Sōsuke and his wife Oyone live a hushed, borrowed life in a rented house under a cliff in Tokyo, bound by a betrayal in their past that cost them family, friends and children. When his younger brother moves in and a landlord's chatter points back to the friend they wronged, Sōsuke retreats to a Zen temple to find a way through the gate and finds only a locked door.
Books mentioned in The Gate (4)
The Analects by Confucius: “Before going to bed he said, "Tonight I read The Analects for the first time in a long while." When Oyone asked whether there was anything in it, Sosuke answered, "No, nothing." [auto-translated]”
Caigen tan by Hong Yingming: “A colleague of his took out the Caigen tan from his Western-style pocket and read it on the tram. Sosuke, with no taste for such things, did not know what the Caigen tan was. [auto-translated]”
Shūmon mujintō ron by Tōrei Enji: “Giso took the usual book from his bosom and set it before Sosuke. It was a book called the Shūmon mujintō ron. "It is a wonderful book," he had told Sosuke. [auto-translated]”
The Blue Cliff Record by Yuanwu Keqin: “Giso was reading a book with a black cover. It had the difficult title The Blue Cliff Record. "Even we read the Blue Cliff Record, but beyond our own level we have no idea what it means." [auto-translated]”