what is the sound of one hand clapping?

Question

zen

Answer 1

It is the sound of silence!

Answer 2

The following link provides a serious attempt to answer this question,

http://www.angelfire.com/md2/timewarp/sound.html

however, I enjoyed Ms. Lisa Simpson's frustration when Bart answered this question immediately by flapping his fingers against the palm of his hand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koan

It is "A kōan (Japanese: kōan, Chinese: gōng-àn, Korean: gong'an, Vietnamese: công án) is a story, dialogue, question, or statement in the history and lore of Chán (Zen) Buddhism, generally containing aspects that are inaccessible to rational understanding, yet that may be accessible to intuition. A famous kōan is, "Two hands clap and there is a sound; what is the sound of one hand?" (oral tradition, attributed to Hakuin Ekaku, 1686-1769, considered a reviver of the kōan tradition in Japan)."

Answer 3

Happy family, one hand clap, four went by and none come back.
Brother Judas, ash and sack, swallowed aphrodisiac.
Rufus, Silas, Jonah too sang, "We'll blow our own canoes,"
Poked a finger in the zoo, punctured all the ballyhoo

Whipped the world and beat the clock, wound up with their share of stock.
Silver Rolls from golden rock, shaken by a knock, knock, knock.
Happy family, wave that grin, what goes round must surely spin;
Cheesecake, mousetrap, Grip-Pipe-Thynne cried out, "We're not Rin Tin Tin."

Uncle Rufus grew his nose, threw away his circus clothes
Cousin Silas grew a beard, drew another flask of weird
Nasty Jonah grew a wife, Judas drew his pruning knife.
Happy family one hand clap, four went on but none came back

Happy family, pale applause, each to his revolving doors.
Silas searching, Rufus neat, Jonah caustic, Jude so sweet.
Let their sergeant mirror spin if we lose the barbers win;
Happy family one hand clap, four went on but none came back

Answer 4

A Jerry Seinfeld audience?

No, sorry that's No Hands Clapping.

Answer 5

One hand cannot clap without coming in contact with something that allows it to do so, therefore a hand cannot clap nor give a sound of clapping.....Grasshopper.

Answer 6

Air turbalance; millions of electrons slamming together, being moved in one direction. Listen and you will hear.

Answer 7

it's the sound of one hand waving in the air

Answer 8

HTH

Charles

Answer 9

One hand fapping.

Answer 10

soft