KOAN


Meaning of KOAN in English

n.

Pronunciation: ' k ō - ˌ än

Function: noun

Etymology: Japanese k ō an, from k ō 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

Merriam Webster Collegiate English Dictionary.      Merriam Webster - Энциклопедический словарь английского языка.