Koan Meditation

A kōan (公案) is a spiritual question that is used to focus one’s mind when practicing meditation by giving rise to the questioning mind as to the nature of ultimate reality. The koan is meant for contemplation and defies rational understanding. It works to exhaust analytic thinking and the dualistic mindset. Therefore, a koan appears to be nonsensical and puzzling, and is usually a paradoxical statement or question. (e.g. What body did you have before your parents were born?)

The following koans or cases for questioning can be contemplated when you have quiet moments in your daily life, or you can contemplate a koan in order to replace wandering thoughts or to transform a restless mind into a single mind. This koan practice will help you to stay centered and gradually hone your innate wisdom, eventually leading to enlightenment.

All things are created by the mind. What does this mean?
What body did you have before your parents were born?
Even before the ancient Buddhas were born, there was the One Circle.
The World Honored One is said to have descended to his Royal Home without leaving the Tusita heaven and to have delivered all sentient beings while he was still in the womb of his mother. What is the meaning of this?
The World Honored One, entering into nirvana, said that he had not uttered a single Dharma in his life starting from Magadava and reaching the river