KÅan
A Kōan or Chinese (Japanese公案;公案Chinese, Pinyin Gong'an, W.-G. kung -an, Public notice '; hgl 공안, gong an, other common transcriptions from Korean. Kung -an, Kungan; viet-Cong án ) is in Chinese Chan and Japanese Zen Buddhism a short anecdote or aphorism, which is an exemplary act or statement of a Zen master, very rarely, a Zen student. .
History and punchlines this special anecdotes acting on the mostly lay completely paradoxical, garbled, or pointless. As a result, it sometimes comes to faulty transmission of the concept Kōan to other nonsensical short stories.
The forerunner of the koans were famous questions and answers between master and pupil during the early Tang and Song period, some fragments of Buddhist sutras, meaningful speeches of Chan masters and anecdotes about these masters. Despite their ostensible irrationality and futility, they have a historic core that is also intellectually understand and express aspects of Chan philosophy. In the Chan and Zen koans are used as objects of meditation.
The most famous Kōan, which has become commonplace in the West, is the question of the sound of a single hand clapping ( Hakuin Sekishu, by Master Hakuin Ekaku ).
Interpretation
Koans often can certainly be interpreted with rational methods. Some koans is expected that the Zen student finds the correct solution by consideration. For most koans all rational solutions of the koans are considered wrong. The whole point of these koans, its essential function is only revealed intuitively, without words. On the importance of koans, there are, within the Rinzai Zen ( from the Japanese tea ceremony emerged ), two fundamentally divergent views: while Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki propagates the contrary to all reason, claims Ruth Fuller Sasaki their " fullness of meaning ".
The aim of Kōan practice is the realization of non- duality. The illusion that things are different and that I would own, delineated from the rest of existence, is to dissolve in the exercise with the Kōan.
The Zen student gets a specific, appropriate to its maturity Kōan applied (eg the Kōan Mu: A monk asked Joshu (Ch Zhaozhou ): " Does a dog have Buddha nature or not?" Joshu replied, " Mu " ). This Kōan to the respondents so explain to the master in person ( dokusan ) to show that it has detected the true content of the koans during meditation. Novices and monks have to overcome a series of koans. To determine whether this is indeed succeeded, is given to the student, a fitting for the corresponding Kōan keyword ( jakugo ) to find. Depending on the temples belonging to the order of the mastering koans including associated jakugo is fixed. Over the centuries it has this " curriculum " solidified. As an inner experience this realization is not to be confused with a rational detection of the problem. This is not an interpretation of koans or an explanation. This happens occasionally in Teisho. The individual insight of the student would act on the laity often even more pointless than the Kōan itself the basis of the reaction of the pupil to the Kōan the experienced master can detect whether the student makes progress on the path of Zen, or whether he in illusion and error remains. The written or oral comments of the Zen Master to a Kōan are called Agyō ( granted words).
This method of practicing and testing is mainly used in the Rinzai direction of Zen.
There are five " classes" of koans, which have different functions.
Collections
The best known - originally Chinese - Kōan collections are the Bi -Yan Lu ( Hekiganroku - The minutes of the emerald rock wall ), compiled by Xuedou Zhongxian / Setchō Juken and in 1128 with commentaries edited by Yuanwu Keqin / Engo Kokugon, the Congronglu ( Shōyōroku - The Book of equanimity ), compiled by Hongzhi Zhengjue / Wanshi Shogaku and in 1224 plus commentaries published by Wansong Xingxiu / bansho Gyoshū and the Wumenguan ( Mumonkan - the scoreless barrier) collected by the Zen master Wumen Huikai / Mumon EKAI ( 1181-1260 ).
The 18th Kōan of Mumonkan is for example (quoted from the translation of Yamada Koun, see reference ):
" A monk asked Tozan ," What is Buddha? ' Tozan replied: Masagin (麻 三斤- Three pounds of flax). "
Added are a Mumons comment:
"The old Tozan learned a little shell - Zen. By a little opened the two shell halves, he showed his liver and his guts. That may well be so. However, you tell me: Where do you see the Tozan "?
As well as a verse:
" Masagin pops out! Words are familiar, even more familiar is the spirit. Who is talking about right and wrong, is a man of false and correct. "
Clearly here is the view of Zen, that names and concepts are useless in the existential questions. In a self-referential way, this applies even to the teachings of Buddhism and Zen itself