In Zen, there is the great enlightenment known as satori, which some strive to achieve through many years of disciplined meditation. There are also many brief glimpses of enlightenment, which are intense forms of those mystical experiences or inner perceptions that surprise or please us because they seem to reveal a truth, are archetypal, or momentarily connect us to our soul with a sense of awe.

Haiku is a momentary, condensed poetic form, and its special quality is that it is perfectly suited to provide the reader with this unique experience. This is the essence of haiku.