Koan Meditation

Koan (“ko-an”), a short, paradoxical statement, question, or story used as a meditation tool in Zen Buddhism, is derived from the Chinese characters kung-an, which translate to “public notice” or “public announcement.” Koan collections are public records of notable teachings that Zen masters have passed on to their disciples.

What’s the sound of one hand clapping? If you shrug your shoulders and think, “That makes no sense!” you’re well on your way to working with a koan. Koans aren’t meant to make sense in the logical mind. They’re Zen teachings presented in a way that circumvents the way we normally see the world. Sometimes the shift of perception happens in a flash; more often, a student meditates on a koan for many weeks, months (or, in some cases, years,) until his ego-mind tires and its deeper meaning emerges. Koans invite us to move from our habitual response to life to experience it moment by moment, exactly as it is. “Koans don’t really explain things,” John Tarrant, Director of Pacific Zen Institute, says. “Instead, they show you something by opening a gate. You walk through, and you take the ride _…. there is the sky, the earth, redwood forests, pelicans, rivers, rats, the city of San Francisco. And you are part of all that. We’re all part of that. In the land of koans, you see that everything that happens in your life is for you. There is no one else it can be for.”

Koans originated in China, about 1,300 years ago. Several spiritual teachers rose to prominence and attracted a following of people who traveled great distances to gain counsel and ask questions. The teachers engaged in enlightened discourse that often defied rational thought, leaving students to abandon their limiting views and find the answers themselves. Some of these discourses became famous. They were written down and practiced widely, by everyone from soldiers to housewives. One of the greatest koan collections, The Blue Cliff Record, came from the secret notes of an early disciple.

Zen masters continue to use koans to test the spiritual development of their students. In ancient China, monks would work for years on a koan to have a singularly transformational breakthrough. In recent times, students often study koans sequentially, slowly opening to progressive insights on their spiritual path.

As John Tarrant observes, many psychological and spiritual approaches are based on internal engineering: the creation of something that didn’t exist before, such as a calm, controllable, predictable mind. Koans work with what is already there, and show the beauty in it. The mind is wild and unpredictable; embrace it, the koan urges, and see that our lives are a work of art. Koans reveal answers that are intrinsically a part of us, beneath the intellect and the reality we’ve constructed for ourselves. This form of self-inquiry knows no boundaries; practice it on the mat or throughout daily life.

Koans are used in the transmission of dharma, or the teachings of the Buddha, from teacher to student, bringing about small episodes of enlightenment much like what the Buddha experienced on his path. These “little enlightenments” are a major boost for the brain: koans encourage doubt and curiosity, require creative thinking, and strengthen intuition. They also alter our fundamental perception of reality. Koans undermine self-imposed limitations and introduce an element of lightness and humor to life, which, just like the koan itself, is not something to be “solved.”

A fundamental Zen teaching is that Zen is beyond words; likewise, the nature of koan meditation makes its practice impossible to empirically evaluate. Participants in a study published by the Journal of Phenomenological Psychology discussed the long-term transformations they experienced after working with koans. The most widely reported effect was the ability to focus on the present moment and to skillfully regulate emotions—one participant called her koan a “portable teaching device” she could bring anywhere.

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Traditionally, a Zen master gives a student a koan to work on and counsels her through the process of insight by asking questions. Newcomers to koan meditation are strongly advised to find a teacher to deepen their understanding of Zen Buddhism. For self-study, it’s best to let a koan choose you instead of the other way around. Oftentimes, while reading koans, one will resonate deeply and grab your attention.

Once you connect with a local Zen center, you may wish to support it financially. Retreats and events often require a nominal cost—at the Chogye International Zen Center of New York, a full-day retreat for non-members costs $45, with a sliding scale available for those who need it.

Once you find a koan—or a koan finds you—there is no right or wrong way to work with it. To give parameters to the practice limits the possibilities of it. “The important thing is to stick to Hua-tou—the word or phrase of the koan that stands out—at all times, when walking, lying, or standing,” the nineteenth century Zen master Hsu Yun advises. “From morning to night,” he says, “observe Hua-tou vividly and clearly, until it appears in your mind like the autumn moon reflected limpidly in quiet water.” Absorb yourself so completely in the koan that it becomes you and you become it. Our guided meditation is available on this page.

A basic understanding of Zen Buddhism or other spiritual principles is essential to cracking a koan—otherwise the words might prove to be a dead end.

The best-known teachers and authors in this field include:

John Tarrant
(www.tarrantworks.com)
Joan Halifax
(www.upaya.org/roshi)
Gerry Shishin Wick
(www.gmzc.org)
Wu Kwang
(www.chogyezencenter.org)
Barry Magid
(www.ordinarymind.com)

If you’d like to work with your koan while practicing zazen—traditional seated Zen meditation—you’ll need a zafu cushion and mat. Koan collections can be found at DharmaNet: www.dharmanet.org/Zenkoans.htm