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koan
[ koh-ahn ]
/ ˈkoʊ ɑn /
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noun, plural ko·ans, ko·an.Zen.
a nonsensical or paradoxical question to a student for which an answer is demanded, the stress of meditation on the question often being illuminating.
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Origin of koan
1945–50; <Japanese kōan, earlier koũ-an<Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese gōngàn public proposal
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use koan in a sentence
A famous koan asks the novitiate to describe her face before she was born.
Over Time, Buddhism and Science Agree - Issue 94: Evolving|David P. Barash|December 23, 2020|NautilusThis is one of the meanings of the famous Zen koan, “If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
This is a Zen koan of American political thought, a perfect yin and yang.
The question of how to combat 9/11 amnesia while moving forward can feel like a Zen koan.
British Dictionary definitions for koan
koan
/ (ˈkəʊæn) /
noun
(in Zen Buddhism) a problem or riddle that admits no logical solution
Word Origin for koan
from Japanese
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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