Definitions of Koan [ˈkoʊ ɑn]

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Definition of 'Koan'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (n.) koan
a nonsensical or paradoxical question posed to a Zen student as a subject for meditation, intended to help the student break free of reason and develop intuition in order to achieve enlightenment.

Etymology: (1945–50; < Japn kōan, earlier koũ-an < MChin, < Chin gōngàn public proposal)

Definition of 'Koan'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) koan
a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning

Definitions of 'Koan'

The New Hacker's Dictionary

1. Koan
A Zen teaching riddle. Classically, koans are attractive paradoxes to be meditated on; their purpose is to help one to enlightenment by temporarily jamming normal cognitive processing so that something more interesting can happen (this practice is associated with Rinzai Zen Buddhism). Defined here because hackers are very fond of the koan form and compose their own koans for humorous and/or enlightening effect. See Some AI Koans, has the X nature, hacker humor.

'Koan' - Nearby Entries
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