Smiling While Riding The Donkey - What Donkey?: A Zen Classic Revisited

Smiling While Riding the Donkey – What Donkey? is a personal journey through the landscape of Zen koans, written from beaches, beds, cafés, trains, and quiet corners of everyday life. Part contemporary reimagining, part homage, the book explores the space where timeless tradition meets lived experience. At its heart lies The Gateless Gate, the classic Zen collection compiled by Wumen Huikai (also known as Mumon Ekai).With a light but attentive touch, the author offers a fresh take on these ancient koans, reframing them through modern encounters: a man shaving in the morning sun, a dog sleeping through the heat, a beggar dancing at the threshold of a gate. The book is richly illustrated, with each chapter being paired with a traditional Chinese ink-style image, drawn from a line within the koan itself.Be aware that this is not a how-to manual, nor does it pretend to follow formal Zen schools of thought. There are no instructions, no path to follow. Instead, short commentaries on selected lines offer context, reflections, and moments of unexpected insight. Readers steeped in Zen will find familiar threads woven into new patterns. Those new to it will encounter a direct, accessible invitation which is free of jargon and grounded in the immediacy of everyday experience. Read more