is a Japanese Buddhist term for awakening, "comprehension; understanding". It is derived from the Japanese verb satoru. In the Zen Buddhist tradition, ''satori'' refers to a deep experience of '' kenshō'', "seeing into one's true

nature Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...

". ''Ken'' means "seeing," ''shō'' means "nature" or "essence". ''Satori'' and ''kenshō'' are commonly translated as enlightenment, a word that is also used to translate bodhi, prajñā and

Buddhahood In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point o ...

Definition

''Satori'' means the experience of awakening ("enlightenment") or apprehension of the true nature of reality. It is often considered an experience which cannot be expressed in words. While the term ''satori'' is derived from the Japanese verb "to know" (''satoru''), it is distinct from the philosophical concept of knowledge as it represents a transcendence of the distinction between one that knows and knowledge. D. T. Suzuki, a Japanese author of books and essays on Buddhism, Zen and Shin that were influential in the West, described "... looking into one's nature or the opening of satori"; and said "This acquiring of a new point of view in our dealings with life and the world is popularly called by Japanese Zen students 'satori' ('' wu'' in Chinese). It is really another name for Enlightenment ('' anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi'')".

''Satori'' and ''kenshō''

''Satori'' is often used interchangeably with ''kenshō''. ''Kenshō'' refers to the perception of the

Buddha-nature Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gon ...

emptiness Emptiness as a human condition is a sense of generalized boredom, social alienation and apathy. Feelings of emptiness often accompany dysthymia, depression, loneliness, anhedonia, despair, or other mental/emotional disorders, including schizoid ...

. While the terms have the same meaning, customarily ''satori'' is used to refer to full, deep experience of enlightenment (such as of the Buddha), while ''kenshō'' is used to refer to a first experience of enlightenment that can still be expanded. Distinct from this first insight, '' daigo-tettei'' is used to refer to a "deep" or lasting realization of the nature of existence.

Importance

According to D. T. Suzuki, This view is typical of Rinzai, which emphasizes ''satori''. The Sōtō school rejects this emphasis, and instead emphasizes "silent illumination" through the practice of ''

zazen ''Zazen'' (literally " seated meditation"; ja, 座禅; , pronounced ) is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. However, the term is a general one not unique to Zen, and thus technical ...

''.

Realizing ''satori''

''Satori'' is considered a "first step" or embarkation toward

: The student's mind must be prepared by rigorous study, with the use of

koan A (; , ; ko, 화두, ; vi, công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement which is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen. Etymology The Japanese term is the Sino-Jap ...

s, and the practice of

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

to concentrate the mind, under the guidance of a teacher. Koans are short anecdotes of verbal exchanges between teachers and students, typically of the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the res ...

, dealing with Buddhist teachings. The Rinzai-school utilizes classic collections of koans such as '' The Gateless Barrier''. ''The Gateless Barrier'' was assembled by the early 13th-century Chinese Zen master Wumen Huikai. Wumen struggled for six years with koan "Zhaozhou's dog", assigned to him by Yuelin Shiguan (月林師觀; Japanese: Gatsurin Shikan) (1143–1217), before attaining ''kenshō''. After his understanding had been confirmed by Yuelin, Wumen wrote the following enlightenment poem:

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * {{Authority control Zen Buddhist philosophical concepts Buddhist stages of enlightenment