Koan (Zen)

These meditation topics are drawn from ancient enigmatic sayings of Chinese masters and used in Zen monasteries to focus and subsequently baffle thought. When at last the intellect lets go and spontaneous response arises, then a state of transrational insight is achieved and the meditator has made progress in the search for illumination. This is a technique used above all in Rinzai Zen. On the other hand, Soto Zen holds that this is striving for enlightenment and encourages duality. It is contrasted with [just sitting]

, when the awareness of intrinsic enlightenment - [hongaku]

- arises.