The gateless gate is a collection of 49 zen koans that were compiled and explained by zen master mumon. The classic book of zen koans in the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the mumonkan, one of zens greatest collections of teaching stories. The only people who ever see the truth, and step through that gateless gate are those who decide to take responsibility for finding out what the truth really is. It is a collection of 48 koans, ancient stories and sayings of chinese zen masters used to embody the paradoxical spirit of zen. I want to keep them free, but need some support to be able to do so. My latest album is a wider view 2019 you can also find more music at my songbased project, twilight fields. The gateless gate would be invaluable if only for the translation and commentary alone, yet its loaded with extra material and is a fantastic resource to keep close by. Five of the koans in the work concern the sayings and doings of zhaozhou.
I have called the book the gateless gate wishing students to read it as a guide. Selections from the gateless gate by wumen huikai youtube. At the end of each talk when the monks left so did he. The projects title is that of the classic book of zen koans, mumonkan the gateless gate, used to this day in soto and rinzai zen instruction. This translation was compiled with the western reader in mind, and includes koan yamadas. This translation was compiled with the western reader in mind, and includes koan yamadas clear and penetrating comments on each case. The gateless gate is a thcentury collection of mind problems used in the practice of zen. The gateless gate and the blue cliff records katsuki sekida. The one who passes through this barrier shall meet with joshu face to face. In this dialog, the questioner got a surprise answer from francis lucillefrom a completely unexpected direction. Although there are several other english translations available in print and online. The gateless gate main case, mumons commentary, verse the classic book of zen koans translated with commentary by koun yamada 19071989. The classic book of zen koans new edition by yamada, koun isbn. Chan teacher guo gu provides here a fresh translation of the classic text, along with the first english commentary by a teacher of the chinese tradition from which it originated.
The gateless gate by koun yamada overdrive rakuten. The two works translated in this book, mumonkan the gateless gate and hekiganroku the blue cliff record, both compiled during the song dynasty in china, are the best known and most frequently studied koan collections, and are classics of zen literature. The gateless gate and polishing the moon sword is a collection of poems inspired by zen and japanese folk traditions. Francis lucille satsang dialogues the gateless gate. My notes, however, were collected unexpectedly, and there were fortyeight koans, together with my comment in prose and verse concerning each, although their arrangement was not in the order of the telling. His teisho on the cases are alive and pithy, directly conveying master mumons vivid zen and the lifetransforming words of our ancestral teachers. In the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the mumonkan, one of zens greatest collections of. This book offers a complete translation of the majjhima nikaya, or middle length discourses of the buddha, one of the major collections of texts in the pali canon, the authorised scriptures of theravada buddhism. This work was published before january 1, 1925, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. As a westerner and someone who is not steeped in buddhist history, i often felt like i was facing a steep series of translations from chinese to japanese, from japanese to english, from eastern ideas and idioms to western ones. They consist of a story, dialogue, question, or statement, which cannot be understood through rational thinking alone.
The gateless barrier book summary be the first one to contribute a summary for this book. The classic book of zen koans ebook written by koun yamada. For class a renewals records books only published between 1923 and 1963, check the stanford university copyright renewal database. Gathered together by wumen mumon, a thirteenthcentury master of the linchi rinzai school, it is composed of fortyeight koans, or cases, each accompanied by a brief comment and poem by wumen. Koans are a fundamental part of the history and lure of zen buddhism. While short and succinct, this book has enormous depth, and offers new rewards on repeated readings. You may add a summary for this book by using the add summary link. Three years later he returned to japan and settled in kamakura with his wife and three children. Nyogen senzaki and paul reps 1934, full text etext at. Overview in the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the mumonkan, one of zens greatest collections of teaching stories. In the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influ. Reading the gateless gate so we all can attain enlightenment. These books can take me from 2 to 10 hours to create. Hyakujos fox once when hyakujo delivered some zen lectures an old man attended them, unseen by the monks.
The first section, the gateless gate, contains poemresponses to the 48 zen koans of the mumonkan, following a long zen tradition of composing poems as. It is an essential text for anyone interested in the zen koan, and in the process of zen awakening. In this fascinating book, alan watts explores mans quest for psychological security, examining our efforts to find spiritual and intellectual certainty in the realms of religion and philosophy. Download or stream the 20122015 compilationsampler to get an idea of what i do. There are indeed, many paths through the gateless gate. The classic book of zen koans, in manchuria at age thirtyeight yamada began zen training. The gateless gate distills his teaching and spirit marvelously.
The gateless gate was composed in 1228 by the monk mumon ekai. This translation was compiled with the western reader in mind, and includes koan yamadas clear. This one is fairly easy and when we arrive at the fenceline, theres a little trick that will get you through. The gateless gate index internet sacred text archive. For me, it involved dishes were at the first waystone already you know what indian time means.
The classic book of zen koans paperback june 15, 2004 by koun yamada author, ruben l. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the gateless gate. Koun yamadas superb translation of the gateless gate has accompanied me throughout my practice and my teaching ever since the first edition appeared over two decades ago. The gateless gate wikisource, the free online library. The gateless barrier summary, summary of the gateless.
In this version, yamada adds his own explication of each case, which helps a lot in understanding some of the basic ideas. In the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the mumonkan, one of zens greatest collections of teaching stories. An indepth introduction to the history of zen practice. About the book in the gateless gate, one of modern zen buddhisms uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the mumonkan, one of zens greatest collections of teaching stories. The gateless barrier is generally acknowledged to be the fundamental koan collection in the literature of zen. The fortyeight koans of the gateless barrier chinese.
The gateless barrier news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2011 learn. The gateless gate zen koans by mumon nook book ebook. The gateless gate is a wonderful inspiration for the zen practitioner, and for those with a general interest in zen buddhism. Each koan is accompanied by a commentary and verse by wumen. The gateless gate by ekai called mumon nook book ebook. This book includes the best 15 artworks paintings of dr tariqul islam. Bodhidharma sighed zen comments on the gateless gate, case 41 james ishmael ford let me tell you a story. Last week, around 30,000 people downloaded books from my site 8 people gave donations. According to the foreword in the book the gateless gate. If a reader is brave enough and goes straight forward in his. The two works translated in this book, mumonkan the gateless gate and hekiganroku the blue cliff record, both compiled during the song dynasty in china, are the best known and most frequently studied koan the strange verbal paradoxes called koans have been used traditionally in zen training to help students attain a direct realization of truths inexpressible in words. Mumonkan have been waking people up for well over eight hundred years. This is a very unusual video extracted from a two week long retreat with francis lucille, filmed in 2008.
The gateless gate by koun yamada, 97808617820, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Francis lucille satsang dialogues the gateless gate by francis lucille. Blyth, from his book zen and zen classics, volume four, mumonkan. The gateless gate, or mumonkan, is one of the great classics in the literature of zen buddhism.
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