338 – Seijo Is Separated from Her Soul: Waking Up from Alienation from Ourselves

There are countless ways in which we can feel inwardly divided or somehow alienated from our true self. Case 35 of the Mumonkan , or Gateless Gate koan collection addresses this matter with a pointed question about Seijo, the character in a traditional Chinese story who ends up living parallel lives. The koan asks, "Which one is the true Seijo?" Naturally, the answer is "Both… and neither."