On more than one occasion I’ve read or heard people say the question “If a tree falls in the woods, but no one hears it, is there a sound?” is a koan.
It is not. A koan is a direct pointing to reality together with an invitation to respond, box and its lid.
The tree question is a conundrum.
I find in my life I encounter both types of question, koan and conundrum.
The one is about our deepest aspirations, and our grandest possibilities.
The other is an interesting question that may on closer inspection turn out to be a non sequitur.
The art is knowing which is which in a universe where everything is shifting and there is no certain ground on which to stand…
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