Koans sometimes seem to be constructed of two contradicting concepts, which may be true from the standpoint of the dynamics of language. This joining of two opposing concepts is meant to show the student that all concepts are actually a part of one another since they exist in the same world. Koans are intended to join the opposing concepts within the student, which is the "oneness" of Zen Buddhism. "Zen masters, by this means, would force the evolu

The famous Koan that goes: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" is interesting in the sense that if one thinks of it in terms of the logic that they were taught by the outside world, there is no such sound. "Ordinarily, a sound is heard only when two hands are clapping, and in that sense no sound can come from one hand alone...." This Koan, however, is meant to "...strike at the root of our everyday experience, which is constructed on so-called scientific or logical basis"(Suzuki 105). The duality here lies in what we have been taught to be logical. The Koan threatens our knowledge of the way our world is supposed to work. " The Koans, therefore, as we have seen, are generally such as to shut up all possible avenues to rationalization"(Suzuki 108).

tion of the Zen consciousness into the minds of their less endowed disciples."(Suzuki 102). The real "self" of Zen lies in the harmony of opposites. To those who pay more attention to the actual written words of the Koan, Koans will never make sense. Koans are deliberately meant to defy the logic that exists in the world outside the self, the world of government and social constructs. They are meant to help the student see

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 796
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)