According to Martin T. Adam "taken as a whole the Bhāvanākramas appear to constitute a kind of apology or justification for a gradualist approach to the Mahayana Buddhist goal of Awakening." In the Tibetan tradition they are seen as outlining
Kamalashila's refutation of the
Chinese Chan doctrine of
sudden enlightenment which is said to have occurred during
a series of debates at
Samye (C. 792-794), Tibet's first Buddhist monastery.
Kamalashila's main argument is that one must gradually cultivate the causes and conditions which make the arrival of awakening possible. Two aspects of the path are necessary, moral cultivation of the
paramitas and "the discernment of reality" (
bhutapratyaveksa) through the practice of tranquility and insight meditation. In Kamalashila's attacks against his opponents, he tries to show their approach is lacking elements of these two key aspects of cultivation and is thus a lower teaching or
Sravakayana. The first book consists of a summary of Mahayana doctrine and teachings and the three kinds of wisdom (associated with study, thinking and meditation), the second book focuses on cultivation (
bhavana) and method (
upaya) and the third book explains the fruit of the meditative path - wisdom (
prajña). Kamalashila opens the first book by stating: "The Bhāvanākramas is briefly set forth with regard to the regulation of conduct of a beginner in the
Mahayana sutras." Other important topics include
compassion,
bodhicitta, and the
Bodhisattva stages. An overview of the path outlined by Kamalashila is as follows: • Meditation on
great compassion • Generation of
bodhicitta • Importance of practice • Practicing
samatha • Practicing
vipassana • Accumulation of
merit • Practice of
skillful means • Attainment of
perfect enlightenment as a result by integrated practice of
wisdom and compassion. ==English Translations==