Engage in the answers and the questions will come.

What is a koan?What is a koan?A A zenzen koan is a koan is a short story or short story or sentence that sentence that initially seems initially seems paradoxical in paradoxical in nature.nature.It is a learning tool It is a learning tool intended to alter our intended to alter our perceptionperception of reality. of reality.

ParadoxParadox is something that is something that does not make does not make sensesense..In the case of a koan, it is In the case of a koan, it is how we think that does not how we think that does not make sense.make sense.Once our mind is capable Once our mind is capable of seeing things more of seeing things more simply, there ceases to be simply, there ceases to be a paradox.a paradox.The paradox existed The paradox existed between reality and our between reality and our thoughts, between opinion thoughts, between opinion and the actual.and the actual.

Koans explained Koans explained

Nobody can answer a Nobody can answer a koan for you.koan for you.It may take years for It may take years for your mind to see what your mind to see what a koan is telling you - a koan is telling you - a sudden unexpected a sudden unexpected flash of insight will flash of insight will occur.occur.

Consider this question as a Consider this question as a koankoan: : "What is "What is the meaning of life?“the meaning of life?“InterpretationInterpretation'What is' represents an attempt to answer a 'What is' represents an attempt to answer a questionquestion in unequivocal terms. in unequivocal terms.''MeaningMeaning' is an attributed value relative to the ' is an attributed value relative to the individual.individual.'Life' encompasses the entirety of existence, 'Life' encompasses the entirety of existence, and cannot be and cannot be describeddescribed or understood in any or understood in any term other than the whole. Any term other than the whole. Any partpart of life of life cannot by definition explain the whole. cannot by definition explain the whole. Existence is too complex to be comprehended Existence is too complex to be comprehended intellectually or verbally. intellectually or verbally.

PurposePurpose

The example question The example question is a koan because it is a koan because it highlights the futility of highlights the futility of the question itself and the question itself and the meaningless the meaningless nature of the answer.nature of the answer. The only acceptable The only acceptable answer is 'life'; and this answer is 'life'; and this tells you nothing.tells you nothing.

Questions define and Questions define and limit answers, and limit answers, and presuppose that presuppose that everything can be everything can be explained.explained.

InsightInsightBut this is not how we But this is not how we understand koan.understand koan.The answer is not gained The answer is not gained through analysis - through analysis - it must it must just occurjust occur - . - .

KoanKoan

Your understanding of Your understanding of a koan will change as a koan will change as you change.you change.

Two monks were Two monks were arguing about the arguing about the temple flag waving in temple flag waving in the wind. the wind. One said, "The flag One said, "The flag moves." moves." The other said, "The The other said, "The wind moves." wind moves." They argued back and They argued back and forth but could not forth but could not agree. agree. Hui-neng, the sixth Hui-neng, the sixth patriarch, said: patriarch, said: "Gentlemen! It is not "Gentlemen! It is not the flag that moves. It is the flag that moves. It is not the wind that not the wind that moves. It is your mind moves. It is your mind that moves." that moves."

The two monks were The two monks were struck with awe.struck with awe.

Koan #1

What is the sound of What is the sound of one hand clapping?one hand clapping?

Koan #2

How do you expect How do you expect me to find me to find something when it’s something when it’s not lost?not lost?

Koan #3

And the classic koan…And the classic koan…

If the tree falls in the If the tree falls in the forest, does it make forest, does it make any noise?any noise?

Reviewing Yann Martel's Reviewing Yann Martel's Life of PiLife of Pi is a great is a great deal like trying to solve Zen deal like trying to solve Zen koanskoans, the ancient , the ancient conundrums used by Buddhist teachers to conundrums used by Buddhist teachers to facilitate their disciples in reaching a state of facilitate their disciples in reaching a state of enlightenment. The trick of the enlightenment. The trick of the koankoan is that is that there really isn't one correct solution. There there really isn't one correct solution. There may be many -- as many different ones as may be many -- as many different ones as there are students seeking enlightenment -- or there are students seeking enlightenment -- or there may be none. Who knows. The there may be none. Who knows. The koanskoans are are simply tools to promote non-linear, out-of-the-simply tools to promote non-linear, out-of-the-box type thinking which will, according to the box type thinking which will, according to the Eastern mystics, lead a seeker to a sense of Eastern mystics, lead a seeker to a sense of oneness and harmony with the universe. oneness and harmony with the universe.

Let’s now to our Let’s now to our understanding of what understanding of what existentialism is. Read about existentialism is. Read about Pi’s visitor in the ocean (Ch. Pi’s visitor in the ocean (Ch. 90-91), the 90-91), the Winnie the PoohWinnie the Pooh adapted story, and think adapted story, and think about the koans. about the koans.

Come to class with thoughts Come to class with thoughts about the following: What do about the following: What do we assert Martel’s message we assert Martel’s message to be? Why the absurd? Why to be? Why the absurd? Why the animals? Why the loss of the animals? Why the loss of everything? Does it add everything? Does it add another layer to our another layer to our understanding of the book?understanding of the book?