Here is a faithful modern-English edition of The Unborn: The Teachings of Bankei, the collected sermons, dialogues, and letters of the seventeenth-century Zen master Bankei Yotaku. Bankei’s message is startlingly direct: the Buddha Mind is not something to be attained through effort, study, or ritual—it is already unborn, imperishable, and fully present in each of us. With warmth and humor, he guides readers away from self‑conscious striving and back to the ordinary, spontaneous activity of everyday life. This edition renders Bankei’s words in clear, contemporary language while preserving the original’s spirit and meaning. Whether you are new to Zen or a longtime practitioner, these teachings offer a refreshingly simple path to peace. Part of The Sacred Wisdom Library.