Mu

/mjuː/ · noun

Meaning

The 12th letter of the Modern Greek alphabet..

Definitions by Sense

1. The 12th letter of the Modern Greek alphabet.
2. (Zen Buddhism) Neither yes nor no.
3. (Zen Buddhism) Nothingness; nonexistence; the illusory nature of reality.
4. A unit of surface area, currently equivalent to two-thirtieths of a hectare.

Example Sentences

Mu means "no thing." Like "Quality" it points outside the process of dualistic discrimination. Mu simply says, "No class; not one, not zero, not yes, not no."[…]It's a great mistake, a kind of dishonesty, to sweep nature's mu answers under the carpet.

[p. 233] Achilles: Oh, but ‘MU’ is Jōshū’s answer. By saying ‘MU’, Jōshū let the other monk know that only by not asking such questions can one know the answer to them. Tortoise: Jōshū “unasked” the question. [p. 312] Achilles:[…]And the answer of “MU” here rejects the premises of the question, which are that one or the other must be chosen.

"Mu," said Kelly Dahl. On one level mu means only yes, but on a deeper level of Zen it was often used by the master when the acolyte asked a stupid, unanswerable or wrongheaded question such as "Does a dog have the Buddha-nature?" The Master would answer only, "Mu," meaning—I say "yes" but mean "no," but the actual answer is: Unask the question.

The Fifth Patriarch's utterance You say mu [Buddha-nature] because Buddha-nature is emptiness articulates clearly and distinctly the truth that emptiness is not "no". In uttering Buddha-nature-emptiness one does not say "half a pound." One does not say "eight ounces." One says "mu."

A monk once asked Master Joshu, 'Has a dog the Buddha Nature or not?' Joshu said, 'Mu!'

That being the case, we should naturally choose to contemplate mu from morning to night, forgetting everything.

Consequently, though mu is mindlike, the likeness to individual consciousness cannot be pushed very far.

The monk posed to Chaoi-chou a question: Does a dog have a buddha nature or not?" Chao-chou, without a moment's hesitation, answered, “Mu." (Translated as "No.")

Synonyms for mu

Antonyms for mu

Related Words

Word Forms

• mus
• mu

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions