Koans
A koan is a paradoxical riddle, statement, or question used in Zen practice to provoke doubt and direct experiential insight. The word koan is the Japanese reading of the Chinese gong'an, literally "public case" or "record of an encounter." In Chan/Zen, koans function as experiential tests intended to arrest ordinary, discursive thought and to stimulate awakening. They are most closely associated with the Rinzai school, though koan study has appeared in other lineages as well.
Origin and form: Koans originated in Chinese Chan during the Tang and Song dynasties, where masters recorded
Practice: A koan is typically presented as a short dialogue, a terse statement, or a paradox. The
Examples and usage: Famous koans include paradoxes about the sound of one hand clapping and prompts such