![]() "Draw some water with your hands" is always a good reaction on water. Many Zen Koans refer to these human water-fantasies. Human imagination uses water as religious symbol (e.g. Water can be dangerous, useful, pleasant, friendly, like a living being. Why are the thousand mountains covered with snow? How do you walk up a mountain road with 99 curves? ![]() How does the Buddha's dharma arise from the supreme way? Why is only one peak not white in winter? Why does a clearly enlightened monk fall into a well. Where does the mind comes from when its dwelling nowhere?Īfter breakfast, going into the garden, cleaning my room, cutting a flower etc. Show with your hand: this table is 3 feet, I'm five feet Why are low and high absolutely equal in the Dharma? The answer can only be found by intuitively going back to the pilgrimage on roads and mountains. Zen Koans question this unique experiences logically. Like on a western pilgrimages after some time landscape, walking and logic melt into one another. Why do great Buddhist teachers always sit on top of a needle?Ĭhinese Zen monks walked long distances between monasteries, which were built on top of mountains. Why is a Buddha of metal melting when he passes through a furnace? How do you stop a temple bell 100 miles away? Why is philosophy like heaping up snow in a silver bowl?Ī Buddha made of wood why can't he pass through fire? There are trees and mountains and (slap the ground) this is the ground. Why is a true Buddha sitting in the house?ĭoes the treasure room open by itself and let you use it at will? The Koans have a creative answer, that doesn't care about common sense. Everybody knows what you can do with "things" and what you can't.īut that's the cage of logic, you have to leave in Zen. They are about dealing with normal "things". This type of Zen Koans challenges our common sense. Put your hand to your ear: listen to the birds, the winds, the sounds What a wonderful song and all these pretty red roses. ![]() How can you follow a Buddha who can't be heard through voices and sounds or seen in colours? What is it that even an explorer or scientist cannot evade? You attain enlightenment through intense practice but it doesn't change, it remains. What does non-thinking really mean for you? How do you free yourself from life and death?Įnlightenment only means putting your head through the gate of nirvana. What is my leg compared with a donkey's leg? What is my hand compared with the Buddha's hand? Why is it not our tongue that we speak with?Ī man of great strength will not lift his leg. Why do crimson lines never cease to flow? Just (use your tongue and) say something. The Koan answer brings the spiritual symbol "tongue" down to earth: "speaking in tongues" means, influenced by the holy spirit somebody cries out holy words in a language he or she doesn't know. In spirituality body parts or body actions are often used to illustrate philosophical or religious teachings. If a Koan has no "?" button, you may download the free e-book "Miscellaneous Koans" to find it. It brings you to a Koan box on another page.Ĭlick the "show/hide" button, to see the answer and the explanation. If you can't believe the answer for a Koan is correct, or want to know more about it, click "?" (To give the answer for a Koan contradicts Zen-tradition, but it prevents useless mental movements in circles.) That's what the ancient Zen Koans demonstrate over and over again. To answer a Koan needs intuition and creativity, not logic and intellect. For each Koan an answer is given to show that the Koan-questions and its answers are not logically connected. There are six different subjects ancient Zen riddles or Koans deal with. If you want to find out more about this "dogma" in Zen go to ![]() People normally use their (more or less) rational thinking to solve problems.īut in Zen only an intuitive, creative solution of Koans is accepted. They train creative and intuitive problem solving. Mumon Ekai).īut there are much older Koans too, called "Miscellaneous Koans" Most Zen Koans were written or collected in 11th to 15th century China.Ī famous example is the "Mumonkan", a book with 48 Koan, published by Chan master Wumen Huikai (jap. ![]()
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