noun
koan; Zen meditation question
A paradoxical question or statement used in Zen practice to provoke enlightenment. The term is specific to Buddhism.
禅僧は公案を解くために座禅を組む。
A Zen monk sits in meditation to solve a koan.
「隻手の声」は有名な公案の一つだ。
"The sound of one hand clapping" is one of the famous koans.