Kōans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A ko-an (Chinese: go-ng-àn, Korean: gong'an, Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet may be accessible to intuition. A famous ko-an is: "Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" (oral tradition attributed to Hakuin Ekaku, 1686-1769, considered a reviver of the ko-an tradition in Japan).

Ko-ans originate in the sayings and doings of sages and legendary figures, usually those authorized to teach in a lineage that regards Bodhidharma (c. 5th-6th century) as its ancestor. Ko-ans are said to reflect the enlightened or awakened state of such persons, and sometimes said to confound the habit of discursive thought or shock the mind into awareness. Zen teachers often recite and comment on ko-ans, and some Zen practitioners concentrate on ko-ans during meditation. Teachers may probe such students about their ko-an practice using "checking questions" to validate an experience of insight (kensho) or awakening. Responses by students have included actions or gestures, "capping phrases" (jakugo), and verses inspired by the ko-an.

As used by teachers, monks, and students in training, ko-an can refer to a story selected from sutras and historical records, a perplexing element of the story, a concise but critical word or phrase (?? huà-tóu) extracted from the story, or to the story appended by poetry and commentary authored by later Zen teachers, sometimes layering commentary upon commentary.

Learn more...

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan"