Back to all words

Satori

2 stages from Japanese to English.

Today it means in Zen Buddhism, a sudden, intuitive flash of enlightenment or insight

Where does the word "satori" come from? It comes from Japanese satori, adopted directly into English (early 1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
satori
Japanese · medieval
"sudden spiritual awakening or enlightenment"
named the sudden flash of understanding sought in Zen practice
2
Stage 2 of 2
satori
English · early 1900s
"a sudden flash of enlightenment in Zen Buddhism"
entered English through D. T. Suzuki's writings introducing Zen Buddhism to the West
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom