166. Koan

This week’s word gets Emily and Kyle one step closer to enlightenment. Well, linguistic enlightenment, if not spiritual. Settle in for a crash course in eastern Buddhism, a ponderous paradox or two, and the history of the word koan.

Our hosts unpack the roots of this Japanese word in even earlier Chinese terms, and discover their new favorite fictional detective along the way. They likewise explore the roots of Zen Buddhism in earlier Chan literature, glimpsing the head-scratcher questions that have plagued readers for centuries.

Emily introduces us to some of the most famous questions that students of Zen seek to answer, like the mu-koan and the “one hand clapping”. And, putting aside spiritual meditation, they also look at some of the English language’s more casual uses of the word koan.