Realising the truth of reality entails entering the path of application until attaining buddhahood; this is a lengthy process, which involves different levels of mental realisation. Which means one who has entered the path of application attains realisation; this is what I refer to as preliminary realisation. When do we just attain realisation? It’s the path of application; then one progresses to the path of seeing, where realisation is standard, and attaining a great state of realisation. Nevertheless, both paths are the stage of realisation.

~Depicted from LUMINOUS WISDOM BOOK SERIES