Passing Through the Gateless Barrier: Koan Practice for Real Life

The classic thirteenth-century collection of Zen koans with one of the most accessible commentaries to date, from a Chinese Zen teacher.

For more than eight centuries the Gateless Barrier has been studied by Zen (or Chan) practitioners in order to bring about meditative realizations about the nature of ultimate reality. Compiled by Chan Master Wumen Huikai in the thirteenth century, the Gateless Barrier (Chinese- Wumen guan; Japanese- Mumonkan) is a collection of forty-eight koans–stories of the sayings and actions of Chan Masters in which they freely and directly express their enlightened experience. This fresh English translation by Guo Gu–the first from a Chinese Chan teacher–is one of the most accessible to date, and his commentary brings new life to these classic teachings.