Zen and Zen Classics: Volume 4: Mumonkan

Reginald Horace Blyth

Mumonkan is a book of some of the most important Zen koans, written by Mumon, a Zen Master in approximately 1100. Mumon presents the koan, and then adds a brief commentary of his own, and closes with a very short single stanza poem about the koan. Mumonkan is a wonderful book.

Blyth's addition transforms Mumonkan into a scholarly masterpiece. It is likely the single most authoritative book about Zen that exists. Blyth adds his own commentary on the koans, on Mumon's commentary, and on Mumon's poems. Blyth bases his commentary on a variety of texts many of which exist today only in Japanese. Blyth talks about the Mumonkan from the historical perspective, from the perspective of Zen subculture, and from the modern perspective as well.

Finally, Blyth provides the Mumonkan in the original characters throughout, so that you can translate it yourself as you read along.
This book is unparalleled in it's comprehensive discussion of the text. It is far more than a translation.

Zen Buddhism

1966

The Hokuseido Press

English