”Without pain, there would be no suffering, without suffering we would never learn from our mistakes. To make it right, pain and suffering is the key to all windows, without it; there is no way of life.” – Angelina Jolie

Hey loves welcome back!

Lately, I have been spending a lot of time in nature. I got hit with a blunt instrument of reality. When you’re out in the fresh air with your thoughts, it gives you time to think about a lot of things that are happening in your life. From your actions toward things to just your emotions. This post is mainly going to be about Kensho versus Satori. now you’re probably wondering what exactly that is. I like to watch a lot of self-help YouTube videos. And I’ll put the link below to the video that I was watching. But the person in the video put me onto a really good book that discusses things that you would never actually sit and think about if someone didn’t point them out. And I think that everyone should take a moment to think about these things in their life.

”Pain nourishes courage. You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you.” – Mary Tyler Moore

So, a lot of people including myself had had a moment where they felt like their life was against them. That all the bad things were happening to them and they didn’t say anything of the upper perspective of the situation. Obviously, no one wants to go through pain or anything terrible, but it’s the way you look at it. The whole perspective thing! so in the book, the author is explaining the difference between the two. Satori is self-actualization and growing from what you are realizing. He can be a realization of an experience, and you realize the wisdom that you have gained from that experience. It helps you continue towards the future.

Kensho is the situation that comes out of nowhere. And you have to learn a lesson and then in there to grow from it. A lot of the time it’s something that is a loss. The loss of someone you care about, becoming sick, or going broke. And those lessons hurt the most when you are learning from them. you’re learning through the pain and it’s hard to do. Because learning the purpose is the last thing you want to do. 

Click to access ThomasCleary-Kensho.pdf

”Sometimes you must hurt in order to know, fall in order to grow, lose in order to gain, because life’s greatest lessons are learnt through pain.” –Nagato

Now, I am not Buddhist, but some of their perspectives are very interesting and I can use in my daily life.

Kenshō is a Japanese term from the Zen tradition. Ken means “seeing,” shō means “nature, essence”. Kenshō is an initial insight or awakening, not full Buddhahood. It is to be followed by further training to deepen this insight, and learn to express it in daily life.

and

Satori. It is derived from the Japanese verb satoru . In the Zen Buddhist tradition, satori refers to the experience of kenshō, “seeing into one’s true nature “. Ken means “seeing,” shō means “nature” or “essence”.

Insight vs. Experience

It is insight Vs. experience and this is all something that I believe we need our eyes opened to. I like to think of Kensho as you meditate on the situation. Learning from the situation and deciding what you need to take with you in the future to succeed the next time this obstacle occurs (if it does). What can I do differently? What choices must I make to have a different outcome? These are situations that we don’t necessarily have control over but we do have a choice in have we move forward.

Do you know how you can watch a plant grow right before your eyes? This is how I like to see myself. I know for a fact that I’m not the same person I was years ago. That’s something that I am proud of. I learned from my drama and I have grown so much. And I know for a fact that I will grow more the older that I get. I will go to the obstacles in life and grow from them. There are certain positions that we all are put in. Me, I’ve been put in certain positions, that have to change the path that I was going on in life. Who knows where I would be if I went down a different path, but God has a way of working things out. I know it’s not good to look too far into the future and too far into the past. Which is why I’m focusing on the present, and what I need to learn in this season of life.

Reflect

So, take a look at your life. Are you in a Kensho season or a Satori season? If you feel comfortable, share below?

I hope this post has opened your eyes to a new perspective? 2020 should be the year of focus, growth, and vision. Please like, comment, share and follow. Also, check out my other post. I guarantee that you won’t regret it.