Whereas Indian meditation was a gradual process of spiritual perfection, Tao-sheng advocated instantaneous enlightenment in which the realization of Buddha truth could descend in one fell swoop.
到他的第四代弟子﹘ ﹘四祖道生，凸顯了修行的另一個重點。印度禪從數息到禪定的修行方法，是漸修；道生則提出「放下屠刀、立地成佛」的頓悟觀點。