Learn more about Zen Koans, paradoxical anecdotes or riddles, used in Zen Buddhism to provoke enlightenment. Each of these Koan cases is accompanied by commentary by Clark Strand, an ex-Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and former Senior Editor of Tricycle.
Green Koans Case 1: Shakyamuni Touches the Earth
Green Koans Case 2: Shantideva’s Sword
Green Koans Case 3: The Great Compassionate One’s True Eye
Green Koans Case 4: One-Page Dharma
Green Koans Case 5: The Person of the Way
Green Koans Case 6: The Green Yogi
Green Koans Case 7: Rain of the Law
Green Koans Case 8: Bashō’s Last Words
Green Koans Case 9: General Stone Tiger
Green Koans Case 10: Joshu’s Oak Tree
Green Koans Case 11: A Brahmin Takes a Bath
Green Koans Case 12: The Original Face
Green Koans Case 13: Seki’s Amida
Green Koans Case 14: Avalokiteshvara Becomes a Bee
Green Koans Case 15: The Second Watch of the Night
Green Koans Case 16: The Great Being
Green Koans Case 17: The Color of Insight
Green Koans Case 18: Fear No Evil
Green Koans Case 19: One Small Candle
Green Koans Case 20: Indra’s Grass Stalk
Green Koans Case 21: Blue Mountains Walking
Green Koans Case 22: Handing Down the Lotus
Green Koans Case 23: Run, Rabbit, Run!
Green Koans Case 24: Not Born Again
Green Koans Case 25: Keichu the Wheelmaker
Green Koans Case 26: Ryutan Blows Out a Light
Green Koans Case 27: What Time Is It Now?
Green Koans Case 28: The Buddha’s Union
Green Koans Case 29: Makiguchi Refuses to Lecture
Green Koans Case 31: Daito’s Raincoat
Green Koans Case 32: The Buddha’s Mission
Green Koans Case 33: The Evil Person
Green Koans Case 34: Keeping it Simple
Green Koans Case 35: Into the Wild
Green Koans Case 36: P’ang Splits Wood
Green Koans Case 37: Myoe’s Letter to Japan
Green Koans Case 38: Ajaan Lee refuses to bow
Green Koans Case 39: The Great Natural Way
Green Koans Case 40: The Gift of Rice
Green Koans Case 41: The Meaning of Suffering
Green Koans Case 42: Hui-ke Offers His Arm
Green Koans Case 43: Jōshū’s “Mu”
Green Koans Case 44: On Killing
Green Koans Case 45: The Perfection of Wisdom in One Letter
Green Koans Case 46: A Tree Joins the Monastery
Green Koans Case 47: Rikyū’s “Only This”
Green Koans Case 48: Ta Tsung Makes a Stool
Green Koans Case 49: Myōe Saves a Bee
Green Koans Case 50: Dōgen’s Eyes and Nose
Green Koans Case 51: Soen’s One World
Green Koans Case 52: Yen-shou’s Sand Stupa
Green Koans Case 53: Shakyamuni’s World on Fire
Green Koans Case 54: Nichiren’s One-Eyed Turtle
Green Koans Case 55: Kashyapa’s Teaching Sign
Green Koans Case 56: No Fence to the West
Green Koans Case 57: Shakyamuni’s Ignorant Man
Green Koans Case 58: Tōhta’s Haunted Sea
Green Koans Case 59: The Happy Buddhist
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