Koan practice

Koan practice is the primary method of Rinzai Zen Buddhism. A koan is a paradoxical question or statement given by a teacher to a student—such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "What was your original face before your parents were born?"

The koan cannot be answered by the thinking mind—it is designed to frustrate all conceptual approaches until the mind gives up and breakthrough occurs. This breakthrough (kensho) is a direct seeing of one's true nature, unmediated by thought.

Working with a koan requires sustained intensity. The student holds the koan continuously, sleeping and waking, until it pervades consciousness completely. In this total engagement, the barrier of the conceptual mind can shatter, revealing what was always present.

Receive a koan from a qualified teacher. Hold it continuously—not analyzing it but letting it pervade your being. Present your understanding in formal interview (dokusan). When the teacher rejects your answer, go deeper. Continue until the koan opens and you see your original nature directly.

The main obstacle is trying to figure out the "answer" intellectually—koans are not riddles with clever solutions. Another is insufficient intensity—half-hearted practice rarely breaks through. The practice traditionally requires guidance from an accomplished Zen master.