Zen Koan #20: “No Mind, No Buddha”
Zen Koan #20: “No Mind, No Buddha”
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Context: A monk asked Master Mazu (Ma-tsu), “Why do you teach ‘Mind is Buddha’?” Mazu said, “To stop a baby from crying.” The monk then asked, “And once the baby stops crying?” Mazu replied, “No mind, no Buddha.” (From Chronicles of Mazu – this dialogue illustrates how he gave different teachings depending on students’ needs.)
Commentary: This koan shows Zen’s flexibility with upāya (skillful means). At one stage, Mazu taught “This mind is Buddha” (as we saw in Case 13 with Tozan’s three pounds of flax – that was one of Mazu’s disciples).
He gave that positive teaching to inspire those who were dispirited or too intellectual – it “stopped the baby’s cry” by affirming inherent Buddha-nature: Just this mind, however restless, is Buddha.
But once a student relies on that concept or becomes complacent, Mazu flips the teaching to “No mind, no Buddha.” This is a negation of all concepts – pushing the student into groundlessness. No mind means there is no independent mind-entity to call Buddha; no Buddha means the idea of Buddha must be dropped too.
It is Zen’s version of emptiness after form. Once the baby is quiet, there’s no need for the lullaby. Thus, advanced students get the “no-Buddha” medicine to remove any subtle attachment to enlightenment.
One can imagine the whiplash a monk might feel: first told his mind is Buddha (so he gains confidence), later told “no mind, no Buddha” (so he loses arrogance). The interplay of these teachings leads to the Middle Way beyond either extreme. If one clings to “no mind, no Buddha” as an ultimate doctrine, that’s also a trap – one would cry again (fall into nihilism). Then perhaps Mazu would circle back and say “The one who understands ‘no mind, no Buddha’ – that is Buddha!”
Zen masters would indeed tailor their words like this. The monk’s question here highlights Zen’s dynamic approach: Why do you say X? – To meet you where you are. – And once that’s done? – Then I say ~X. It’s profound pedagogical honesty. Not many religious teachers openly admit they gave a provisional teaching – but Zen is refreshingly transparent here.
The aim is always the student’s liberation, not consistency. What does this mean for us? Simply that at times we may need to remind ourselves: This mind (with all its thoughts) is Buddha – to cultivate self-trust and see the sacred in our very consciousness.
Other times, especially if we get conceited or think we’ve figured it out, we might need to remember: No mind (nothing graspable), no Buddha (nothing to attain). That shocks us into dropping conceptual arrogance. Ultimately, one must integrate both: Mind is Buddha (the positive expression of unity) and No mind, no Buddha (the negative expression of unity).
The full enlightenment is not one, not two – not just mind, not separate from mind. This interplay is seen in other Zen dialogues too. In fact, these phrases became classic koans: “This mind is Buddha” is Case 30 of Gateless Gate; “No mind, no Buddha” is Case 33. Students had to resolve each, then reconcile them. Zhaozhou himself asked Mazu’s successor about these two and got different answers (one said “mind is Buddha,” another “no mind, no Buddha”). Zhaozhou’s enlightenment is sometimes attributed to holding these contradictory koans until he saw through to the source beyond both.
Thus, this story encourages us to be flexible and not cling to any formula. Are you crying out in need of comfort? Perhaps “your very mind is Buddha” will help. Are you smugly certain? Then perhaps “no Buddha at all” will burst that bubble. The master doctor prescribes each.
In our own Zen practice, we learn to self-diagnose and apply the needed remedy. Over time, the baby grows up – crying and concepts cease, and one just lives in the reality where indeed every ordinary mind is Buddha, and there is nothing called “Buddha” to seek. That is the non-dual understanding Mazu guided his students toward.
Zen Koans: The Gateless Gate to Insight
Zen koans are short, paradoxical anecdotes or questions used in Zen Buddhism to provoke deep reflection and awaken insight beyond logical reasoning. A classic koan often features an encounter between a student and a master where the master’s response is unexpected or seemingly nonsensical. Koans are not riddles with trick answers; instead, each koan is a “Gateless Gate” – a barrier that the logical mind cannot pass. Only by dropping analytical thinking and engaging one’s whole being can one penetrate a koan and experience a shift in consciousness. As 18th-century master Hakuin Ekaku described, “From the very beginning all beings are Buddha... It is like water and ice... Stop the movement to grasp or reject and behold: the water flows clear and freely” – a poetic summary of the koan spirit of letting go and directly seeing reality.
Koans emerged within the Chán/Zen tradition of China during the Tang and Song dynasties (7th–13th centuries) and were later transmitted to Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Koan practice involves contemplating these stories during meditation or daily activities, often under guidance of a teacher. The seemingly illogical responses of the masters are designed to frustrate the discursive mind and force the student to turn inward, smashing conventional dualistic thinking. The great Zen teacher Wumen (Mumon) said one must “pass through the barrier of the ancients” to realize enlightenmentsacred-texts.com. In koan practice, great doubt and great faith work together – as the student’s habitual thinking gets tied in knots, a breakthrough becomes possible.
