Kensho vs. Satori: The Difference Between Growing Through Pain and Growing Through Insight

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Summary: Vishen Lakhiani, founder of Mindvalley, shares the difference between growth through pain and growth through insight. Which one do you resonate with?
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I want to share with you an idea that had a big impact on my life.

It’s a concept that I learned during a conversation with spiritual thought-leader and founder of the International Agape Spiritual Center,  Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith.

And it’s called Kensho vs Satori.

Michael said that we can choose to grow in our life through pain.

Or we can grow in our life through insight.

Pain or insight.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it?

But both of these elements dance with us throughout life.

And they’re designed to help us grow as individuals, as souls, and as human beings.

As you read through this article, pay attention to the difference and ask yourself, in the past few months, have you been growing by Kensho or Satori?

Now, Kensho is growth by pain.

It’s when pain enters our life to prompt us to make a shift.

You start a business.

But it fails and you lose a ton of money.

It’s painful.

But you look back at what may have gone wrong and learn what to do and what not to do the next time you attempt your next business.

You may be extremely ambitious at work.

But stress takes its toll and you fall ill.

It’s painful.

But once you recover, you make a commitment to take better care of your health.

being in relationship

You’re in a relationship.

But it ends.

It’s painful.

But the experience makes your heart more resilient and you learn to love and appreciate yourself more.

This is growth by Kensho (or pain).

Growth this way is often gradual and slow.

So slow in fact, you might not even notice it at that current moment.

But I’m willing to bet that if you just think about who you were three years ago versus who you are now, you’ll see that you’re a completely different person.

Because these Kensho moments, as small and as subtle as they are, build up over time.

Now, there is a second way we grow.

It’s far more pleasurable. But happens far less frequently.

It’s called Satori.

Satori comes from moments of sudden awakening.

It’s growth by insight.

And they can seem to come TO you almost at random.

It’s that “A-ha!” moment we’ve all felt when something just clicks.

Aha moment

An idea you picked up from a personal growth program.

A revelation you get from a retreat or a seminar.

A new form of wisdom you may gain from a book or a meditation practice.

Satori is pleasant. It’s pleasurable.

But best of all, it levels you up in a way where the things that used to scare is just a distant memory.

You operate at a completely different level and you can take on new life challenges (challenges that you wouldn’t have taken before) with confidence and courage.

And here’s why understanding these two concepts had such a profound impact on me.

The idea of Satori made me realize just how important it is for us to fully embrace personal growth.

Yes, Satori moments happen infrequently.

But by immersing ourselves in our personal growth, we put ourselves in the best position to receive inspiration

And life becomes an ever-growing unfolding of new ideas, insights, and awakenings.

The idea of Kensho on the other hand, made me see and experience “painful” moments in my life in a completely different light.

“Pain” was no longer something that would pull me down.

Instead, pain became an indicator to me that I was on the cusp of new growth—It was just a matter of course-correcting the direction of my life to find that path to level up.

So the next time you experience a painful moment, as we all do in life, ask yourself this…

“What have I learnt from this and how can I grow?”

And when you do, you’ll quickly realize that pain is nothing more than the Universe’s way of directing you to take the next step in life.

Below is an image taken from my book that I want to share with you, which shows how Kensho and Satori moments affects our quality of life over time.

Kensho Vs. Satori Growth

So back to my original question…

  1. Which way have you been growing in the last few months? Kensho or Satori?
  2. What were the Kensho (pain) moments that hinted to you that to change?
  3. What Satori (insight) moments did you receive and how did it shift the way you see the world?

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Vishen

Vishen

Vishen is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, New York Times best-selling author, and founder and CEO of Mindvalley: a global education movement with millions of students worldwide. He is the creator of Mindvalley Quests, A-Fest, Mindvalley University, and various other platforms to help shape lives in the field of personal transformation. He has led Mindvalley to enter and train Fortune 500 companies, governments, the UN, and millions of people around the world. Vishen’s work in personal growth also extends to the public sector as a speaker and activist working to evolve the core systems that influence our lives, including education, work culture, politics, and wellbeing.
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Vishen

Vishen is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, New York Times best-selling author, and founder and CEO of Mindvalley: a global education movement with millions of students worldwide. He is the creator of Mindvalley Quests, A-Fest, Mindvalley University, and various other platforms to help shape lives in the field of personal transformation. He has led Mindvalley to enter and train Fortune 500 companies, governments, the UN, and millions of people around the world. Vishen’s work in personal growth also extends to the public sector as a speaker and activist working to evolve the core systems that influence our lives, including education, work culture, politics, and wellbeing.
Michael Beckwith - Trainer
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Michael Beckwith is the trainer of Mindvalley’s Life Visioning Mastery Quest. He is a sought-after meditation teacher, conference speaker, award-winning author, and internationally renowned spiritual teacher. He is the founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, a trans-denominational spiritual community with a congregation of over 9,000 members. He has appeared on Dr. Oz, The Oprah Show, Larry King Live, and in his own PBS special, The Answer Is You, spreading his message to millions of people. He also participated alongside the Dalai Lama and other new thought ministers in The Synthesis Dialogues. Michael is the creator of the Life Visioning Process, which he teaches all over the globe through his books and seminars. At its core, the process is a way to fully embrace your connection to the divine and let the Universe serve through you.

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