Verse on Zhaozhou's Mu

Text

Dog—Buddha nature! The full presentation of the whole truth. If you add or subtract even a hair, you lose your body and life. Wumen's comment: For the practice of Zen it is imperative that you pass through the barrier set up by the patriarchs. For this, your intention should be concentrated in one spot to the extent that it pervades every moment of your life. Concentrate on this one word 'Mu.' Carry it continuously day and night. Do not form a nihilistic conception of vacancy, or a relative conception of 'has' or 'has not.' It will be just as if you swallow a red-hot iron ball, which you cannot spit out even if you try.

license: public_domain

Attribution

• Attributed To
  Wumen Huikai

Lineage: Linji

By Wumen Huikai

• The Gateless Barrier (Preface)sermon
• Verse on Juzhi's Fingerverse
• Every Season Is a Good Seasonproverb
• Preface to the Gateless Barriersermon
• The Gateless Barrierproverb

From Wumenguan

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

Sources

• contentZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation

  Zen project editorial

  Wumenguan (Mumonkan), Case 1 — Verse and Commentary

  Wumenguan: Verse on Zhaozhou's Mu