The gong'an (Jp: kōan) is a classic literary genre of Chan Buddhism and its offshoots, such as Zen in Japan and Seon in Korea. A gong'an is a "public case" from the history of Chan, often recounting the moment of a student's awakening. These public cases are not merely illuminating and engaging stories. As Chan developed, they became used as methods of meditation in and of themselves, used by teachers to propel students forward into awakening.

This series of 49 audio lectures runs for 56 hours, and was delivered over the period of four years from 2010 to 2014. These lectures comprise Guo Gu's commentaries on his translation of the 13th-century text Wumenguan, The Gateless Barrier (Jp: Mumonkan), one of the most important and foundational collections of gong'an in the history of Chinese Buddhism. The Gateless Barrier has deeply influenced practitioners across Asia for hundreds of years, and beginning in the 20th century has made its way into the West, helping countless students to deepen their understanding and realization of the Dharma. Guo Gu's translation of the entire collection, Passing Through the Gateless Barrier, was published in 2016. 

Although gong'an are often used as explanation of Buddhist doctrine, this is a course about methods of practice, not theory. Guo Gu's forty-nine lectures systematically cover each case in the book, aiming to use each gong'an as a guide to how we should practice in daily life, not merely as instructions on Buddhist concepts for intellectual examination.

This course will appeal to all levels of practitioners, regardless of their experience with meditative methods or whether they have experience with the stories of The Gateless Barrier. Although students are not required to purchase Guo Gu's book to take this course, those who have a copy at hand will find it useful throughout this series.