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Mumonkan / Wumenguan · CASE 45

Who Is He?

The Gateless Gate

Edition
Names

Names without a verified counterpart remain in their source form.

Case

Master-ancestor Hōgen of Dongshan said, “Śākyamuni and Maitreya are still his servants. Tell me: who is he?”1

Verse

Do not draw another's bow. Do not ride another's horse. Do not distinguish another's faults. Do not know another's affairs.

Wumen's commentary

If you see him clearly, it is like running into your own father at a crossroads. You need not ask anyone else whether it is he or not.

Footnotes 1
  1. “Master-ancestor Hōgen of Dongshan” refers to Wuzu Hōgen. The source’s 他 is simply a third-person pronoun; the riddle depends on withholding its referent. ↩
About this version and its sources
Full source citation
他是阿誰 — CBETA T2005: T48n2005_p0298c02–p0298c10.
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
04ab6b262d61
Related sources and parallel cases
  • Primary SourceWumenguan (CBETA T2005 with documented witness controls)

    他是阿誰 — CBETA T2005: T48n2005_p0298c02–p0298c10.