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Satori (悟り?) (Chinese: 悟; pinyin: wù; Korean 오) is a Japanese Buddhist term for enlightenment. The word literally means "understanding". Satori translates into a flash of sudden awareness, or individual Enlightenment, and while Satori is from the zen buddhist tradition, Enlightenment can be simultaneously considered "the first step" or embarkation towards the "yonder shore", but simultaneously, arrival there as well thereby being similar to Christopher Dewdney's "Secular Grail" philosophy, that to "know" one instant of eternity, is to know all of eternity. Hence, growth in mindfulness that actions produced in the here and now have eternal manifestations are similar to Newtonian physics and the idea that every action has an equal (and opposite) reaction is essential in manifesting the eternal (while oneself is bound in the temporal world). Satori is as well an intuitive experience and can be considered similar to awakening one day with an additional pair of arms, and only later learning how to use them.
It is worthwhile to consider that regardless of whatever word is used to describe enlightenment, it refers to a primal experience with different words to describe the experience simply "red herrings" to lead would-be avatars away from the path where the path is one and not to be distinguished or separated from the one making the journey. Modern day physicists would equate enlightenment, satori, nirvana or cosmic consciousness as "the big bang" with most observers unaware that the light from stars is not to be distinguished from their own consciousness having the same origin.
Satori is sometimes loosely used interchangeably with Kensho, but Kensho refers to the first perception of the Buddha-Nature or True-Nature, sometimes referred to as "awakening". Distinct from kensho, which is not a permanent state of enlightenment but a clear glimpse of the true nature of existence, satori is used to refer to a "deep" or lasting state of enlightenment. It is therefore customary to use the word satori, rather than kensho, when referring to the enlightened states of the Buddha and the Patriarchs with Bodhisatvas who recognized "all things are Buddha things" and thereby, any separation between self and the universe is an illusion. According to D. T. Suzuki, "Satori is the raison d'être of Zen, without which Zen is no Zen. Therefore every contrivance, disciplinary and doctrinal, is directed towards satori."[1]
[edit] See also
- ^ Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism, Rider & Co., 1948
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