Mu (negative) - Interpretations

Interpretations

This koan is one of several traditionally used by Rinzai school to initiate students into Zen study, and interpretations of it vary widely.

Yasutani Haku'un of the Sanbo Kyodan maintained that

The koan is not about whether a dog does or does not have a Buddha-nature because everything is Buddha-nature, and either a positive or negative answer is absurd because there is no particular thing called Buddha-nature.