The Gateless Gate The Classic Book of Zen Koans

by Yamada, Koun; Habito, Ruben L. F.

• ISBN13: 9780861713820
• ISBN10: 0861713826
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-06-15
• Publisher: INGRAM

Summary

In The Gateless Gate, one of modern Zen Buddhism's uniquely influential masters offers classic commentaries on the Mumonkan, one of Zen's greatest collections of teaching stories. This translation was compiled with the Western reader in mind, and includes Koan Yamada's clear and penetrating comments on each case. Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West from Japan, going on to be the head of the Sanbo Kyodan Zen Community.

The Gateless Gate would be invaluable if only for the translation and commentary alone, yet it's loaded with extra material and is a fantastic resource to keep close by:

• An in-depth Introduction to the History of Zen Practice
• Lineage charts
• Japanese-to-Chinese and Chinese-to-Japanese conversion charts for personal names, place names, and names of writings
• Plus front- and back-matter from ancient and modern figures: Mumon, Shuan, Kubota Ji'un, Taizan Maezumi, Hugo Enomiya-Lasalle, and Yamada Roshi's son, Masamichi Yamada.

A wonderful inspiration for the koan practitioner, and for those with a general interest in Zen Buddhism.

Author Biography

Koun Yamada played a seminal role in bringing Zen from Japan to the West and opening the interfaith dialogue with Christianity. Yamada Roshi's accomplishments are all the more remarkable because, like so many Americans who study Zen, he was a layman. Yamada Roshi died in 1989

Table of Contents

Foreword to the Wisdom Edition	p. xi
Preface to the Wisdom Edition	p. xv
Preface to the Wisdom Edition	p. xvi
Author's Preface to the First Edition	p. xvii
Note on Chinese and Japanese Terms	p. xxi
Shuan's Preface	p. 1
Dedication to the Throne	p. 5
Mumon's Preface	p. 7
Joshu's Dog	p. 11
Hyakujo and the Fox	p. 17
Gutei's One Finger	p. 23
The Barbarian Has No Beard	p. 27
Kyogen's Man Up a Tree	p. 31
Buddha Holds Up a Flower	p. 35
Joshu's "Wash Your Bowls"	p. 40
Keichu Makes Carts	p. 44
Daitsu Chisho	p. 49
Seizei the Poor	p. 53
Joshu Examines the Hermits	p. 58
Zuigan Calls Himself "Master"	p. 62
Tokusan Carries His Bowls	p. 66
Nansen Kills the Cat	p. 70
Tozan's Sixty Blows	p. 74
The Sound of the Bell and the Seven-Panel Robe	p. 79
The National Teacher's Three Calls	p. 84
Tozan's Masagin	p. 89
Ordinary Mind Is the Way	p. 93
A Man of Great Strength	p. 98
Unmon's Kanshiketsu	p. 102
Kashyapa's Flagpole	p. 106
Think Neither Good Nor Evil	p. 111
Leaving Speech and Silence Behind	p. 118
The Sermon of the Third Seat	p. 123
Two Monks Roll Up the Blinds	p. 129
Not Mind, Not Buddha	p. 134
Ryutan's Name Echoed Long	p. 137
Not the Wind, Not the Flag	p. 143
Mind Is Buddha	p. 148
Joshu Sees Through an Old Woman	p. 153
A Non-Buddhist Questions Buddha	p. 157
No Mind, No Buddha	p. 161
Knowing Is Not the Way	p. 165
Seijo's Soul Is Separated	p. 169
Meeting a Man Who Has Accomplished the Way	p. 174
The Oak Tree in the Garden	p. 177
A Cow Passes Through a Window	p. 181
Unmon and a Mistake in Speech	p. 185
Kicking Over the Water Jug	p. 189
Bodhidharma Puts the Mind to Rest	p. 194
A Woman Comes Out of Samadhi	p. 199
Shuzan's Shippei	p. 204
Basho's Shujo	p. 208
Who Is That One?	p. 212
Stepping Forward From the Top of a Pole	p. 216
Tosotsu's Three Barriers	p. 220
Kempo's One Way	p. 225
Mumon's Postscript	p. 231
Mumon's Zen Warnings	p. 233
Oryu's Three Barriers	p. 235
Muryo Soju's Verses on Oryu's Three Barriers	p. 237
Mokyo's Epilogue	p. 243
Amban's Forty-ninth Case	p. 245
Introduction to the History of Zen Practice	p. 247
Writings and Zen Records Mentioned in the Introduction to the History of Zen Practice	p. 265
Personal Names, Place Names, and Writings (Japanese-Chinese)	p. 269
Personal Names, Place Names, and Writings (Chinese-Japanese)	p. 275
Lineage Charts	p. 281
Foreword to the Previous Edition	p. 293
Preface to the Previous Edition	p. 299
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.