noun
Archaic Zen term derived from Song-era Chinese colloquialism. Used to refer to something in a demonstrative manner, akin to 'like this' or 'in this manner'.
禅の問答で「恁麼」と示すことがある。
In Zen dialogues, one may indicate 'this way' with the word 恁麼.
noun
Archaic Zen term used interrogatively, meaning 'what kind of' or 'what sort of'. Rare and limited to historical Zen texts.
「什麼物か」と問う禅僧の言葉が記録に残る。
Records preserve a Zen monk's question, 'What sort of thing is it?' using 什麼.
Borrowed from Song-era Chinese colloquial language, used in Zen Buddhist contexts. The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji are ateji for the Chinese demonstrative/interrogative expression.