koan
A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like…A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable or parable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student’s mind leading to satori.
» The Traveling Salesman Problem is a pertinent koan among computer scientists.
Meaning
3 sensesA story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable or parable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student’s mind leading to satori.
Koan
коа́нkoán
A riddle with no solution, used to provoke reflection on the inadequacy of logical reasoning, and to lead to enlightenment.
a paradoxical anecdote or a riddle that has no solution; used in Zen Buddhism to show the inadequacy of logical reasoning
A therapy technique used by Traditional Chinese medicinal physicians or medical practitioners to break a presenting patients habitual pattern of thinking that has been diagnosed as the primary cause of an illness or disease.
Examples
1 sentencesThe Traveling Salesman Problem is a pertinent koan among computer scientists.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
From Japanese 公案 (kōan), derived from Chinese 公案 (gōng'àn, “official business”).From Japanese 公案 (kōan), derived from Chinese 公案 (gōng'àn, “official business”).
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