Satori
Etymology
Japanese 悟り, from the verb "satoru," to understand or awaken. In Zen Buddhism it denotes a glimpse of enlightenment, often used interchangeably with "kenshō"; teachers stress it is a beginning, not a final destination.
noun · /sah-TOH-ree/
A sudden flash of insight or awakening in which you grasp something directly, beyond reasoning.
What it names
It marks the abrupt, unearned quality of certain realizations — understanding that arrives all at once rather than being assembled step by step.
Example
Halfway through washing the dishes he had a small satori about why the argument had really started.
Related idea
Unlike an epiphany, which English treats as any striking revelation, satori carries a specific Zen weight — a direct seeing that bypasses concepts.
See also