# The Gateless Barrier

The Gateless Barrier (無門關; Chinese: Wúménguān; Japanese: Mumonkan) is a collection of 48 Chan (Zen) koans compiled in the early 13th century by Chinese monk Wumen (無門).

## Quotes

    Cleary, J. C. (1999). "Wumen’s Gate". Three Chan classics. Berkeley, California: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. pp. 67-112. ISBN 1-886439-07-9.
       (無門關: Original Chinese text on Wikisource)
* 佛語心為宗。無門為法門。
** For the Buddha’s words, the mind is the source: the gate of nothingness is the gate to truth.
*** Preface
* 趙州和尚因僧問。狗子還有佛性。也無。 州云。無。
** A monk asked Zhaozhou, “Does a dog have the Buddha nature or not?” Zhaozhou said, “No.”
*** Case 1. Zhaozhou’s Dog
* 月庵和尚問僧。奚仲造車一百輻。拈卻兩頭。去卻軸。明甚麼邊事。
** Master Yueyan asked a monk, “Xizhong [the master Cartwright] made carriages [with wheels] with a hundred spokes. We roll up the two hubs and eliminate the axle: does this explain transcendence or worldly wisdom?”
*** Case 8. The Master Cartwright Makes a Carriage
* 瑞巖彥和尚。 每日自喚主人公。 復自應諾。 乃云。惺惺著喏。 他時異日。 莫受人瞞。 喏喏。
   * Every day Master Ruiyan would call to himself, “Boss!”
       Then he would answer, “Yes?”
       Then he would say, “Stay awake!”
       “I will.”
       “From now on, don’t fall for people’s deceptions.”
       “No, I won’t.”
      * Case 12. Rui Calls His Boss
* 洞山和尚因僧問。如何是佛。 山云。麻三斤。
** When a monk asked Dongshan, “What is the Buddha?” Dongshan said, “Three pounds of hemp.”
*** Case 18. Dongshan’s Three Pounds of Hemp
* 南泉因趙州問。如何是道。 泉云。平常心是道。
** When Zhaozhou asked Nanquan, “What is the Path?” Nanquan said, “The ordinary mind is the Path.”
*** Case 19. The Ordinary Mind Is the Path
* 雲門因僧問。如何是佛。 門云。乾屎橛。
** When a monk asked Yunmen, “What is the Buddha?” Yunmen said, “A dry piece of shit.”
*** Case 21. Yunmen’s Piece of Shit
* 祖云。不思善不思惡。正與麼時那箇是明上座。本來面目。
** The Sixth Patriarch said, “Without thinking of good, without thinking of evil, at just such a time, what is your original face?”
*** Case 23. Without Thinking of Good or Evil
* 南泉和尚因僧問云。還有不與人說底法麼。 泉云。有。 僧云。如何是不與人說底法。 泉云。不是心不是佛不是物。
** A monk asked Master Nanquan, “Is there a truth that has not been told to people?” Nanquan said, “There is.” The monk asked, “What is the truth that has not been told to people?” Nanquan said, “It is not the mind, not the Buddha, not things.”
*** Case 27. Not the Mind, Not the Buddha, Not Things
* 提起云窮諸玄辨。若一毫致於太虛。 竭世樞機。似一滴投於巨壑。
** To plumb the depths of all the abstruse mystic theories is like placing a single hair in the void of space. To investigate to the end the workings of the world is like throwing a drop of water into a great abyss.
*** Case 28. Long Have We Heard of Longtan
* 不是風動 不是幡動 仁者心動
** It is not the flag moving, and it is not the wind moving; rather it is your minds that are moving.
*** Case 29. Not the Wind, Not the Flag
* 馬祖因大梅問。如何是佛。 祖云。即心是佛。
** When Damei asked, “What is the Buddha?” Mazu said, “The mind itself is the Buddha.”
*** Case 30. The Mind is the Buddha
* 如世良馬見鞭影而行。
** Like a good horse, he moved when he saw the shadow of the whip.
*** Case 32. An Outsider Questions the Buddha
* 馬祖因僧問。如何是佛。 祖曰。非心非佛。
** Once when a monk asked, “What is the Buddha?” Mazu said, “Not the mind, not the Buddha.”
*** Case 33. Not the Mind, Not the Buddha
* 南泉云。心不是佛。智不是道。
** Nanquan said, “The mind is not the Buddha. Wisdom is not the Path.”
*** Case 34. Wisdom Is Not the Path
* 五祖問僧云。倩女離魂。那箇是真底。
** Wuzu asked a monk [at a funeral], “This beautiful woman has died and her spirit has departed. Which is the real person?”
*** Case 35. When a Beautiful Woman’s Spirit Departs
* 五祖曰。路逢達道人。不將語默對。且道將甚麼對。
** Wuzu said, “If on the road you meet someone who has consummated the Path, don’t use words or silence to reply. Tell me, how will you reply?”
*** Case 36. If You Meet a Person Who Has Consummated the Path
* 趙州因僧問。如何是祖師西來意。 州云。庭前柏樹子。
** Once when a monk asked Zhaozhou, “What is the meaning of the Patriarch coming from the West?” Zhaozhou said, “The cypress tree in the garden.”
*** Case 37. The Cypress in the Garden
* 五祖曰。 譬如水牯牛過窗櫺。頭角四蹄都過了。 因甚麼。尾巴過不得。
** Wuzu said, “It’s like a water buffalo passing through a window frame. Its horns and hooves have all passed through. Why can’t the tail pass through?”
*** Case 38. A Water Buffalo Passing through a Window Frame
* 達磨面壁。二祖立雪斷臂云。弟子心未安。乞師安心。 磨云。將心來。與汝安。 祖云。覓心了不可得。 磨云。為汝安心竟。
** Bodhidharma sat facing a wall. Huike [who would be his successor] stood in the snow and cut off his arm, saying, “My mind is not at peace. Please, Teacher, pacify my mind.” Bodhidharma said, “Bring out your mind and I will pacify it for you.” Huike said, “When I search for my mind, ultimately it cannot be found.” Bodhidharma said, “I have already pacified your mind for you.”
*** Case 41. Bodhidharma Pacifies the Mind
* 首山和尚。拈竹篦示眾云。 汝等諸人若喚作竹篦則觸。 不喚作竹篦則背。 汝諸人且道。喚作甚麼。
** Master Shoushan held up a bamboo comb and showed it to the assembly saying, “If you call it a comb, you trespass on it. If you do not call it a comb, you turn your back on it. Tell me, all of you, what will you call it?”
*** Case 43. Shoushan’s Bamboo Comb
* 芭蕉和尚示眾云。 爾有拄杖子。我與爾拄杖子。 爾無拄杖子。我奪爾拄杖子。
** Master Bajiao taught the assembly, “If you have a staff, I will give you a staff. If you have no staff, I will take your staff away.”
*** Case 44. Bajiao’s Staff
* 東山演師祖曰。釋迦彌勒猶是他奴。且道他是阿誰。
** Master Yan of East Mountain said, “Even Śākyamuni and Maitreya are his slaves. Tell me, who is he?”
*** Case 45. Who Is He?

## See also

* Blue Cliff Record
* Buddhism
* Gautama Buddha
* Zen proverbs

## External links

* Translation of The Gateless Gate