dokusan

Dokusan is the name for the private interview with a Zen master. In the interview, students who are working on a koan are asked to demonstrate their understanding of it. Students who are counting breaths or practicing shikantaza (“just sitting”) can ask a question about their practice or some other concern. These exchanges are intended to snap the students into a realization of their True Nature by helping them to react in a natural and spontaneous manner.