중국의 남쪽과 북쪽의 선문 (禪門)이 각각 다른 것을 말함. 남에는 혜능 (慧能), 북에는 신수 (神秀). 신수는 돈오 (頓悟)와 점수 (漸修)를 인정하면서도 교학적 (敎學的)이었고, 혜능은 미오 (迷悟)가 하나이므로 본래무일물 (本來無一物)과 수증불이 (修證不二)를 전하니, 후에 오가 칠종 (五家 七宗)을 이루다

The southern sudden enlightenment and the northern gradual enlightenment: The northern school founded by Master Shenxiu acknowledged both sudden and gradual enlightenments, but it emphasized the doctrinal teaching while the southern school founded by Huineng emphasized sudden enlightenment with claims of the intrinsic emptiness of things and the selfsameness of cultivation and enlightenment. The southern lineage later became the house of five houses and seven branches of the Chinese Ch’an tradition.