This volume centers on the Wúménguān 無門関 (Gateless Barrier), Wúmén Huìkāi's 無門慧開 (1183–1260) collection of forty-eight gōng'àn 公案 (J. kōan). It contains an introduction, ten chapters, a new English translation of the text, and a survey of previous translations. Yu's introduction situates the Gateless Barrier within the spread of Buddhism in China and Chán practice. He focuses on the development of gōng'àn and huàtóu 멱頭 (K. hwadu) methods. Chapter One (Albert Welter) examines Case Six, the “silent transmission” from Śākyamuni to Mahākāśyapa, and its role in shaping Chán identity in the Sòng. Chapter Two (Yu) considers Dàhuì Zōnggǎo 大慧宗杲's critique of gōng'àn collections and his promotion of huàtóu practice. He places the Gateless Barrier in the Northern–Southern Sòng transition. In Chapter Three, Jin Y. Park explores awakening as an ongoing process embedded in daily life. In Chapter Four, Robert Sharf highlights how the text engages Mahāyāna paradoxes, challenging the view of gōng'àn as illogical. Chapter Five (Steven Heine) addresses ambiguity and unconventional encounters. It also presents an important comparison between the Gateless Barrier and the Record of Serenity. Chapter Six (Natasha Heller) considers the marginal roles of women in the text and their broader cultural implications. Chapter Seven (Juhn Ahn) shows how governmental policy and Dàhuì Zōnggǎo's influence elevated hwadu practice and sidelined the text in Korea. Chapter 8 (Marta Sanvido) traces its reception in Japan. The analysis encompasses the secrecy in the middle age to comic theater, lay commentary, and women's engagement with kōans. The final two chapters, by Meido Moore and Jan Chozen Bays, complete the volume with practitioners' perspectives. The volume brings together historical, philosophical, and practitioner perspectives to provide a comprehensive account of the Gateless Barrier. It complements recent scholarship, such as Didier Davin's Mumonkan no shusse sugoroku: Kika shita zen no seiten「無門関」の出世双六: 帰化した禅の聖典. It will serve both as a valuable reference for specialists and as a point of entry for wider audiences. One might have wished for greater attention to the text's publishing history in early modern Japan, but the book nonetheless makes a significant contribution to the study of kōans and their transregional transmission.
Filippo Pedretti (Mon,) studied this question.