kōan

A form of koan — 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.

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Meanings

nounkōan (plural kōans)

plural kōans

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of koan.
Cite this entry
APA

kōan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/k%C5%8Dan

MLA

“kōan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/k%C5%8Dan. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kōan,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/k%C5%8Dan.

Source: kōan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.