A koan (pronounced ) is a story, dialog, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. A famous koan 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 koan tradition in Japan).

Koans 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. Koans 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 koans, and some Zen practitioners concentrate on koans during meditation. Teachers may probe such students about their koan 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 koan.

As used by teachers, monks, and students in training, koan 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 hua-tou) 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 koan sometimes refers to any experience that accompanies awakening or spiritual insight.

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Just been to a group discussing Robert Anton Wilson's "Quantum Psychology". Chapter one-Pseudo-Zen koans.
necroichthus (Ceri Storey) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:08:38 -0000
Just been to a group discussing Robert Anton Wilson's "Quantum Psychology". Chapter one-Pseudo-Zen koans.
@HackerChick The ruby koans one will be great, fantastic opp to learn from jim and joe. the practical bdd/tdd equally. I'm taking iphone
coreyhaines (Corey Haines) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:22:06 -0000
@HackerChick The ruby koans one will be great, fantastic opp to learn from jim and joe. the practical bdd/tdd equally. I'm taking iphone
@coreyhaines I am! i wanna do Ruby Koans (& finally do some ruby already!) and the Practical B/TDD - you?
HackerChick (Abby Fichtner) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:13:14 -0000
@coreyhaines I am! i wanna do Ruby Koans (& finally do some ruby already!) and the Practical B/TDD - you?
Just seen the @EdgeCase #Ruby Koans: guided intro for newbies, little steps with unit tests. http://is.gd/5Rk63 I highly recommend it.
ashleymoran (Ashley Moran) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:13:14 -0000
Just seen the @EdgeCase #Ruby Koans: guided intro for newbies, little steps with unit tests. http://is.gd/5Rk63 I highly recommend it.
Koans to teach Ruby - very nice! http://bit.ly/6VPPww (via @nicoder)
berndschiffer (Bernd Schiffer) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:54:30 -0000
Koans to teach Ruby - very nice! http://bit.ly/6VPPww (via @nicoder)
101 Zen Koans � Numbers 58 & 59 | Bukisa.com http://ping.fm/GWLWP
Auron74 (Auron74) Thu, 07 Jan 2010 13:34:20 -0000
101 Zen Koans � Numbers 58 & 59 | Bukisa.com http://ping.fm/GWLWP

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