Satori () is a Japanese Buddhist term for "awakening", "comprehension; understanding". The word derives from the Japanese verb satoru. "seeing into one's true nature". 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.
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.
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.
Realizing satori
In Japanese Buddhism, satori is a "first step" or embarkation toward Buddhahood:
The student's mind must be prepared by rigorous study, with the use of koans, and the practice of meditation 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, 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: