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koan

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koan

Main Entry:: ko·an
Pronunciation:: \ˈkō-ˌän\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Japanese kōan, from kō public + an proposition
Date:: 1945

: a paradox to be meditated upon that is used to train Zen Buddhist monks to abandon ultimate dependence on reason and to force them into gaining sudden intuitive enlightenment

Learn more about "koan" and related topics at Britannica.com

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