Sudden awakening or Sudden enlightenment (Chinese: 頓悟; pinyin: Dùnwù; Japanese pronunciation: tongo), also known as subitism, is a Buddhist idea which holds that practitioners can achieve an instantaneous insight into utlimate reality (Buddha-nature, or the nature of mind).[1] This awakening is described as being attained "suddenly,"[2] "in one glance," "uncovered all together," or "together, completely, simultaneously," in contrast to "successively or being uncovered one after the other."[3] It may be posited as opposite to gradualism, an approach which says that insight can be achieved only through a long gradual step by step process.[4][3]