Kōun Yamada Roshi was not only my father but also my Zen master for over thirty years. The fact that his Gateless Gate has been appreciated by many Zen practitioners abroad is a source of great joy for me, and also, as it seems, a very significant matter in many ways.
I happened to be with Kōun Yamada Roshi at the very moment of his enlightenment experience. The depth of his enlightenment experience was no doubt equal to those of the great ancient ancestors, called “old buddhas,” in the history of Zen. Only a person of such clear and deep experience could present the world of enlightenment with the sharpness and unequivocal clarity, not to mention the lucid straightforwardness, seen in this book.
The universality of The Gateless Gate makes it a valuable work in an era when Zen is becoming more and more global. I believe that this new edition of The Gateless Gate will continue to contribute a great deal to spreading the true Buddhist Dharma.
Lastly, let me express my gratitude to Migaku Sato for preparing this new edition and to Josh Bartok, editor at Wisdom Publications, for arranging to publish it.
Masamichi Yamada
Ryōun-ken
Winter 2004