A koan (pronounced /ko.an/) 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. Koans are often used by Zen practitioners as objects of meditation to induce an experience of enlightenment or realization, and by Zen teachers as testing questions when a student wishes to ...

Including:

• Koan - Examples
• Koan - Roles of the koan in Zen practice
• Koan - Etymology and the evolving meaning of koan
• Koan - The role of koans in the Soto Rinzai and other sects
• Koan - Interpretation of koans
• Koan - The sound of one hand
• Koan - The Gateless Gate
• Koan - Other traditional koans
• Koan - Contemporary koans

Read more here: » Koan: Encyclopedia - Koan

See also:

Koan, Koan - Examples, Koan - Roles of the koan in Zen practice, Koan - Etymology and the evolving meaning of koan, Koan - The role of koans in the Soto Rinzai and other sects, Koan - Interpretation of koans, Koan - The sound of one hand, Koan - The Gateless Gate, Koan - Other traditional koans, Koan - Contemporary koans

Read more here: » Koan: Encyclopedia II - Koan - Interpretation of koans

Koan: Paradoxical question posed by Zen masters using the koan system, such as "what is the sound of one hand clapping?"

 (See also: Koan, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

The Rinzai school (臨済宗; Japanese: Rinzai-shū, Chinese: Linji-zong) is one of the two major Japanese Zen sects (the other major one being Sōtō). The Rinzai school is known for its emphasis on sudden enlightenment and the use of methods such as the koan to achieve this end. Rinzai is the Japanese branch of the Chinese Linji school, which was founded during the Tang Dynasty by Linji Yixuan. It was brought to Japan by Myōan Eisai in 1191. Rinzai school - Characteristics. Unlike th ...

Including:

• Rinzai school - Characteristics
• Rinzai school - Martial arts
• Rinzai school - Koan
• Rinzai school - Tea ceremony
• Rinzai school - Later developments

Read more here: » Rinzai school: Encyclopedia - Rinzai school

Yúnmén Wényǎn (862 or 864-949 CE), (雲門文偃; Japanese: Ummon Bun'en; he is also variously known in English as "Unmon", "Ummon Daishi", "Ummon Zenji"), was a Chinese Zen Master in Tang-era China. He founded one of the five major schools of Chan (Chinese Zen), the "Yunmen School", after succeeding his master, Xuefeng Yicun (Japanese: Seppo) (822-908), for whom he had served as a head monk. Yunmen as abbot was succeeded by Dongshan Shouchu (Japanese: Tōzan Shusho), who would be succeeded by Suhotsu i ...

Including:

• Yunmen Wenyan - Biography
• Yunmen Wenyan - Teachings
• Yunmen Wenyan - Koans
• Yunmen Wenyan - Quotes
• Yunmen Wenyan - Trivia

Read more here: » Yunmen Wenyan: Encyclopedia - Yunmen Wenyan

Zen is the Japanese name of a well known branch of Mahāyāna Buddhist schools, practiced originally in India as Dhyan (ध्यान), which then came to be known in China as Ch'an (禪), and subsequently in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. Zen emphasizes the role of sitting meditation (zazen) in pursuing enlightenment. Though considered simply a practice by most of its practitioners, Zen is also considered a religion or a philosophy by some. It has also been describe ...

Including:

• Zen - Spread of Zen
• Zen - Zen in Japan
• Zen - Zen and Buddhism
• Zen - Zen teachings and practices
• Zen - Zazen
• Zen - The teacher
• Zen - Koan practice
• Zen - Radical teachings
• Zen - Zen and Western culture
• Zen - Zen in Films
• Zen - American Zen

Read more here: » Zen: Encyclopedia - Zen

The Blue Cliff Record (Chinese: 《碧巖錄》 Bìyán Lù; Japanese: Hekiganroku) is a collection of Zen Buddhist koans originally compiled in China during the Song dynasty in 1125 (宋宣和七年) and then expanded into its present form by the Chan master Yuanwu Keqin (圜悟克勤 1063–1135). The book includes Yuanwu's annotations and commentary on Xuedou Zhongxian's (雪竇重顯 980–1052) collection 100 Verses on Old Cases 《頌古百則》— a compilation of 100 koans. Xuedou selected 82 of these fro ...

Read more here: » Blue Cliff Record: Encyclopedia - Blue Cliff Record

The Shōbōgenzō (正法眼蔵), lit. "Treasury of the True Dharma Eye", is Dōgen Zenji's collection of Zen Buddhist fascicles, written between 1231 and 1253 -- the year of Dogen's death (Dōgen, 2002, p. xi). Unlike earlier Zen writings originating in Japan, the Kana Shōbōgenzō was written in Japanese -- not Chinese. Other works by Dōgen, notably the Eihei Koroku and the Shobogenzo Sanbyakusoku, are written in Chinese. Shobogenzo Sanbyakusoku consists of over 300 Koan (open cases), and is distinct from the Kana Shōbōgenzō discussed herein. See: H ...

Including:

• Shobogenzo - External link

Read more here: » Shobogenzo: Encyclopedia - Shobogenzo

Mu (Japanese/Korean), Wú/Mou5 (Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese); 無, simplified: 无, Cantonese: 冇) is a word which can be roughly translated as "without" or "have not". While typically used as a prefix to imply the absence of something (e.g., 無線 musen for "wireless"), it is more famously used as a response to certain koans and other questions in Zen Buddhism, intending to indicate that the question itself was wrong. The 'Mu' koan is as follows: A monk asked Zen master Zhaozhou, a Chinese Zen Master (in Japanese, Jōshū): "Has a d ...

