Momentarily Understanding the Contemporary Moment: Reflections on Koans, Politics, and Leisure

Abstract

A koan is a paradoxical riddle used to help practitioners of Zen Buddhism in their quest for non attachment. The idea of the koan can also be helpful as we attempt to make sense of the current social, historical and political moment. Do the events of 2018 reflect reality or reflect a temporal moment in reality? This essay ponders the meaning of attachment, letting go and taking action vis-à-vis the politics of leisure.