Fa Yan, one of the masters of the Linji sect of the Zen school of the Song dynasty told his pupils a story that went:
宋代的临济宗传人法演禅师对弟子们讲了一个故事说：
As a monk, I entered the town yesterday and heard the sound of cymbals and drums, took a closer look. All I could see was a black cloth round a stage. On the stage were a number of wooden dolls.
老和尚我昨天进城，听见了一阵锣鼓声，走近一看，只见一块黑布围成了一座戏台，戏台上有十几个木偶。
Some were handsome and others ugly. Some were well dressed and others dressed in rags. These dolls could move, speak, sing, laugh and cry.
有的很好看，有的很难看。有的穿戴华丽，有的破衣烂衫。这些木偶都能转能动，能说能唱，会笑会哭。
As I was watching with interest, I suddenly saw the black cloth flutter. Getting closer I saw that there was a man behind it whose hands were pulling the puppets’ strings and from whose mouth came an imitation of all sorts of different voices.
我正看得津津有味，忽然看见黑布在晃动。走进去一瞧，原来黑布的后面有一个人，双手牵着木偶身上的绳索，口中模拟出不同的声音。
As I looked I thought, this is really interesting and couldn’t help laughing. I asked him: “What is your name, Sir?” He replied: “Master Monk, never mind the name! How about just watching?” I was speechless. (Record of the Sayings of Renowned Monks)
我一看一想，实在是有趣，忍不住笑了起来，问他：“先生贵姓？”那人回答说：“老和尚，你只管看就好了，何必问什么姓呢？”我被他说得哑口无言。”（《古尊宿语录》卷二十）
“Never mind the name (xing homophone of xing ‘nature’)” means that the original mind and true nature must be realized through experience and cannot be expressed in words.
“何必问什么姓（性）”，意思是本心本性，需要自己去体会，它是没办法用语言来表达的。
The puppeteer behind the black cloth signifies that we are not our own masters and that we are manipulated by others.
木偶被黑布后面的人牵着，说明人生在世，不能作自己的主人，而是要受到别人的摆布。
As we busy ourselves about these things, we still believe that we are in control of ourselves. The truth is that we are controlled by, and have become sacrifices to, fame and profit.
我们为名忙，为利忙，我们还以为我们自己操控着自己，实际上却是被“别人”操控，成了名利的牺牲品。
中文大意：
宋代的临济宗传人法演禅师对弟子们讲了一个故事说：
老和尚我昨天进城，听见了一阵锣鼓声，走近一看，只见一块黑布围成了一座戏台，戏台上有十几个木偶。有的很好看，有的很难看。有的穿戴华丽，有的破衣烂衫。这些木偶都能转能动，能说能唱，会笑会哭。
我正看得津津有味，忽然看见黑布在晃动。走进去一瞧，原来黑布的后面有一个人，双手牵着木偶身上的绳索，口中模拟出不同的声音。
我一看一想，实在是有趣，忍不住笑了起来，问他：“先生贵姓？”那人回答说：“老和尚，你只管看就好了，何必问什么姓呢？”我被他说得哑口无言。”（《古尊宿语录》卷二十）
“何必问什么姓（性）”，意思是本心本性，需要自己去体会，它是没办法用语言来表达的。
木偶被黑布后面的人牵着，说明人生在世，不能作自己的主人，而是要受到别人的摆布。
我们为名忙，为利忙，我们还以为我们自己操控着自己，实际上却是被“别人”操控，成了名利的牺牲品。
( 摘自: 吴言生著《CHINESE ZEN A PATH TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS》，
TONY BLISHEN 译，Better Link 出版社，纽约 )
