The Gateless Gate
50 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This classic Zen Buddhist collection of 49 koans with commentary by Mumon was originally published in 1934, and later included in Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki's popular anthology Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Due to non-renewal it is currently in the public domain in the US (although other parts of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones are not).
Koans are a Zen Buddhist spiritual technique which use word-play to achieve enlightenment. They frequently involve absurd or contradictory statements, which are intended to create extreme cognitive dissonance in the mind of the pupil. As such, their actual content or structure is not as important as the mental state which they induce. This collection includes some of the most famous koans, such as Tozan's "three pounds of flax":
While short and succinct, this book has enormous depth, and offers new rewards on repeated readings.
Table of contents
50 chapters
26 23. Do Not Think Good, Do Not Think Not-Good 27 24. Without Words, Without Silence 28 25. Preaching from the Third Seat 29 26. Two Monks Roll Up the Screen 30 27. It Is Not Mind, It Is Not Buddha, It Is Not Things 31 29. Not the Wind, Not the Flag 32 30. This Mind Is Buddha 33 31. Joshu Investigates 34 32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha 35 34. Learning Is Not the Path 36 35. Two Souls 37 36. Meeting a Zen Master on the Road 38 37. A Buffalo Passes Through the Enclosure 39 38. An Oak Tree in the Garden 40 39. Ummon's Sidetrack 41 40. Tipping Over a Water Vase 42 41. Bodhidharma Pacifies the Mind 43 42. The Girl Comes Out from Meditation 44 43. Shuzan's Short Staff 45 44. Basho's Staff 46 45. Who Is He? 47 46. Proceed from the Top of the Pole 48 47. Three Gates of Tosotsu 49 48. One Road of Kembo 50 49. Amban's Addition
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The Gateless Gate
50 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This classic Zen Buddhist collection of 49 koans with commentary by Mumon was originally published in 1934, and later included in Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki's popular anthology Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Due to non-renewal it is currently in the public domain in the US (although other parts of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones are not).
Koans are a Zen Buddhist spiritual technique which use word-play to achieve enlightenment. They frequently involve absurd or contradictory statements, which are intended to create extreme cognitive dissonance in the mind of the pupil. As such, their actual content or structure is not as important as the mental state which they induce. This collection includes some of the most famous koans, such as Tozan's "three pounds of flax":
While short and succinct, this book has enormous depth, and offers new rewards on repeated readings.
Table of contents
50 chapters
26 23. Do Not Think Good, Do Not Think Not-Good 27 24. Without Words, Without Silence 28 25. Preaching from the Third Seat 29 26. Two Monks Roll Up the Screen 30 27. It Is Not Mind, It Is Not Buddha, It Is Not Things 31 29. Not the Wind, Not the Flag 32 30. This Mind Is Buddha 33 31. Joshu Investigates 34 32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha 35 34. Learning Is Not the Path 36 35. Two Souls 37 36. Meeting a Zen Master on the Road 38 37. A Buffalo Passes Through the Enclosure 39 38. An Oak Tree in the Garden 40 39. Ummon's Sidetrack 41 40. Tipping Over a Water Vase 42 41. Bodhidharma Pacifies the Mind 43 42. The Girl Comes Out from Meditation 44 43. Shuzan's Short Staff 45 44. Basho's Staff 46 45. Who Is He? 47 46. Proceed from the Top of the Pole 48 47. Three Gates of Tosotsu 49 48. One Road of Kembo 50 49. Amban's Addition
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The Gateless Gate
50 chapters English Public domain
About this book
This classic Zen Buddhist collection of 49 koans with commentary by Mumon was originally published in 1934, and later included in Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki's popular anthology Zen Flesh, Zen Bones. Due to non-renewal it is currently in the public domain in the US (although other parts of Zen Flesh, Zen Bones are not).
Koans are a Zen Buddhist spiritual technique which use word-play to achieve enlightenment. They frequently involve absurd or contradictory statements, which are intended to create extreme cognitive dissonance in the mind of the pupil. As such, their actual content or structure is not as important as the mental state which they induce. This collection includes some of the most famous koans, such as Tozan's "three pounds of flax":
While short and succinct, this book has enormous depth, and offers new rewards on repeated readings.
Table of contents
50 chapters
26 23. Do Not Think Good, Do Not Think Not-Good 27 24. Without Words, Without Silence 28 25. Preaching from the Third Seat 29 26. Two Monks Roll Up the Screen 30 27. It Is Not Mind, It Is Not Buddha, It Is Not Things 31 29. Not the Wind, Not the Flag 32 30. This Mind Is Buddha 33 31. Joshu Investigates 34 32. A Philosopher Asks Buddha 35 34. Learning Is Not the Path 36 35. Two Souls 37 36. Meeting a Zen Master on the Road 38 37. A Buffalo Passes Through the Enclosure 39 38. An Oak Tree in the Garden 40 39. Ummon's Sidetrack 41 40. Tipping Over a Water Vase 42 41. Bodhidharma Pacifies the Mind 43 42. The Girl Comes Out from Meditation 44 43. Shuzan's Short Staff 45 44. Basho's Staff 46 45. Who Is He? 47 46. Proceed from the Top of the Pole 48 47. Three Gates of Tosotsu 49 48. One Road of Kembo 50 49. Amban's Addition
Audiobook
Listen to this edition
Audiobooks are coming soon
Narrated editions will appear here when they are ready to listen.
Membership
Support the archive
$10 / month
Helps fund new texts & growth
Unlimited highlights & annotations
Unlimited bookmarks
Ad free reading experience
Early access to new features
Early access to quality TTS Audiobooks
Priority support & feature requests
4,000 Points monthly for Search usage
Access to point system rewards and value
Cancel anytime. Helps us pay the bills.
Discussion
Community conversation
Discussions are coming soon
Join conversations around this text and its interpretations.