Readings of the Gateless Barrier - (Columbia Readings of Buddhist Literature) by Jimmy Yu

About the Book

"The Gateless Barrier (C. Wumenguan; J. Mumonkan; K. Mumun'gwan) is one of the most innovative, beloved, and yet enigmatic texts in East Asian Buddhism. Compiled by the Chinese Zen (Chan) master Wumen Huikai (1183-1260) in 1228, it contains 48 "public cases" or gong'ans (J. koan; K. kongan)-dialogues or stories of spiritual awakening-that arguably represent the best examples of the gong'an genre of literature. This volume introduces the ways this seminal work has been read, contemplated, transmitted, and experienced in the history of East Asian Buddhism. It also opens new ways of appreciating the text from philosophical, literary, cultural, gendered, and experiential perspectives. The past few decades, particularly in North America, have witnessed a scholarly shift in Buddhist and Chan/Zen studies from philological and philosophical studies to historical and culturally embodied approaches. As valuable as this shift has been, it has resulted in a move away from the development of Buddhist thought and has also arrested our understanding of the ever-evolving ways of reading Buddhist teachings. Editor Jimmy Yu's aim is to give the reader a more grounded and three-dimensional picture of how Chan/Zen was and is practiced and lived, situating The Gateless Barrier intimately in its social and cultural contexts past and present and providing a balance of perspectives on objectivity and normativity, outsider and insider, and etic and emic appreciations. The editor has also provided a new translation"--

Book Synopsis

The Gateless Barrier is one of the most cherished yet also one of the most enigmatic Chan or Zen texts of East Asian Buddhism. Compiled by the Chinese Chan master Wumen Huikai in 1228, it contains forty-eight Zen stories of spiritual awakening called "public cases" or gong'ans (known as kōans in Japanese and kongans in Korean). This book presents a new English translation with close readings and creative analyses of the Gateless Barrier from both scholarly and practitioner perspectives, allowing a range of readers to venture into the rich world of Chan and Zen.

Specialist contributors offer insights on historical context, literary structure, philosophical implications, and gendered dimensions, as well as the embodied practice and contemporary experience of the stories in the Gateless Barrier. By bringing together academic expertise with experiential insight from Zen teachers, this book provides a grounded and nuanced account of how the Gateless Barrier has been--and continues to be--practiced and lived in China, Korea, Japan, and the West.

An innovative and sophisticated study, this book is ideal for university classroom use, and it also makes the Gateless Barrier accessible to other first-time readers, Buddhist practitioners, and scholars.

Review Quotes

Readings of the Gateless Barrier brings together the diverse voices of critical historians and contemporary practitioners, joined by a new, annotated translation, to provide a uniquely nuanced window on the life of a work that has traversed multiple cultures and long stood at the heart of the Chan and Zen Buddhist tradition.--Daniel B. Stevenson, author of The Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra's Course of Ease and Bliss

The Gateless Barrier is a seminal text in the Chan/Zen tradition; the readings in this book offer the insights of leading scholars, the guidance of respected teachers, and the gift of an excellent new translation. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the history, theory, and practice of this tradition.--Benjamin Brose, author of Embodying Xuanzang: The Postmortem Travels of a Buddhist Pilgrim

An essential companion for students exploring Chan Buddhism, Readings of the Gateless Barrier serves as both an introduction for newcomers and a clear, insightful analysis for those who already know it, enriching the journey into the heart of Chan practice.--James A. Benn, author of Burning for the Buddha

The essays collected here--as lucid as they are learned--open up one of the most enigmatic works of religious literature for readers to explore a text that is equal parts lyrical, intriguing, infuriating, and funny. Readings of the Gateless Barrier is to be studied and savored.--John Kieschnick, author of Buddhist Historiography in China

This new translation of The Gateless Barrier, a classic of gong'an (public cases) literature in the Chan tradition used to train students in China, Korea, and Japan, is supplemented by chapters written by experts that provide historical, philosophical, and literary context. Readings of the Gateless Barrier is essential reading for anyone who wishes to learn about gong'an.--Chun-fang Yu, author of Chinese Buddhism: A Thematic History

About the Author

Jimmy Yu is Sheng Yen Professor of Chinese Buddhist Studies at the Florida State University. His recent books include Sanctity and Self-Inflicted Violence in Chinese Religions, 1500-1700 (2012) and Reimagining Chan Buddhism: Sheng Yen and the Creation of the Dharma Drum Lineage of Chan (2021). Known as Guo Gu in Buddhist circles, he is also a Chan teacher and publishes under that name.