"What is the sound of one hand clapping?" is a traditional zen koan -- a question posed by a Zen master to a student.
It is meant to be pondered from within the routine of daily life until the answer opens the true heart of the question. All koans must be answered from within the realm of one's own personal experience, and thus be encountered in the journey of living rather than in the rationalizations of logical thought.
Accordingly, each koan has many answers, answers that will vary both in words and in the stirring of one's mind and emotions.
Even the wisest Zen teacher cannot tell you your own answer. You must find it for yourself, and not in your mind, and not in the comfort of a rational response. Once experienced, the answer is often a life changing experience, and needs no confirmation from anyone else.
Here are responses to the question from a variety of WikiAnswer users:
The sound of one hand clapping is a philosophical concept originating from Zen Buddhism, particularly in the context of a koan. In Zen practice, koans are used as a tool to challenge the logical mind and provoke deeper insight. The question itself is meant to be paradoxical and thought-provoking, encouraging practitioners to transcend dualistic thinking and experience a moment of enlightenment. Ultimately, there is no definitive answer to this question as it is meant to be contemplated rather than answered logically.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping was created in 1997.
The novel "The Sound of One Hand Clapping" by Richard Flanagan has 400 pages in the paperback edition.
The ISBN of The Sound of One Hand Clapping is 0-7329-0896-5.
The duration of The Sound of One Hand Clapping - film - is 1.55 hours.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping - film - was created on 1996-04-23.
It is the sound of one hand clapping.
dubstep
The concept of one hand clapping in Zen Buddhism is meant to challenge logical thinking and encourage contemplation. It doesn't have a definitive answer, but rather is a tool for introspection and mindfulness. Some interpretations suggest that the sound of one hand clapping symbolizes the absence of duality and the unity of all things.
no.that is not true because, you have to think "well what can I clap on one hand for it to make a sound?" or "is my clapping metaphorical as in silent applause?"there are many answers to this but there wouldn't be a definite "yes" or "no"Well.... No. Clapping is useing both hands and hitting them against eachother to make a sound, you cannot make a sound useing only one hand. Unless you use a object or another hand. There for there is no sound of one hand clapping.
I'm not completely sure what you are asking but I think the sound of one hand clapping is snapping your fingers because the sound from a snap comes from the air escaping from under your middle finger when it contacts the base of your thumb.
The duration of One-Hand Clapping is 1.57 hours.
One-Hand Clapping was created on 2001-08-17.