The Gateless Barrier (Preface)

Text

Buddhism makes mind its foundation and no-gate its gate. Now, how do you pass through this no-gate? It is said that things coming in through the gate can never be your own treasures. What is gained from external circumstances will perish in the end. However, such a saying is already raising waves when there is no wind. It is cutting unblemished skin. As for those who try to understand through other people's words, they are striking at the moon with a stick; scratching a shoe when the foot itches. What concern have they with the truth?

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Attributed To
  Wumen Huikai

Lineage: Linji

By Wumen Huikai

• Verse on Zhaozhou's Muverse
• Verse on Juzhi's Fingerverse
• Every Season Is a Good Seasonproverb
• Preface to the Gateless Barriersermon
• The Gateless Barrierproverb

From Wumenguan

• Verse on Zhaozhou's Mu
• Verse on Juzhi's Finger
• Wúménguān (The Gateless Barrier / Mumonkan)

Sources

• contentZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation

  Zen project editorial

  Wumenguan (Mumonkan), Preface

  Wumenguan: The Gateless Barrier (Preface)