Koans are important expedient measures to encourage the prepared minds to suddenly see the truth by unseeing the false and realizing the futility of efforts. These koans were popularized in the Zen tradition of Buddhism- both Soto and Rinzai sects, but mostly in the Rinzai sect. These Koans are usually in the form of questions, and the “disciple” is supposed to come up with answers to these questions that satisfy the master. However, in recent times, these Koans have become so overused with hundreds of books written about them, essentially rendering them useless because they lose that “suddenness”. One of the most common ones, for example, is the question that goes “Does a dog have Buddha nature?”, and the Zen master replies “Mu”. The disciple then ponders on this conversation and tries to figure out what Mu means until the time the disciple realizes Mu is….. Mu.

The other one, that I find particularly interesting, is “What is your original face before you were born?” Just think about this. When did you actually “start” to exist? Did you begin to exist at birth? At conception? Were you non-existent before your parents had sex? When you say “life begins at conception” what exactly begins at conception- is it the physical body? Soul? Does soul even exist? When did awareness or consciousness begin? Is it when the brain starts to develop? What are you before you were born? What becomes of you when you die?