The following rules are suitable for beginning students.
A koan has the Buddha-nature if and only if…
- all its pieces are the same color.
- all its pieces are the same size.
- all its pieces are flat.
- it contains at least one red piece.
- it contains at least one small piece.
- it contains at least one piece of each of the four colors.
- it contains no green pieces.
- it contains no large pieces.
- it contains at least one medium yellow piece.
- it contains exactly two pieces.
- it contains two or more upright pieces.
- it contains a piece pointing at another piece.
- it contains an ungrounded piece.
- it contains at least one green piece and at least one blue piece.
- it contains at least two pieces that are touching each other.