What is a Koan?
Koan - [Source: Glossary in The Eight Gates of Zen] “An apparently paradoxical statement or question used in Zen training to induce in the student an intense level of doubt, allowing them to cut through conventional and conditioned descriptions of reality and see directly into their true nature” (Loori, 2002, p. 265).
[Source: A Comprehensive Glossary of Zen Buddhism Terminology] A paradoxical question or statement used mostly within the Rinzai school of Zen to provoke insight and realization, often unanswerable through conventional thinking. (Fuyu, 2023).
Resources on Koans
The Koan by ISBN: 0195117484Publication Date: 2000-04-20Koans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Arguing that our understanding of the koan tradition has been severely limited, contributors to this collection examine previously unrecognized factors in the formation of this tradition, and highlight the rich complexity and diversity of koan practice and literature.
The Sound of the One Hand: 281 Koans by Call Number: BQ 9369 H3813ISBN: 0465080782Publication Date: 1975-11-01
- Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki (Editors)
Format: ebook
ISBN: 0804831866
Publication Date: 1985
Collection of Zen Koans, including 101 Zen Stories, The Gateless Gate, 10 Bulls, and Centering.