作そ麼も生さん

interjection

consider the following; can you answer this?

Used in Zen dialogues when posing a question to a student, akin to 'What about this?' or 'How do you respond?'. Highly domain-specific to Buddhism.

• 老ろう師しは「作そ麼も生さん」と問といかけた。

  The master asked, 'What about this?'

• 禅ぜんの問もん答どうで「そもさん」と切きり出だす。

  In a Zen dialogue, one begins with 'Somosan'.