A Gradual Training
The Dhamma, the truth taught by the Buddha, unfolds gradually. The
Buddha
made clear many times that Awakening does not occur like a bolt
out of the blue to the untrained and unprepared mind. Rather, it
culminates a long journey of many stages:1
Just as the ocean has a gradual shelf, a gradual
slope, a gradual inclination, with a sudden drop-off only after a
long stretch, in the same way this Doctrine and Discipline (dhamma-vinaya)
has a gradual training, a gradual performance, a gradual
progression, with a penetration to gnosis only after a long
stretch. — Ud V.5
Monks, I do not say that the attainment of gnosis is
all at once. Rather, the attainment of gnosis is after gradual
training, gradual action, gradual practice. And how is there the
attainment of gnosis after gradual training, gradual action, gradual
practice? There is the case where, when conviction has arisen, one
visits [a teacher]. Having visited, one grows close. Having grown
close, one lends ear. Having lent ear, one hears the Dhamma. Having
heard the Dhamma, one remembers it. Remembering, one penetrates the
meaning of the teachings. Penetrating the meaning, one comes to an
agreement through pondering the teachings. There being an agreement
through pondering the teachings, desire arises. When desire has
arisen, one is willing. When one is willing, one contemplates.
Having contemplated, one makes an exertion. Having made an exertion,
one realizes with the body the ultimate truth and, having penetrated
it with discernment, sees it. — MN 70
In more practical terms, the Buddha taught this "gradual
training" (anupubbi-katha) as a process that unfolds in six
stages, guiding newcomers from first principles through progressively
more advanced teachings, all the way to the fulfillment of the Four
Noble Truths and the full realization of nibbana:
Then the Blessed One, having encompassed the awareness
of the entire assembly with his awareness, asked himself, "Now
who here is capable of understanding the Dhamma?" He saw
Suppabuddha the leper sitting in the assembly, and on seeing him the
thought occurred to him, "This person here is capable of
understanding the Dhamma." So, aiming at Suppabuddha the leper,
he gave a step-by-step talk, i.e., a talk on giving, a talk on
virtue, a talk on heaven; he declared the drawbacks, degradation,
& corruption of sensual passions, and the rewards of
renunciation. Then when he saw that Suppabuddha the leper's mind was
ready, malleable, free from hindrances, elated, & bright, he
then gave the Dhamma-talk peculiar to Awakened Ones, i.e., stress,
origination, cessation, & path. And just as a clean cloth, free
of stains, would properly absorb a dye, in the same way, as
Suppabuddha the leper was sitting in that very seat, the dustless,
stainless Dhamma eye arose within him, "Whatever is subject to
origination is all subject to cessation." - Ud v.3
At each stage of the training the practitioner discovers a new and
important dimension of the law of cause-and-effect — kamma, the
cornerstone of Right View. It is thus a very useful organizing
framework with which to view the entirety of the Buddha's teachings.
The gradual training begins with the practice of generosity, which
helps begin the long process of weakening the unawakened
practitioner's habitual tendencies to cling — to views, to
sensuality, and to unskillful modes of thought and behavior. This is
followed by the development of virtue, the basic level of
sense-restraint that helps the practitioner develop a healthy and
trustworthy sense of self. The peace of mind born from this level of
self-respect provides the foundation for all further progress along
the path. The practitioner now understands that some kinds of
happiness are deeper and more dependable than anything that
sense-gratification can ever provide; the happiness born of generosity
and virtue can even lead to rebirth in heaven — either literal or
metaphorical. But eventually the practitioner begins to recognize the
intrinsic drawbacks of even this kind of happiness: as good as rebirth
in wholesome states may be, the happiness it brings is not a true and
lasting one, for it relies on conditions over which he or she
ultimately has no control. This marks a crucial turning point in the
training, when the practitioner begins to grasp that true happiness
will never be found in the realm of the physical and sensual world.
The only possible route to an unconditioned happiness lies in
renunciation, in turning away from the sensual realm, by trading the
familiar, lower forms of happiness for something far more rewarding
and noble. Now, at last, the practitioner is ripe to receive the
teachings on the Four Noble Truths, which spell out the course of
mental training required to realize the highest happiness: nibbana.
Many Westerners first encounter the Buddha's teachings on
meditation retreats, which typically begin with instructions in how to
develop the skillful qualities of right mindfulness and right
concentration. It is worth noting that, as important as these
qualities are, the Buddha placed them towards the very end of his
gradual course of training. The meaning is clear: to reap the most
benefit from meditation practice, to bring to full maturity all the
qualities needed for Awakening, the fundamental groundwork must not be
overlooked. There is no short-cutting this process.
Here is the Buddha's six-stage gradual training in more detail:
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