koan

Definitions


[ˈkəʊɑːn], (Noun)

Definitions:
- a paradoxical anecdote or riddle without a solution, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and provoke enlightenment


Phrases:

Origin:
Japanese, literally ‘matter for public thought’, from Chinese gōngàn ‘official business’




definition by Oxford Dictionaries