Analysis of paradoxical couplets of Kabir and Zen Koan

Couplets of Kabir and Zen sayings have many commonalities. Kabir uses paradox in his ‘dohe’ to express the truth of life. Similarly, Zen ‘koan’ uses the indirect method of expressing the truth, which seems abnormal in certain situations. The idea behind using the paradoxical method or indirect way of saying the truths of life is to shock the mind, which can help achieve a ‘no-mind’ state. This paper aims to critically analyse some of the paradoxical couplets of Kabir and Zen Koan, which have similarities and relevance in contemporary society.