Exploring Koans

Kōans are part of the teaching technology of the Zen school– and kōan introspection is one of the most effective ways to truly see the oneness of form and emptiness, the absolute and the relative. Working with kōans is something that can only happen with a teacher trained in doing that work.

If you’re interested in beginning work with kōans, ask a teacher in dokusan.

In Living Vow, we use the Harada/Yasutani Sōtō reform of the Rinzai curriculum. Most people never complete the curriculum–and this is not even the slightest bit of a problem. People who do complete it generally do so in 10-15 years.

We work through kōans in this order:

• the kōan Mu
• the kōans clarifying Mu
• a collection called “the miscellaneous kōans”
• The Gateless Gate / Gateless Barrier
• The Blue Cliff Record
• The Book of Equanimity / Book of Serenity
• Keizan’s Record of Transmitting the Light
• The Precept kōans
• Tōzan’s Five Ranks