Kensho

Kenshō (見性) (C. Wu) is a Japanese term for enlightenment experiences. It is most commonly used within the confines of Zen Buddhism.
Literally it means "seeing one's nature"Baroni, 188 or "true self."Satomi, 203 It generally "refers to the realization of nonduality of subject and object."Heine, 290 Frequently used in juxtaposition with satori (or, "catching on"),Harvey, 275-276 there is sometimes a distinction made between the two in that some consider satori to be qualitatively deeper. Kenshō itself has been said to be "...a blissful realization where a person's inner nature, the originally pure mind, is directly known as an illuminating emptiness, a thusness which is dynamic and immanent in the world." Kenshō experiences are tiered, in that they escalate from initial glimpses into the nature of mind, on to an experience of emptiness, and then perhaps on to Buddhahood.
==Training==
Working towards this realisation is usually a lengthy process of meditation and introspection under guidance of a Zen or other Buddhist teacher, usually in intensive sesshin retreats. The methods used differ depending upon the tradition and practice.
Soto tends towards a gradual approach preferring to let the experiences happen on their own while Rinzai tends toward the use of Koans or a set Koan question as a technique to bring the experience up sooner.
Which methods are more appropriate for any given student are made by which lineage of Zen the student practices as well as what seems most appropriate by the student's teacher.
It should be noted that the Kensho experience is not limited to Japanese Zen Buddhism traditions and occurs in many traditions as well as outside of Buddhist practice.
Kensho may also be spontaneous, upon hearing or reading some significant phrase, or as result of a profound dream. For example, Zen lore describes the Sixth Patriarch Hui Neng's spontaneous experience of kensho upon hearing a phrase of the Diamond sutra.
Koans are a technique that can be used as meditation aids, (particularly in the Rinzai tradition). For example, one koan is known as: 'Who am I', since it is this question that guides the enquiry into one's true nature. The realization that there is no 'I' that is doing the thinking, but rather that the thinking process brings forth the illusion of an 'I', is a step on the way to Kensho.
It is not unusual for various hallucinations and psychological disturbances to arise prior to true kensho, these are referred to as makyo. Distinguishing these delusions from actual kensho is the primary function of the teacher, as the student may be erroneously convinced they have realized kensho.
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==See also==
* Enlightenment (religious)
* Seongcheol
* Mushi dokugo
* Zen
* Satori
* Nirvana
* Shoshin
* Arhat
* Daigo
* Soto
* Rinzai
* Obaku
Category:Zen terms
Category:Buddhist philosophical concepts
Category:Buddhist terms
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