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by Bernice S. Schreiber koan = in Zen, a paradox to be meditated upon Zen = training toward enlightenment enlightenment = finding doubt in oneself through . (a point of concentration) Therefore: koan = a way to doubt or maybe it's a metaphor metaphor = a literary figure of speech that refers to a thing that is not the actual thing that is referred to but is like another thing (that is actually not that thing) If so: koan = is not the thing (or things) referred to but is like another thing that's sort of like that first thing referred to (whatever it was) Therefore: enlightenment = not actually finding doubt in oneself, but finding something that reminds one of finding doubt in oneself In summary: if the purpose of a koan is to find doubt in oneself then I am enlightened and my one hand is clapping with joy. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Want to comment on this story? Click Here to go the Literary Review Discussion Forum (for the subject, enter "The Sound of One Hand Not Clapping") |