now we will further distinguish them in detail, so that nothing remains unclarified. If the calming and contemplation of the preceding two teachings are gradual and not sudden, their power does not extend far, and they only accord with biased truth; the calming and contemplation of the perfect teaching is sudden and not gradual, walking the great direct path, identifying the extremes with the middle; the calming and contemplation of the distinctive teaching is both gradual and sudden. Why is this? Because the initial mind knows the middle, it is termed also sudden; because one enters by proceeding through provisional means, it is termed also gradual.