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Glite Dictionary
🚪 Without a gate 📖 Zen book title
gateless

gateless

9.9
A famous book of short Zen sayings that make readers think
  • proper noun
  • Literature
translation icon : El Gateless Gate
  • She spent the afternoon reading gateless, the famous collection of Zen koans, to quiet her thoughts.

Examples

  • Many students of Zen study gateless to deepen their understanding of Buddhist teachings.

  • The book Gateless is a profound exploration of Zen.

  • The stories in gateless challenge readers to think beyond conventional logic.

  • Have you read Gateless yet?

  • She spent the afternoon reading gateless, the famous collection of Zen koans compiled by Wumen Huikai.

  • Many students of Zen read gateless to gain insight into Buddhist thought.

  • The book gateless contains profound teachings and challenging koans.

Surface Forms

gateless main

Morphology

gateless = gate (semi-transparent) = gate + less

Morphologically 'gate' + '-less' is clear, but as the title referring to the Zen collection the meaning is metaphorical/paradoxical and not directly inferable as the book's content.

Etymology

Gateless is the short title of 'The Gateless Gate', a famous Zen book of short stories and riddles, and the title gives a clear image of a gate that is 'gateless' — not a real door but a barrier in the mind, so the book challenges readers to go beyond normal thinking.