Classic Collections of Koans
Over generations, Zen teachers compiled koan collections with commentary to aid students. Three of the most famous are The Gateless Gate (Mumonkan), The Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku), and The Book of Equanimity (Shōyōroku):
The Gateless Gate – compiled in 1228 by Chinese master Wumen Huikai (Mumon Ekai). It contains 48 koans (plus one added later), each with Wumen’s commentary and verse. The title “Gateless Gate” indicates that the only barriers to enlightenment are our own attachments. Wumen’s cases include famous dialogues like “Joshu’s Dog”, “Mu”, and “Nansen Cuts the Cat”. Wumen’s brief commentaries are often wry or poetic, designed to jolt the reader’s mind into a new perspective.
The Blue Cliff Record – a 12th-century collection of 100 koans, expanded from earlier compilations by master Yuanwu Keqin. The Blue Cliff Record includes extensive commentary and verse for each casebluecliffrecord.ca. These koans are drawn from the golden age of Zen in Tang/Song China and feature many renowned masters. The Blue Cliff is known for its literary elegance and subtle, layered analysis – in fact, it was once suppressed for fear monks would intellectualize its poetry instead of directly realize the truth. Nevertheless, it remains a treasure trove of Zen wisdom, including koans like “Every Day Is a Good Day”, “The Highest Meaning of the Holy Truths” (Bodhidharma’s encounter with Emperor Wu), and Layman Pang’s stories.
The Book of Equanimity – also known as the Book of Serenity, compiled by Wansong Xingxiu in the 12th century. It contains 100 koans (with some overlap with the Blue Cliff) and emphasizes balanced, peaceful reflection – hence “equanimity.” Each case is accompanied by verses by earlier master Hongzhi. The Book of Equanimity includes cases such as “The World Honored One (Buddha) Points to the Ground”, “Jizo’s Most Intimate”, and “Rinzai’s True Person”. It is valued in the Sōtō Zen school for its gentle yet profound approach.
Each of these collections became a classic, studied by monks and lay practitioners alike. In the Rinzai Zen tradition (especially in Japan), a teacher might assign koans sequentially to trainees – starting with a “first barrier” koan like Mu or “What is the sound of one hand?”, then moving through dozens or even hundreds of koans over years of training. In Sōtō Zen, koans are not assigned in the same way, but they still inform teachings and are reflected upon during zazen (sitting meditation) or in daily life stories.
Koans are “alive” – not mere texts to be parsed, but encounters to be experienced anew by each practitioner. There is a saying that “a koan is not answered, it answers you.” In working with koans, one isn’t solving a puzzle so much as allowing the koan to work on one’s own tightly held perspectives. A genuine response to a koan comes not from the intellect but from one’s whole being, often spontaneously. It could manifest as a word, a gesture, a deep bow – or simply a fundamental shift in understanding. The commentaries and verses provided by the classic koan collections are there not to explain the koan’s “solution” (indeed, any such explanation could spoil it), but to point towards the state of mind of the masters and to inspire the adept. They often use allusions, poetry, or humor to hint at the deeper meaning.
Below, we explore 100 traditional Zen koans drawn from the Mumonkan, Blue Cliff Record, Book of Equanimity, and other classic Zen lore. For each koan, we present the original story or exchange (in English translation), give a bit of historical/spiritual context about the teachers or setting, and offer a brief commentary or interpretation to illuminate the key insight or paradox. These koans are not meant to be “understood” in a conventional way – rather, let their images and words resonate beyond reason. As Wumen said in his preface to The Gateless Gate, “If you do not pass the barrier and do not shatter your illusions, you will remain a ghost clinging to bushes and grasses.” But if you step through the gateless gate, even the most ordinary moment – hearing the rain drip, seeing a flower bloom, washing your bowl – can reveal ultimate truth.
One Hundred Zen Koans (with Context and Commentary)
Below is a curated list of 100 classic Zen koans. They span the early Chinese masters (6th–10th century), the golden age of Zen (Tang/Song dynasties), and a few later and modern anecdotes that have entered Zen teaching. Each koan is titled by a distinguishing phrase or subject. The context notes the protagonist master (and era, if known) or source, and the commentary highlights the paradox or insight. Many of these koans appear in the aforementioned collections, indicated in parentheses for reference (GG = Gateless Gate, BCR = Blue Cliff Record, EQ = Book of Equanimity). Whether a koan is encountered in formal practice or casual reading, it can serve as a “finger pointing at the moon” – do not fixate on the finger (the words), but look to the moon (your own direct experience)!
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