Author Archives: Maurice George

Koans & jokes: an unlikely connection

A koan is in some ways rather like a joke. For centuries Zen teachers in Japanese monasteries have held the attention of their followers by telling brief stories with a punch-line, known as koans. Joke-tellers, like Zen teachers, often ask questions at crucial points in the narrative. ‘Explaining’ the joke or the koan doesn’t work; […]

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