📜 原文 Original Text
「恺之每食甘蔗，恒自尾至本。人或怪之，云：渐入佳境。」 ——修行次第 / 《晋书·顾恺之传》
— Buddhist stages of practice
📖 释义 Annotation
「渐入佳境」原出《晋书》顾恺之吃甘蔗的典故，后被佛教借用形容修行的次第过程。修行不是一步到位的，而是像吃甘蔗从梢到根，越吃越甜。佛教的「渐修」思想认为，虽然最终的觉悟可能是顿悟，但之前的准备和积累是渐进的——戒、定、慧三学需要次第修习，不能躐等。
'Gradually entering a wonderful state' originally came from Gu Kaizhi eating sugarcane from tip to root. Buddhism adopted it to describe the gradual stages of practice — like sugarcane getting sweeter, cultivation deepens step by step through precepts, concentration, and wisdom.
💡 当代启示 Modern Application
不要急于求成。无论是学习一门技能还是培养一个好习惯，前期的积累可能看不到明显效果，但坚持下去就会「渐入佳境」——越深入，越有味道。
Don't rush for results. Whether learning a skill or building a habit, early accumulation may show little effect, but persistence leads to 'gradually entering a wonderful state' — the deeper you go, the richer it becomes.