Zen koan

A Zen koan is a short, often paradoxical story, question, or statement used in Zen practice to provoke deep thought and move beyond rational understanding. Unlike typical puzzles, koans challenge the mind’s usual logic, encouraging intuitive insight into reality and self-awareness. They serve as tools for meditation, helping practitioners transcend intellectualization and experience direct, experiential understanding of spiritual truths. Koans often appear perplexing or contradictory, but their purpose is to open the mind to new perspectives and deepen one’s spiritual journey through contemplative inquiry.