The main idea of Chinul[知訥]’s theory of sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation[頓悟漸修] : Focusing on the importance of reflective observation[返照]

Existing research on Chinul's theory of ‘sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation[[頓悟漸修]]’ mainly debated whether the enlightenment based on understanding, Jie-Wu[解悟] could be recognized as the Zen thought under the influence of Seongcheol[性徹]. Although Jie-Wu is an important concept in his thoughts, what he wants to emphasize through the ‘Jie-Wu followed by gradual cultivation[解悟漸修]’ is rather the ultimate enlightenment, Zheng-Wu[證悟], and the importance of practicing reflective observation, fanzao[返照] to reach the ultimate enlightenment. His theory on samādhi[禪定] and prajñā[智慧] is a process of reaching Zheng-Wu from Jie-Wu by accumulating fanzhao cultivation. The Ganhwa[看話] practice proposed by Chinul in his later years is understood to contradict to his existing theory, but this is also the result of understanding his thoughts centered on Jie-Wu. The key-concepts(話頭) of the Ganhwa practice is also in the context of the practice of fanzhao to reach the ultimate state of samādhi and prajñā[自性門定慧], and it is not different from the purpose of his existing theory. In other words, Chinul's theory of ‘sudden awakening followed by gradual cultivation’ is consistent with the practice of fanzhao to achieve Zheng-Wu, which is the main idea of his thought. 'Don't look for outside'.