What is Koan?
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can anyone share and explain?
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something to make you think until ur mind gives up?
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huh? give up? giving up is not the practice.
(i think my sentence here has flaws) -
Zen Koan is just an adage for thought.Originally posted by paperflower:can anyone share and explain? -
give up on thinking about that story of a koan that your mind will make up
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so it's an aspect of zen?Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:Zen Koan is just an adage for thought.
do you have an example of one? -
i just surf to find out more on koan and after some info, i feel it's kinda contradicting, puzzling and somewhat mind provoking.
i have found one which i've heard of before and didn't know it's koan all along:
"Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" -
just slap your fingers onto your palm ont he same handOriginally posted by paperflower:i just surf to find out more on koan and after some info, i feel it's kinda contradicting, puzzling and somewhat mind provocating.
i have found one which i've heard of before and didn't know it's koan all along:
"Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" -
ok here's what i have found which i'll just stick the url:
(but would surely love to hear more from people here as well)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan
http://www.ibiblio.org/zen/cgi-bin/koan-index.pl
here's a page quoted:
A philosopher asked Buddha: 'Without words, without the wordless, will you tell me truth?'
The Buddha kept silence.
The philosopher bowed and thanked the Buddha, saying: 'With your loving kindness I have cleared away my delusions and entered the true path.'
After the philosopher had gone, Ananda asked the Buddha what he had attained.
The Buddha replied, 'A good horse runs even at the shadow of the whip.'
Mumon's Comment: Ananda was the disciple of the Buddha. Even so, his opinion did not surpass that of outsiders. I want to ask you monks: How much difference is there between disciples and outsiders?
To tread the sharp edge of a sword
To run on smooth-frozen ice,
One needs no footsteps to follow.
Walk over the cliffs with hands free.
I don't understand... -
something that contradict your own mind's logic until it breaks down?
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does enlightenment mean being spontaneous?
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Good topic!Originally posted by paperflower:can anyone share and explain? -
Koan or Gong An(Chinese ) ,Public case is the direct approach to pointing to the mind
Many a times we are clouded by work commitment ,scholastic , our wealth creation that we doesnt have time to reflect on our inner self
the Koan imposed by Patriach of Zen is the directly on the Yogacara function of searching state of mind ,
the mind will be propel to reflect on the true meaning of life until one day seeing some accident , the mind will know the answer
Ancient times Patriach refuse to tell the answer to practitioners to allow them to realise in the midst of living
In Modern times Koan provided with answers does not helps ,
If one genuine wish to Seeing One True Self Nature , using Koan is a catalyst to point directly to the mind ,without looking at reference answers
as my signature at the bottom suggest ,Pointing to the mind is a critical process in the search for Enlightenment
examples of Koan like
"wat is the sound of one hand clapping ?"
or even more towards one propelling status of mind question
"Who am I "
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There are stil several Koan unpublished in the internet or as printed material
I would like to say the Human mind is inexhaustible ,with Wisdom and Compassion , will show great insight and give impetus to new Koan in life
Koan is Great reflection from Dharma books .
Many of us used to think Wisdom must be injected intravenously, but the fact is it isnt
Seeing one true nature , one realise ones purpose in Saha world ,and will never live deluded
Note: If Your have noticed.I often use my own words first then I will show the relevant website ,its a critical practice to see how much my wisdom have deteoriate or improved
For other uses, see Koan (disambiguation).
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A kō•an (公案; Korean: gong'an, Japanese: kōan, Chinese: gōng-à n) 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 that may be accessible to intuition. A famous kōan 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 kōan tradition in Japan).
Contents [hide]
1 In brief
2 Examples
3 Roles of the kōan in Zen practice
4 Etymology and the evolving meaning of kōan
5 The role of kōans in the Soto, Rinzai, and other sects
6 Interpretation of kōans
6.1 The sound of one hand
6.2 The Gateless Gate
6.2.1 Case 1: Zhaozhou's dog
6.2.2 Case 2: Pai-chang and a fox
6.2.3 Case 6: Buddha holds out a flower
6.2.4 Case 7: Zhaozhou washes the bowl
6.2.5 Case 8: Keichu's wheel
6.2.6 Case 29: Huineng's flag
6.2.7 Case 37: Zhaozhou's cypress
6.3 Other traditional kōans
6.3.1 What is the Buddha?
6.3.2 Killing the Buddha
6.4 Contemporary kōans
7 See also
8 Notes
9 External links
[edit] In brief
Kōans 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. Kōans 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 kōans, and some Zen practitioners concentrate on kōans during meditation. Teachers may probe such students about their kōan 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 kōan.
As used by teachers, monks, and students in training, kōan can refer to a story selected from sutras and historical records, a perplexing element of the story, a concise but critical word or phrase (話頭 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. Less formally, the term kōan sometimes refers to any experience that accompanies awakening or spiritual insight.
English-speaking non-Zen practitioners sometimes use kōan to refer to an unanswerable question or a meaningless statement. However, in Zen practice, a kōan is not meaningless, and teachers often do expect students to present an appropriate response when asked about a kōan. Even so, a kōan is not a riddle or a puzzle.[1] Appropriate responses to a kōan may vary according to circumstances; different teachers may demand different responses to a given kōan, and a fixed answer cannot be correct in every circumstance. One of the most common recorded comments by a teacher on a disciple's answer is, "Even though that is true, if you do not know it yourself it does you no good." The master is looking, not for an answer in a specific form, but for evidence that the disciple has grasped the practical use of the kōan in daily life, or in other words, has actually given up some previous attachment.
