Never before has it been possible for an English-speaking reader to experience the profound exchange which occurs between a zen master and his student. Here, for the first time, is the series of questions, or 'koans,' together with their answers, through which the zen master initiates the novice into the wisdom of Zen.

'What is the sound of the one heand clapping?' This first koan, which the inititate is asked upon entering the monastery,is traditionally given an extensive period of contemplation (sometimes up to three years!) during which the novice must come to know the critical difference between 'explanation' and 'understanding.' What is really required, as Mr. Hoffmann explains in this brillant commentary on the questions and their answers, is that the initiate abandon purely rational modes of thinking, and that he attempt to understand in terms of 'inclusion' rather than by logically differentiating among phenomena to exclude seemingly contrasting elements.

In the koan of the sound of one hand clapping, as well as in the two hundred eighty that follow, we are lead into the innermost, heretofore secret, exchanges of Zen learning.

Contents

Foreword Zen Master Hirano Sojo
Introduction Zen: The tactics of emptiness Ben-ami Scharfstein
Translator's note Yoel Hoffmann
Part One The koan on the sound of the one hand and the koan on mu
The way of the Inzan School
The way of the Takuju School
Part Two Miscellaneous koans
Part Three The one hundred forty-four koans
1 The man up the tree
2 The man in the well
3 Why a monk's garment
4 The world a grain of rice
5 The three gates of Master Oryu
6 Where do the snowflakes fall?
7 Round are the lotus leaves
8 The sound of rain
9 The three questions of Master Toso
10 The sentence of being and the sentence of nothing
11 Subject, object
12 The unrankable being
12 A flower in bloom
14 Will it be destroyied?
15 Where will one return to?
16 Where is no such thing as holy
17 Words
18 The four ways of Master Rinzai
19 The three sentences of Master Rinzai
20 Before and after
21 To beat the drum
22 No great masters?
23 Where did Nansen go ofter his death?
24 One, two, three
25 An iron cow
26 Similar to a dream
27 'Not affected,' 'Not deluded'
28 Where thing does not contradict thing
29 What will you call it?
30 Stick!
31 The emperor and the bowl
32 How is your health?
33 The gate!
34 Unforgivable
35 How do you say it?
36 Discuss Buddhist law
37 Simultaineous doubt and enlightenment
38 Don't you believe me now?
39 I never said a word...
40 Where in the world are they?
41 A bottle is a bottle
42 A slillver bowl filled with snow
43 Every coral branch supports the moon
44 An open-eyed man falls into the well
45 In relation to one
46 In opposition to open
47 Are you alive?
48 The one-piece tower
49 No meaning
50 It is somewhat a pity
51 A few here, a few there
52 Where is the mind?
53 A speck of dust
54 Gya!
55 Nyan
56 Come and eat your rice
57 Playing ball on rapid water
58 Playing with mud
59 The sturdy body of truth
60 Put together
61 'Say nothing' and nothing said
62 Which is your self?
63 Blind, deaf, dumb
64 Sound
65 What do you understand by this?
66 Not keeping silent, not using words
67 Taking a bath
68 Without cold, without heat
69 What do you have in mind?
70 Don't fancy
71 Buddha's master
72 Swallow a river?!
73 Thought of the moment
74 Where is my rhino?
75 Obaku's stick
76 The three sentences of Master Rinzai (continuation of koan 19)
77 On an isolated peak; At the crossroads
78 Why can't the tail go through?
79 What is Joshu?
80 A shell holding moonlight
81 It is your hearts that move
82 The immovable cloak
83 What the old woman meant
84 The tortoise is a turtle
85 Cut!
86 When the sail is hoisted
87 Whhy don't people in know about out?
88 Whereis the old man going?
89 Yet I should not be rash
90 Every day is a good day
91 Without caring, go staright
92 Seven
93 I have a lot of things to do
94 Rice in a bowl, water in a bucket
95 I have a headache today
96 'All over'; 'Throughout'
97 Why is that thing not you?
98 Go and have some tea
99 Made a fool of
100 'Wrong!'
101 Tread on the head of Buddha
102 The body emits autumn wind
103 The mind as it is
104 No mind, no Buddha
105 One
106 Take care!
107 What will you do after three or four shouts?
108 Non-attachment
109 Calamity! Calamity!
110 Use the air as paper
111 What is your feeing at this moment?
112 Of a different color
113 Beard
114 It is here
115 I there? Is there?
116 Where do you come from?
117 One got it, one missed it
118 Yes
119 three pounds of flax
120 Evenup till now
121 One finger
122 It is important that the world be in peace
123 Mother and father
124 The Eastern mountain walks on water
125 Youngsters like you never know of that
126 The guy understands this time
127 How can we go through without interfering?
128 Peach blossoms
129 I have nothing to hide from you
130 Bamboo shoots sprout sideways under a rock
131 Not enter nirvana, not fall into hell
132 High rank, low rank
133 The oak tree in the front garden
134 That is still not enough
135 Give, grab
136 The three sentences of Master Bussho
137 Which one is real?
138 Only there is a word that is not very proper
139 Functions like theft
140 The four shouts of Maaster Rinzai
141 First, second, third
142 Host and guest
143 The fragon bitten by a snake
144 Zen
Part Four Notes and commentary
Notes to part one: The koan on the sound of the one hand and the koan on mu
The way of the Inzan School
The way of the Takkuju School
Notes to Part Two: Miscellaneous koans
Notes to Part Three: The one hundred forty-four koans
Sources to the koans of Part Three
Bibliography by Ben-Ami Scharfstein

I have steadfastly refuse to read this book because it is the equivalent of cheat notes for zen students. Though I am pretty sure a zen master will see straight through the cheat without a problem I rather work through the koans myself and not be tainted by something like this.

Just good to have a copy for my own reference on Zen history.