Gateless Gate

Here’s something especially for you students of the barrier of Zen, the mu koan, especially when you are pushed into a corner with mu in front and back, left and right:

I used to think that Mumonkan, translated as Gateless Gate, meant an inpenetrable barrier. And you know we have Yasutani Roshi’s caligraphy for “Barrier” in our dokusan room. Gateless barrier does not mean inpenetrable barrier but a barrier that is completely open. Just the hint of a check point there. You may pass through freely. The first principle is vast emptiness with nothing holy there at all. And if you try to pin any of that down, Bodhidharma’s words, “I don’t know,” must echo in your mind.