The word kōan corresponds to the Chinese characters 公案 which can be rendered in various ways: gōng'à n (Chinese pinyin); kung-an (Chinese Wade-Giles); gong'an (Korean); công-án (Vietnamese); kōan (Japanese Hepburn); often transliterated kōan). Of these, "kōan" is the most common in English. Just as Japanese Zen, Chinese Ch'an, Korean Son, and Vietnamese Thien, and Western Zen all share many features in common, likewise kōans play similar roles in each, although significant cultural differences exist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan -
A monk asked Zhaozhou, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the west?" Zhaozhou said, "The cypress tree in the courtyard".
We know the cypress tree mean to establish Zen Buddhism in China and flowering of zen in China ,but the answer is quick and symbolic -
Cypress tree in the courtyard
Where words explaining in essay of 5000 to 8000 words does not end ceaseless arise and falling of the thoughts , one answer from the above quickly stop all delusion and attachment .
May I pray for all who read this thread with joy in their heart and experience the Bliss of Buddhadharma ,the wisdom of Sakyamuni Buddha since 2548 years ago -
concentrate yourself into this 'Wu'...making your whole body one great inquiry. Day and night work intently at it. Do not attempt nihilistic or dualistic interpretations."[3] Arousing this great inquiry, or "Great Doubt" is an essential element of kôan practice. In an attempt to illustrate the enormous concentration required in kôan meditation, Zen Master Wumen further commented: "It is like swallowing a red-hot iron ball. You try to vomit it out, but you can't."
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A Koan hor, is not for learning... the answers will not teach you anything... so you can study all the koans in the world and learn all the correct answers all you want, it means nothing...
What you need is to be able to answer any new koan anybody gives you like:
If you do not throw away Buddhist teachings, how can you know its value? -
Zen is about living the moment and quit thinking.Originally posted by paperflower:huh? give up? giving up is not the practice.
(i think my sentence here has flaws)
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And why do you throw away something? It's because it has no value.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:A Koan hor, is not for learning... the answers will not teach you anything... so you can study all the koans in the world and learn all the correct answers all you want, it means nothing...
What you need is to be able to answer any new koan anybody gives you like:
If you do not throw away Buddhist teachings, how can you know its value? -
ahhh.... but it is a multiple steps process... you have to think until you do not need to think anymore... not, don't think...Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:Zen is about living the moment and quit thinking. -
I simplified it mah...Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:ahhh.... but it is a multiple steps process... you have to think until you do not need to think anymore... not, don't think...
I said live the moment and quit thinking about it.
Like this koan:
A old monk and his diciple met a lady in distress on the road. She could'nt cross a puddle and carry on with her journey. Without hesitation, the old monk carried her across on his back and left with her thanks. The diciple asked his master about social impropiety but the master replied:" What lady? I had already left her behind." -
That's one possibility... another one is "we never cherish something until we lose it"Originally posted by Herzog_Zwei:And why do you throw away something? It's because it has no value.
what other possibility? -
That's right. A Koan is a method and not something that can be learnt or known. It is also NOT a riddle! It is not something we can 'figure out' by thinking. The whole point of a koan is that it is utterly beyond what our rational thinking and conceptuality can ever grasp or understand, for the Truth can only be realised through the intuitive mind as Lankavatara Sutra says.Originally posted by AndrewPKYap:A Koan hor, is not for learning...
As my Master (Master Shen Kai) said:
Here's a good article:
We have said in part I that Zen functions in non-duality, The process of thought, of reasoning, of conceptualizing takes place in the field of duality. It follows that no thinking process will achieve Zen. Thought in itself can go a very long way; the seeker can by reason intellectually understand the concept of the ONE, the abstract concept of the VOID, think that mentally he understands what awareness is... But still all these concepts even the most abstract intellectual ones are still made in the world of reasoning and duality...So, Zen philosophy is to discard all kind of concepts and challenge the mind and intellect of the seeker by Zen KOANS which are not easily cracked...
What is a Koan? Essentially a koan is a paradox, i.e., that is 'beyond' thinking which transcends the logical or conceptual. Thus, since it cannot be solved by reason, a koan is not a riddle. Solving a koan requires a leap to another level of comprehension. Since the koan eludes solution by means of discursive understanding, it makes clear to the student the limitations of thought and eventually forces him to transcend it in an intuitive leap, which takes him into a world beyond logical contradictions and dualistic modes of thought.
For Zen masters, WORDS are sounds or marks of agreed meaning in terms of ideas, thoughts or feelings. They are symbols, when therefore, a master wishes to transmit to another some spiritual experience, he must descend to the level of thought and present the discovery in words that will touch the feelings of his student. On his turn the seeker unwraps the words and their symbolic meaning, extracting and resonating whatever he can understand from his master's Koan... or symbolic Words...
Bhante Gunaratana also says:
The second Zen approach used in the Rinzai school is that of tricking the mind out of conscious thought and into pure awareness. This is done by giving the student an unsolvable riddle which he must solve anyway, and by placing him in a horrendous training situation. Since he cannot flee from the pain of the situation, he must flee into a pure experience of the moment. There is nowhere else to go. Zen is tough. It is effective for many people, but it is really tough. -
Originally posted by Eric Cartman:just slap your fingers onto your palm ont he same hand
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what is living in the moment exactly?
so koan is about living in the moment?
why are the training made so tough with sometimes un-answerable questions and yet need answers and may regarded as not answers also?