Koans East and West: Legends, Tales (audio)

Alan Watts (alanwatts.org) via Alan Wattsify (YouTube); Crystal Ike collection (pinterest.com); Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Zen's (dhyāna) ensō is a symbol of being free.

A kōan (Chinese 公案 or gōng'àn, Korean 공안 or gong-an, Vietnamese công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement that is used in Zen practice to provoke the "great doubt" and to practice or test a student's progress in Zen.

• Imponderable (acinteyya): "incomprehensible, surpassing thought, unthinkable, beyond rational comprehension, impenetrable, that which transcends the limits of thinking and over which one should not ponder for to do so is likely to drive one mad."

It is not an imponderable nor a stoner thought, though it may sound like one, like:

• "Why do we have fingers, fingertips, and toes -- but no 'toe tips,' yet we 'tiptoe' but don't 'tipfinger?"
• "How many zombies would Rob Zombie rob if Rob Zombie could rob zombies?"

STONER RIDDLES

• What gets wetter the more it dries?
• What will have fewer holes the more holes you tear in it?