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Mumonkan / Wumenguan · CASE 18

Tōzan's Three Pounds of Hemp

The Gateless Gate

Edition
Names

Names without a verified counterpart remain in their source form.

Case

A monk asked Tōzan, “What is Buddha?” Tōzan said, “Three pounds of hemp.”1

Verse

Out pops “three pounds of hemp.” The words are close; the meaning closer still. Whoever comes speaking of right and wrong is a person of right and wrong.

Wumen's commentary

Old Tōzan had studied a bit of clam Zen: the moment the two shells open, he exposes his liver and guts. Even so, tell me: where do you see Tōzan?

Footnotes 1
  1. The value of a jin varied by time and place. 麻 can denote hemp, flax, or prepared fiber; “hemp” preserves the established compact English title. ↩
About this version and its sources
Full source citation
洞山三斤 — CBETA T2005: T48n2005_p0295b04–p0295b12.
Method
Direct critical-edition translation from the cited received base text. Source claims, hagiography, uncertainty, and unresolved readings remain identified in the notes and project record.
Editorial uncertainty
Independent philological and reader review remain pending.
Rights
Project translation © Tulsa Zen Center Critical Edition contributors. Source text is cited by edition; redistribution policy requires final organizational approval.
Revision identifier
81a1309db49b
Related sources and parallel cases
  • Primary SourceWumenguan (CBETA T2005 with documented witness controls)

    洞山三斤 — CBETA T2005: T48n2005_p0295b04–p0295b12.

  • Parallel CaseTōzan's Three Pounds of Hemp

    Internal cross-collection parallel identified by an exact normalized scholarly title; editorial confirmation is still appropriate.