Tell me about Zen Koans

[Kraftwerk]

I was reading about these on Wikipedia and I'd like to know more

[no-Name]

they're fables with some sort of meaning. tell me about american children's stories. etc I like this one quite a lot Once upon a time, long, long ago, there were 2 holy men traveling together through the countryside. They came upon a beautiful young woman sitting and sobbing by the side of a stream. She said she was afraid of drowning and asked them if they would help her cross to the other side of the water. Without saying a word, one of the monks picked up the girl and carried her to the other side of the stream where he gently put her down. She thanked him and went on her way. The two men then continued their journey. After a while, the monk said to the one who had carried the young woman, "How could you do such a thing? We have taken vows of chastity. It is forbidden to even talk to a woman let alone touch one." The other monk lovingly replied, "When I came to the other side of the stream, I put her down. Why are you still carrying her?"

[Sandform]

They don't necessarily have to be fables. They can be as simple as a question. It is a method of teaching done by a Zen Buddhist teacher to his student. Zen is the religion of Buddha. They are meant to open the minds of the student and move past intellect and into intuition. For example "what was your face before birth?" Many times a Koan is also a test made by a teacher to a student in order to determine the roles that the student is worthy of. It is a method of teaching. Other methods includes slapping the student or throwing them in a river. You may also want to look up the word "mondo." Mondo is short conversation similar to how humans sit around and talk BS to each other on a regular basis, if you've ever seen people who were high talking to each other I would imagine it is like that. If you're interested in this stuff go talk to the professional Zen Buddhists in your neighborhood if you have any.

[Taosaur]

I don't get into Zen much, but I do have a book of koans called Pointing at the Moon, which is great to pull out for a quick, mind-expanding read (most koans are quite short). They're riddles, really, but instead of (or sometimes, in addition to) a laugh or a rush of discovery, you get a new understanding of the workings of your consciousness and perception, and often a greater sense of spaciousness and quietude.