The Koan Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism

Koans are enigmatic spiritual formulas used for religious training in the Zen Buddhist tradition. Perhaps no dimension of Asian religion has attracted so much interest in the West, and its influence is apparent in cultural products from beat poetry to deconstructive literary theory. The essays gathered here, all previously unpublished, show that our understanding of the koan tradition has been extremely limited. In examining previously unrecognized factors in the formation of this tradition, contributors reveal the rich complexity and remarkable diversity of koan practice and literature.