This book of koans contains some of the most important Zen sayings of all time along with insightful commentary.

Koans are the intellectually unsolvable problem-riddles at the core of the Rinzai tradition of Zen Buddhism, perhaps the most well-known one being "what is the sound of one hand clapping." Though widely recognized, most koan remain narrowly understood.

In this new edition of The Iron Flute, one hundred of the most challenging and enlightening koan from the Chinese Chan (Zen) patriarchs of the Tang and Sung dynasties are presented, along with commentary from the great Zen masters Genro, Fugai, and Nyogen, and an in-depth biography of author Nyogen Senzaki (1876-1958), a pioneer in bringing Zen Buddhism to the West. The Iron Flute stands alone as the definitive work on koan-an essential pathway to the tenets and practice of Zen Buddhism.