"Gateless Gate" a correct translation?

[monktastic]

Wikipedia has this to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gateless_Gate

Although the short title The Gateless Gate has become fairly common in English, this translation must be rejected upon closer scrutiny. A particular source of criticism is the fact that in the rendering, "Gateless Gate", the word "gate" occurs twice. However, the two Chinese characters being translated here are 門 (mén) and 關 (guān), which are different words and usually have distinct meanings. In order to more accurately reflect this, the translations The Gateless Passage, The Gateless Barrier or The Gateless Checkpoint are used.

The character 無 (wú) has a fairly straightforward meaning: no, not, or without. However, within Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, the term 無 (wú) is often a synonym for 空 (sunyata). This implies that the 無 (wú) rather than negating the gate (as in "gateless") is specifying it, and hence refers to the "Gate of Emptiness". This is consistent with the Chinese Buddhist notion that the "Gate of Emptiness" 空門 is basically a synonym for Buddhism, or Buddhist practice. ...

But this section is marked with "This article possibly contains original research."

Do we have any experts here who can clarify (both for us and for Wikipedia)?

[Astus]

The text itself answers the question. From the preface:

Buddhism makes mind its foundation and no-gate (無門) its gate (法門).

The Great Way is gateless (無門),
Approached in a thousand ways.
Once past this checkpoint (關)
You stride through the universe.

From the comment on the first case:

In order to master Zen, you must pass the barrier (關) of the patriarchs. To attain this subtle realization, you must completely cut off the way of thinking. If you do not pass the barrier (關), and do not cut off the way of thinking, then you will be like a ghost clinging to the bushes and weeds. Now, I want to ask you, what is the barrier (關) of the patriarchs? Why, it is this single word "Mu." (無) That is the front gate (關) to Zen.

[LastLegend]

What does " Mu" mean?

[Astus]

What does " Mu" mean?

無 - not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less

Regarding the koan, start here: Four myths about Zen Buddhism’s “Mu Koan”.
The complete work: Like Cats and Dogs: Contesting the Mu Koan in Zen Buddhism
Might also look into this one as well: The Book of Mu: Essential Writings on Zen's Most Important Koan

[LastLegend]

So it means to be a koan.

[Lindama]

I am NOT the expert.... but it just so happens last weekend my friend who translates was explaining this to me.

You are correct about the diff in translation. He says gateless barrier/checkpoint is closer to the meaning of the words. My friend translates close to the meaning of the words... that is, not for poetic value. Still, he is OK with this translation, Gateless Gate.

perhaps someone can expand...

[Dan74]

What does " Mu" mean?

無 - not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- / -less

Regarding the koan, start here: Four myths about Zen Buddhism’s “Mu Koan”.
The complete work: Like Cats and Dogs: Contesting the Mu Koan in Zen Buddhism
Might also look into this one as well: The Book of Mu: Essential Writings on Zen's Most Important Koan

I wouldn't go down that road. Heine is a scholar, not a teacher. When working with the Mu koan, it is far better, IMO, to work with a teacher and follow teachers' instructions, like Dahui's instructions. Later, it can be valuable to look at scholarly contributions, but early on, they are bound to just introduce more confusion.

[Astus]

I wouldn't go down that road. Heine is a scholar, not a teacher. When working with the Mu koan, it is far better, IMO, to work with a teacher and follow teachers' instructions, like Dahui's instructions. Later, it can be valuable to look at scholarly contributions, but early on, they are bound to just introduce more confusion.

That depends on how one approaches Zen. If you mean following the method of using the word or the story as an object of meditation, that does not require much explanations, the Mumonkan itself gives the basic instructions. However, that is not the only path in Zen, it is just one of the many options. Of course, it is a matter of personal taste.

Here's one from the Korean tradition on the 10 faults of hwadu practice, generally applied to the Mu koan:

There are ten kinds of faults for the points of stories (hwadu):
to ponder it with the faculty of intention (manas);
to estimate (subtle movements of the mind such as) where you raise eyebrows and blink eyes;
to seek your livelihood on the path of language;
to draw evidence from writings;
to try to be enlightened only where it is raised up;
to toss it away into a casket of no concerns;
to make understanding (of it in terms) of (it as) existence or non-existence;
to make an understanding of (it as) the truly non-existent;
to make an understanding of it as reason;
and to hold onto delusion and wait to be enlightened.
(Mirror of Seon in Collected Korean, vol 3, p. 80))

[longjie]

The simplest and most straightforward translation of "wu men" is just "no gate."

It's true that sometimes "wu" can imply emptiness, but to translate it as "emptiness" can be a stretch...

[seeker242]

Given the latitude that zen masters place on the meaning of specific words and their advice to "not attach to words so much", I would say it's an accurate translation. Gateless gate, gateless barrier, gateless passage, gateless checkpoint, etc, etc. Seems to me they all intend to mean the same thing. -