Wrestling with Ambiguity: Koans as Agents of Change and their Application to the Helping Professions

Abstract

The similarities that exist between working with koans—the riddles presented by Zen masters to their pupils—and the exchanges of people in the helping professions are examined in an effort to shed light on the transformative potential of ambiguity as a tool in therapeutic practice. This is of particular significance to coaches and psychotherapists with more of a psychodynamic or even paradoxical orientation. It is suggested that koans are ideal agents for learning to engage ambiguity. In that respect there are similarities between Eastern and Western practices, having as their ultimate objective a greater understanding of the self and—through that understanding—the arrival at a transformation of the self. This article also points out that the aim of koan practice—similar to the kinds of dialogues between helping professionals and their clients—is to encourage Zen students to explore the non-analytical, more creative part of the mind and arrive at a more holistic view of the world. Generally speaking, koans help in acquiring a more three-dimensional view of life—again a process that shows similarities with the work of the helping professionals. In addition, given the importance of ambiguity management, the purpose of koan practice—very similar to psychotherapy or coaching—is not to arrive at premature answers to knotty problems. Instead, both orientations to self-exploration practice what’s called negative capability—in an effort to tolerate and utilize not-knowing—a process described by the poet John Keats as being “capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason.” It is suggested that koan practice will improve the capacity to tolerate non-knowing and manage ambiguity, important qualities that enable more creative problem solving. In that respect, koans can also serve as meaningful pedagogical tools that assist in transcending constricted thinking. To illustrate the effectiveness of this way of working with the mind, a number of koans are presented.