How do we understand growth and realisation? Tracing the historical and psychological roots of two metaphors by which we understand the process of maturation. Two sources of valid forms of knowlege: – Paccakkha "before the eye," i.e. 'perceptible to the senses' 'direct experience'. – Anvaya – 'inference' The history of sudden & gradual. Besides the historical background, these terms have taken on a metaphorical meaning: the talk looks at how these metaphors chart the path of practice, their respective analogies and their images, their framing of the problem and their respective values and drawbacks. – May these metaphors ultimately have their bases in the differeing mind functions of samādhi (gradual) and sati (sudden)? The speaker, despite little canonical evidence, thinks so.