The Mumonkan, translated as The Gateless Gate, is a collection of 48 Zen koans compiled in the early 13th century by the Chinese Zen master Mumon Ekai (1183-1260). Along with the Blue Cliff Record, The Gateless Gate is a central work of the Rinzai School of Zen Buddhism.

The common theme of the koans of Mumon Ekai, is the nature of dualistic conceptualization. Each koan epitomizes one or more of the polarities of consciousness that act like an obstacle or wall to the insight. The student is challenged to transcend the polarity that the koan represents and demonstrate or show that transcendence to the Zen teacher.

Mumonkan: The Gateless Gate, Mumon Ekai, Soko Morinaga Roshi (Commentary) The Buddhist Society, Paperback, 130 pp, $18.95

The Venerable Myokyo-ni (1921-2007) whose name means 'mirror of the subtle nun', was born Irmgard Schloegl in Leitersdorf, Austria. She came to England in 1950, where she lectured in mineralogy at Imperial College, London. After becoming interested in Buddhism she joined the Zen class at the Buddhist Society. In 1960 she travelled to Japan and underwent Zen training at Daitokuji in Kyoto. She was ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist nun in 1984. She later became head of the Zen Centre in London, and wrote a number of influential books describing Zen practice.