Editing Koan (section)

==Etymology==
The Japanese term {{transliteration|ja|kōan}} is the [[on'yomi|Sino-Japanese reading]] of the Chinese word {{transliteration|zh|gong'an}} ({{lang-zh|c=[[wikt:公案|公案]]|p=gōng'àn|w=kung-an|l=public case}}). The term is a [[compound (linguistics)|compound]] word, consisting of the [[Chinese character|characters]] {{lang|zh|[[wikt:公|公]]}} ('public; official; governmental; common; collective; fair; equitable') and {{lang|zh|[[wikt:案|案]]}} ('table; desk, altar; (law) case; record; file; plan; mandate, proposal.')

According to the [[Yuan dynasty]] Zen master [[Zhongfeng Mingben]] ({{lang|zh|中峰明本}} 1263–1323), {{transliteration|zh|gōng'àn}} originated as an abbreviation of {{transliteration|zh|gōngfǔ zhī àndú}} ({{lang|zh|公府之案牘}}, Japanese {{transliteration|ja|kōfu no antoku}}—literally the {{transliteration|zh|àndú}} ('official correspondence; documents; files') of a {{transliteration|zh|gōngfǔ}} ('government post')), which referred to a "public record" or the "case records of a public law court" in [[Tang dynasty]] China.{{sfn|Sasaki|1965|pp=4-6}}{{sfn|Foulk|2000|pp=21-22}}{{refn|group=note|Assertions that the literal meaning of {{transliteration|zh|kung-an}} is the table, desk, or bench of a magistrate appear on page 18 of {{harvtxt|Foulk|2000}}. See also {{harvtxt|McRae|2003|pp=172–173 note 16}}.}} {{transliteration|ja|Kōan}}/{{transliteration|zh|gong'an}} thus serves as a [[metaphor]] for principles of reality beyond the private or subjective opinion of one person, and a teacher may test the student's ability to recognize and understand that principle.

Commentaries in {{transliteration|ja|kōan}} collections bear some similarity to judicial decisions that cite and sometimes modify precedents. An article by T. Griffith Foulk claims:

{{Blockquote|Its literal meaning is the 'table' or 'bench' {{transliteration|zh|[[An (Shintō)|an]]}} of a 'magistrate' or 'judge' {{transliteration|zh|[[gong (title)|kung]]}}.{{sfn|Foulk|2000|pp=21–22}}}}

{{transliteration|zh|Gong'an}} was itself originally a metonym—an article of furniture involved in setting legal precedents came to stand for such precedents. For example, {{transliteration|zh|Di Gong'an}} ({{lang|zh|狄公案}}) is the original title of ''[[Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee]]'', the famous Chinese [[detective novel]] based on a historical Tang dynasty judge. Similarly, Zen {{transliteration|ja|kōan}} collections are public records of the notable sayings and actions of Zen masters and disciples attempting to pass on their teachings.