Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

arrow_back_ios_new
MENTAL MODEL · M11297

Blue Cliff Record

Blue Cliff Record
StructureHigh supportLogic
Included
account_tree

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

A collection of Chan (Zen) Buddhist kōans from the Song dynasty, using paradoxical stories to trigger sudden enlightenment and break linear logical thinking.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Non-conceptual thinking. Through kōans, one trains to transcend dualistic opposition and attain intuitive wisdom.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Kōans use paradoxical, non-logical statements to 'stall' conceptual thinking, forcing the practitioner to abandon dualistic distinctions and conceptual clinging, and to directly realize through intuitive enlightenment. It is a teaching method of 'breaking attachments through doubt'.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/3

Practice this model in one real situation:

Check to track your progress (stored locally)
Learning progress0%
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Cliff_RecordZH · Explicit
    verified

RELATED MODELS

Related model

Ugly Duckling Theorem

Counting all extensional properties equally over a finite set gives different object pairs the same number of shared properties; useful similarity requires selecting or weighting features.

arrow_forwardRelated model

False Equivalence

An informal fallacy that treats limited similarities as establishing equivalence while ignoring differences relevant to the conclusion.

arrow_forwardRelated model

Inferential Distance

How many steps of logical reasoning you must go through to get from what the audience already knows to the conclusion you want to convey.

arrow_forward