kōan is a riddle or dialectic meditation device used in Zen Buddhist practice that is intentionally designed to, at least on the surface, be unclear and obscure. Its point is not to provide a conclusion or answer to the question presented, but rather, to disregard the relevance of the answer—to detach itself from the functions of conclusion and singular resolution. There are over a thousand known kōans that follow this format, all used to test and challenge Zen Buddhists and reveal the obscurity and limits of the mind.
