Koan Talks

A kōan ( KOH-a(h)n; Japanese: 公案; Chinese: 公案; pinyin: gōng'àn [kʊ́ŋ ân]; Korean: 화두; Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement from Chinese Chan Buddhist lore, supplemented with commentaries, that is used in Zen Buddhist practice in different ways. The main goal of kōan practice in Zen is to achieve kenshō (Chinese: jianxing 見性), to see or observe one's buddha-nature.

Extended study of kōan literature as well as meditation (zazen) on a kōan is a major feature of modern Rinzai Zen. They are also studied in the Sōtō school of Zen to a lesser extent. In Chinese Chan and Korean Seon Buddhism, meditating on a huatou, a key phrase of a kōan, is also a major Zen meditation method.

From koan on Wikipedia

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Title Speaker

Dizang's Weakness: Case 20, Book of Serenity; Serial No. 01162

Serial: BZ-01162

Saturday talk

Koan, Dizang, SER-20, Intimacy, Gratitude, Teacher-and-Student, Heart Sutra, Nirvana...
Oct 04 2008
Berkeley Zen Center

June 7th, 2008, Serial No. 01137

Discrimination, Five Ranks, Separation, Blue Cliff Record, Impermanence,...
Jun 07 2008

What Is It That Comes?

Serial: BZ-01443

Nangaku Ejo asks Daikan Eno, Sesshin Day 4

Nangaku Ejo, Daikan Eno, Koan, Gaining Mind, Monastic Practice, Practice Period,...
Jun 23 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

This Is It

Serial: BZ-01436A

Saturday Lecture

Mindfulness, Koan, Karma, Doubt, confusion, Big Mind, Instruction, Religion, Priest,...
May 19 2007
Berkeley Zen Center

"Evo-revolution"

Serial: BZ-01242

Working with Our Problems, Saturday Lecture

Bodhisattva Vow, Koan, Manjushri, Bodhisattva Ceremony, Buddha Mind, Religion,...
Aug 28 2004
Berkeley Zen Center

Bathroom Zen

Serial: BZ-01379

One-Day Sitting

Daily Life, Monastic Practice, Koan, American, New Year, Culture, Continuous Practice...
Jan 10 2004
Berkeley Zen Center

August 22nd, 2002, Serial No. 00481

Don't Know Mind, Buddha Mind, Blue Cliff Record, Manjushri, Birth-and-Death,...
Aug 22 2002

June 9th, 2001, Serial No. 00103, Side B

Buddha Nature, Intuition, Culture, Don't Know Mind, Karma, Buddha's...
Jun 09 2001

Sun-face Buddha, Moon-face Buddha

Serial: BZ-00123B

Saturday Lecture

 

Buddha, Koan, Buddha Nature, Blue Cliff Record, Thoroughness, Priest, Ordinary Mind,...
Nov 18 2000
Berkeley Zen Center

Failure/Success

Serial: BZ-00192B

Saturday Lecture

Ego, Koan, Teacher-and-Student, Bodhidharma, Big Mind
Aug 21 1999
Berkeley Zen Center

Universe As Medicine

Serial: BZ-00356B

Saturday Lecture

Ummon, Koan, Religion, Manjushri, Bell, Sixth Patriarch, Demons, Ego, Attachment,...
Aug 22 1998
Berkeley Zen Center

Recognizing Enlightenment

Serial: BZ-00322B

Saturday Lecture

Enlightenment, Koan, Doubt, Constancy, Discrimination, Duality, Buddha Nature,...
Sep 26 1997
Berkeley Zen Center

Obaku's Address to the Monks

Serial: BZ-00628B

There Are No Zen Teachers in This Realm, Sesshin Day 2

Obaku, Koan, training, Non-discrimination, Rinzai, Dragons, Bowing, Bell, American...
Sep 05 1993
Berkeley Zen Center

Sun Faced Buddha/Moon Faced Buddha

Serial: BZ-00505A

Saturday Lecture

Buddha, Koan, Subject-and-Object, Buddha Nature, Constancy, First Principle, Observe...
May 19 1990
Berkeley Zen Center

Mind Refresher Cakes

Serial: BZ-00376A

Sesshin Day 1

Koan, Deshan, Dragons, Lineage, Gratitude, Passions
Jun 21 1989
Berkeley Zen Center

June 12th, 1988, Serial No. 00299

Serial: BZ-00299

Sunday Lecture

Ordinary Mind, Doubt, Attachment, Koan, Daily Life, Intuition, Soto Zen, confusion,...
Jun 12 1988

Genjokoan I

Serial: BZ-01501B

Sesshin lecture

Birth-and-Death, true dharma, Sixth Patriarch, Koan, Attachment, Heart Sutra, Soto...
Jun 03 1987
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #3

Serial: BZ-00409A

Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha, Saturday Lecture

Buddha, Koan, BCR-3, First Principle, Buddha Nature, Cultivation, Commitment, Greed,...
Feb 02 1985
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #43

Serial: BZ-00006B

How Can We Avoid Heat and Cold?, Saturday Lecture

BCR-43

Koan, resistance, Non-violence, Fasting, Anger, Dana, Daily Life, Building, training...
Mar 05 1983
Berkeley Zen Center

Mumonkan: Case #35 -- Seijo's Soul Separated

Serial: BZ-00046B

Unifying Body, Mind and the Way, Saturday Lecture

MM-35

 

Koan, Birth-and-Death, War, Peace, Dragons, Offering, Instruction, Doubt, Emotions,...
Jan 22 1983
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #35

Serial: BZ-00034A

Manjushri's "3's" and "3's"; Nondiscrimination, Saturday Lecture

BCR-35

 

Non-discrimination, Koan, Manjushri, Dragons, Conversation, Sixth Patriarch, Monastic...
Jul 03 1982
Berkeley Zen Center

Mumonkan: Case #19

Serial: BZ-00036A

"Nansen's Everyday Mind in the Way", Saturday Lecture

MM-19

 

Nansen, Absolute-and-Relative, Koan, Ordinary Mind, Non-violence, confusion,...
Jun 26 1982
Berkeley Zen Center

Blue Cliff Record: Case #17

Serial: BZ-00029B

"Sitting Long and Getting Tired", Sesshin Day 5

BCR-17

 

Composure, Zazen, Koan, First Principle, Ordinary Mind, Samadhi, Composure,...
May 23 1982
Berkeley Zen Center

Effort: The Fourth Paramita (Virya)

Serial: BZ-00009A

Blue Cliff Record: Case #5(?) "Beating the Drum", Saturday Lecture

 

Virya, Koan, Buddha Mind, Patience, Concentration, Chanting, Monastic Practice,...
Apr 24 1982
Berkeley Zen Center