Including:

• Mu negative - Mu in hacker culture

Read more here: » Mu negative: Encyclopedia - Mu negative

Mu may refer to: Mu (letter), a letter in the Greek alphabet. μ is used as a symbol for: The SI prefix micro The arithmetic mean of a statistical population In physics, The friction coefficient The mobility coefficient The permeability (electromagnetism) coefficient The muon Mu may also refer to: Mu (Japanese word) (無), a Japanese word important in Zen koan practice Mu (lost co ...

Read more here: » Mu: Encyclopedia - Mu

A clap is the sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often in a constant drone to express approval (see applause), but also in rhythm to match sounds in music and dance. Seals are among the animals that clap. There is a well-known koan that involves, superficially, consideration of the act of clap ...

Including:

• Clapping - Pedagogical applications
• Clapping - Acoustics applications
• Clapping - Medical applications

Read more here: » Clapping: Encyclopedia - Clapping

For broader historical context, see 1270s and 13th century. 1278 - Events. August 26 - Kings Rudolph I of Germany and Ladislaus IV of Hungary defeat King Otakar II of Bohemia in the Battle of Marchfield, a match of over 80,000 men and the largest battle of knights in the middle ages. The battle ends a power struggle between Rudolph and Otakar over the fate of central Europe, and Rudolph's Habsburg family will continue to rule Austria and other captured territories until the end of World War I ...

Including:

• 1278 - Events
• 1278 - Births
• 1278 - Deaths

Read more here: » 1278: Encyclopedia - 1278

For broader historical context, see 1280s and 13th century. 1288 - Events. June 5 - John I of Brabant defeats the duchy of Guelders in the Battle of Worringen — one of the largest battles in Europe of the Middle Ages — thus winning possession of the duchy of Limburg. The battle also liberates the city of Cologne from rule by the Archbishopric of Cologne; it had previously been one of the major ecclesiastical principalities of the Holy Roman Empire. August 8 - Pope Nicholas IV proc ...

Including:

• 1288 - Events
• 1288 - Births
• 1288 - Deaths

Read more here: » 1288: Encyclopedia - 1288

Zhaozhou Congshen (趙州從諗) (778?-897?), known as Chao-chou Ts'ung-shen in Wade-Giles and Jōshū Jūshin in Japanese, was one of the renowned Chan (Zen) masters of ancient China. Zhaozhou took his monastic name from the name of the small town near Beijing where he lived. He is said to have been born in 778 and to have died in 897, giving him an alleged life span of 119 years. According to the same sources, he only entered monastery life at the ripe age of 61 (or 80), but under the tutelage of Nanquan (Nansen ...

Read more here: » Zhaozhou: Encyclopedia - Zhaozhou

Kenshō (見性), literally "seeing the nature", is an experience described in the context of Zen Buddhism. The term is often used to denote an initial awakening experience, seeing one's True-Nature or Buddha-Nature, that can be enlarged and clarified through further practice in daily life. Kensho - The Kensho experience. In Kensho, one experiences the illusionary nature of the separate self ("I"). Because of the nature of the mind, any perception seems to involve a perceived object, the process of ...

Including:

• Kensho - The Kensho experience
• Kensho - Seeking kensho

Read more here: » Kensho: Encyclopedia - Kensho

The Church of Life seeks to promote and nurture life, sentience, and understanding. It is an umbrella organisation for a variety of individual sects. This non-religious alternative is for those who have transcended the tenets of organised religion and faith-based teaching. The church was founded to represent the needs of post-Enlightenment man in a world still dominated by religious institution. The Church does not make demands of its adherents, rather it provides a communit ...

Including:

• Church of Life - Virtuous Sects
• Church of Life - The Not Zen Sect

Read more here: » Church of Life: Encyclopedia - Church of Life

Heraclitus of Ephesus (Greek Ήράκλειτος Herakleitos) (about 535 - 475 BC), known as 'The Obscure,' was a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher from Ephesus in Asia Minor. As with other pre-Socratics, his writings only survive in fragments quoted by other authors. He disagreed with Thales, Anaximander, and Pythagoras about the nature of the ultimate substance and claimed instead that everything is derived from the Greek classical element fire, rather than from air, wate ...

Read more here: » Heraclitus: Encyclopedia - Heraclitus

A Zen garden, a Japanese type of Karesansui 枯山水 rock garden, is an enclosed shallow sandbox containing sand, gravel, rocks, and occasionally grass or other natural elements. They are used by Japanese Zen monks in meditation. Zen garden - Ryoan-ji Temple. The rock garden was added to provide a place for the monks to meditate and is often said to have a calming effect. Zen garden - Layout. There have been many attempts to explain the Zen garden's layout. Some of these ...

Including:

• Zen garden - Ryoan-ji Temple
• Zen garden - Layout
• Zen garden - Maintenance as a discipline
• Zen garden - Adaptations to landscape design
• Zen garden - Criticisms

Read more here: » Zen garden: Encyclopedia - Zen garden

Sōtō (曹洞宗; Japanese: Sōtō-shū, Chinese: Caodong-zong) is one of the two major Japanese Zen sects (the other major one being Rinzai). It is an extension or subbranch of the Chinese Caodong, which was brought to Japan by Dogen Zenji (1200-1253), and which after his death became known as the Soto school. Soto - Characteristics. With 14,700 temples and nearly 7 million adherents (in 1989) Soto is the largest Zen sect in Japan, surpassing Rinzai and Obaku. In Japanese history, Soto gaine ...

Including:

• Soto - Characteristics
• Soto - History
• Soto - Important texts

Read more here: » Soto: Encyclopedia - Soto

Koan: A Zen riddle, used most notably in the Rinzai school as a tool for transmitting understanding. Any text that claims to have answers to koans is wrong, because the only answer is the experience of understanding.

 (See also: Koan, Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)