Gateless Gate

[Matt Wolfson]

Anyone have any insight into this concept?

[kaishaku]

If my memory serves me "The Gateless Gate" is a Zen Koan. Koan is a Japanese word that comes from the Chinese, kung-an, that means public dictate. Koans are used for different pusposes but are meant to help guide their recipients. With Zen, a koan can acts as a catalyst for awakening one's true or pure nature.

Koans intentionally tempt us to make an explanation which usually results in frustration. When this frustration leads us to admit we dont know, then, paradoxically, we'll begin to understand the koan.

With respect to the "The Gateless Gate", I believe it was originally a Chinese text from several hundered years ago called "The Gateless Barrier." It has been translated into Japanese in a text called Mumonkan (Iwanami Bunko). One of the only parts I recall is an admonishment that roughly goes "Those who try to understand through other people's words are striking at the moon with a stick or scratching a shoe when it is the foot that itches. What concern do they have with the truth?"

Regards,

Frederick D. Smith

[ichibyoshi]

Find your own way.

[Matt Wolfson]

Originally posted by ichibyoshi
Find your own way.
If you have nothing positive or insightful to contribute why bother to waste your enlightened breath responding? I read your lil quote after your name and am certain you must have been looking in the mirror when you can up with that flash of poetic genius......

Littlpond

[joe yang]

Mr. Littlepond, maybe that was his solution to the koan. :D

[ichibyoshi]

Joe - *gassho*

Littlepond - thirty blows of my stick! ;)