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禅問答 (zenmondou) Japanese meaning: Zen dialogue | Kotomora
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なかっ
た
。
It was an exchange like a Zen dialogue, and I had no idea what they were talking about.
The Zen dialogue between master and disciple is meant to lead to deep enlightenment.
Usage patterns 禅ぜん 問もん 答どう をする to engage in a Zen dialogue (or, figuratively, a cryptic back-and-forth)
The two of them talked in abstract terms, as if engaging in a Zen dialogue.
禅ぜん 問もん 答どう のような 〈 事こと 〉 (a conversation/exchange) like a Zen riddle, baffling and cryptic
禅ぜん 問もん 答どう めいた 〈 事こと 〉 cryptic, riddle-like (words/answers) reminiscent of Zen dialogue
He always gives cryptic, riddle-like answers to dodge the question.
Related words 公案 is the specific paradoxical riddle or case used in Zen training, while 禅問答 is the broader term for the whole dialogic exchange (or, figuratively, any baffling conversation).
問答 is a plain, general word for any question-and-answer exchange, while 禅問答 specifically evokes Zen dialogue or, figuratively, an exchange too cryptic to follow.
ちんぷんかんぷん is a casual expression for something totally incomprehensible, while 禅問答 keeps a Zen-riddle flavor even when used figuratively for baffling talk.
Etymology Compound of 禅 (Zen) and 問答 (questions and answers, dialogue).
His explanation was like a Zen riddle, and I couldn't understand it at all.
