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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.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-mu.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "mu." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-mu.html |
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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. |
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"mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mu.html "mu." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mu.html |
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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.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mu.html JOHN BOWKER. "Mu." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Mu.html |
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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
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Cite this article
"mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mu.html "mu." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-mu.html |
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