The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1269 page)

BOOK: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
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Kenko, Yoshida
(i.e., Yoshida Kenko)
:
Kenosis
,
kenotic theories
.
In Christian theology, formulas which seek to explain the
incarnation
in terms of
Christ's
self-‘emptying’
(Gk.,
ken
sis
). The starting-point is Philippians 2. 5–11. Kenotic
christologies
first appeared at the Reformation, but became current in the 19th cent. as a way of understanding how Jesus could have shared the limitations of human beings while remaining the omniscient, omnipotent Son of God.
Kensho
(Jap., ‘seeing nature’). The Zen experience of enlightenment, when one's own nature is seen for what it truly is, not to be differentiated from the buddha-nature. It is thus indistinguishable from
satori
, but the latter is used of the
Buddha
or of the Zen patriarchs, kensho of the initial experience of others which still needs to be deepened. The term also applies collectively to those who have attained this state, the wise (
genjo
).
Kensh
j
butsu
(realization of buddha-nature)
:
Kensui
(Jap., ‘hammer and tongs’). The rigorous element in Zen training, the ‘short, sharp, shock’, much associated with
k
an
method.

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