|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
mu
mu. This is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character ‘wu’, which means ‘to lack’ or ‘there is not’. In ordinary usage it negates the presence of something. It is famous in Ch'an and zen circles as the ‘critical phrase’ (Chin., hua-t'ou) of the kōan ‘Chao-chou's dog’, the first case in the Mumonkan collection (see Gateless Gate). When asked whether or not a dog has Buddha-nature, Chao-chou replied, ‘It does not’ (wu/mu). Practitioners working with this kōan try to penetrate the meaning of this answer.
|
|
|
Cite this article
DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-mu.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-mu.html |
|
mu
mu / m(y)oō/ • n. the twelfth letter of the Greek alphabet (Μ, μ), transliterated as ‘m.’ ∎ (Mu) [followed by Latin genitive] Astron. the twelfth star in a constellation: Mu Cassiopeiae. ∎ [as adj.] Physics relating to muons: mu particle. • symb. ∎ (μ) micron. ∎ (μ) [in comb.] “micro-” in symbols for units: the recommended daily amount is 750μg. ∎ (μ) permeability. |
|
|
Cite this article
"mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mu.html "mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mu.html |
|
Mu
Mu (Jap.; Chin., wu). Zen emptiness of content, nothingness, closely related to śūnyatā. From this arises the first kōan of the Wu-men-kuan (Mumonkan), which introduces the Zen student to ‘the world of mu’: ‘A monk asked master Chao-chou respectfully: “Does a dog actually have a Buddha-nature or not?” He replied: “Mu”’. The opposite is U.
|
|
|
Cite this article
JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mu.html JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mu.html |
|
mu
mu •accrue, adieu, ado, anew, Anjou, aperçu, askew, ballyhoo, bamboo, bedew, bestrew, billet-doux, blew, blue, boo, boohoo, brew, buckaroo, canoe, chew, clew, clou, clue, cock-a-doodle-doo, cockatoo, construe, coo, Corfu, coup, crew, Crewe, cru, cue, déjà vu, derring-do, dew, didgeridoo, do, drew, due, endue, ensue, eschew, feu, few, flew, flu, flue, foreknew, glue, gnu, goo, grew, halloo, hereto, hew, Hindu, hitherto, how-do-you-do, hue, Hugh, hullabaloo, imbrue, imbue, jackaroo, Jew, kangaroo, Karroo, Kathmandu, kazoo, Kiangsu, knew, Kru, K2, kung fu, Lahu, Lanzhou, Lao-tzu, lasso, lieu, loo, Lou, Manchu, mangetout, mew, misconstrue, miscue, moo, moue, mu, nardoo, new, non-U, nu, ooh, outdo, outflew, outgrew, peekaboo, Peru, pew, plew, Poitou, pooh, pooh-pooh, potoroo, pursue, queue, revue, roo, roux, rue, screw, Selous, set-to, shampoo, shih-tzu, shoe, shoo, shrew, Sioux, skean dhu, skew, skidoo, slew, smew, snafu, sou, spew, sprue, stew, strew, subdue, sue, switcheroo, taboo, tattoo, thereto, thew, threw, thro, through, thru, tickety-boo, Timbuktu, tiramisu, to, to-do, too, toodle-oo, true, true-blue, tu-whit tu-whoo, two, vendue, view, vindaloo, virtu, wahoo, wallaroo, Waterloo, well-to-do, whereto, whew, who, withdrew, woo, Wu, yew, you, zoo
|
|
|
Cite this article
"mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mu.html "mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mu.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
