There was a graduate who went to visit a Zen master at a temple.
有一个秀才，到庙里去拜访一个禅师。
On his way, he saw an ox tied to a tree by its nose. The ox wanted to graze but was unable to do so because it was tethered with a rope and so circled endlessly round and round the tree.
秀才在路上看到了一头牛，牛的鼻子被绳子拴在一棵树的上面。这头牛想吃草，可是因为牛鼻子被拴住了，它吃不上草，就围着这棵树不停地转圈子。
The graduate thought that when he reached the temple he would test the Zen master by asking him whether he could guess what he had seen on the way.
秀才想，等会我到庙里要考一考禅师，看他能不能猜出来我在路上到底遇到了什么事情。
The graduate reached the temple and exchanged greetings, drank tea and chatted with the Zen master.
秀才到了寺里，和禅师寒暄一番之后，喝着茶，聊着天。
When the two men were relaxed the graduate suddenly asked: “Master, what goes round and round? What goes round in circles?”
在两人都很放松的状态下，秀才冷不丁地冒出一句话：“师父，什么在团团转？”
The graduate carefully watched the master’s reaction as he asked the question, thinking that the master was bound to invoke some magical power to see what he had met on the way.
秀才问了这句话，就看着禅师的反应。他本来想，禅师一定会运用神通什么的，来看看自己路上到底遇见了什么。
Who would have thought that the very moment that the question left his mouth, the master replied without even thinking: “It was only because the rope didn’t break!”
哪知他的话音刚落，禅师根本没有想，随口就回答说：“只因绳没断！”
The graduate was astonished and turned pale, asking: “How did you know that’s what I saw and it was because the rope didn’t break?”
秀才听了，大惊失色，问：“啊！您怎么知道我看到的那件事情，它的原因是绳子没有断呢？”
The master burst into laughter and told him: “What you asked was a physical question. My reply was metaphysical, at a level of truth and of wisdom.
禅师哈哈大笑，告诉他：“你问的是事，是一个具体的事项。我回答你的是理，是在真理的层次，是在智慧的层次。
“Just think, why is it that people spend their whole lives going round in circles? It is because they are tied by the nose with a rope that tethers their spirit. Because they do not escape its bonds, they go round in circles.”
“你想想看，一个人一辈子为什么总是在打转转？这是因为他被一根绳子拴住了鼻子，被一根绳子拴住了心灵。由于世上的人没有挣脱这根绳子的束缚，所以才一直在那里打转转啊！”
The graduate listened and prostrated himself in admiration, praising the master’s outstanding wisdom.
秀才听了，当时就佩服得五体投地，不由得赞叹，禅的智慧，实在是高明！
中文大意：
有一个秀才，到庙里去拜访一个禅师。秀才在路上看到了一头牛，牛的鼻子被绳子拴在一棵树的上面。这头牛想吃草，可是因为牛鼻子被拴住了，它吃不上草，就围着这棵树不停地转圈子。秀才想，等会我到庙里要考一考禅师，看他能不能猜出来我在路上到底遇到了什么事情。
秀才到了寺里，和禅师寒暄一番之后，喝着茶，聊着天。在两人都很放松的状态下，秀才冷不丁地冒出一句话：“师父，什么在团团转？”——是什么东西在那里团团地打转转呢？
秀才问了这句话，就看着禅师的反应。他本来想，禅师一定会运用神通什么的，来看看自己路上到底遇见了什么。哪知他的话音刚落，禅师根本没有想，随口就回答说：
“只因绳没断！”——正因为绳子没有断，所以那个东西才在那里团团转圈子呀！
秀才听了，大惊失色，问：“啊！您怎么知道我看到的那件事情，它的原因是绳子没有断呢？”
禅师哈哈大笑，告诉他：“你问的是事，是一个具体的事项。我回答你的是理，是在真理的层次，是在智慧的层次。
“你想想看，一个人一辈子为什么总是在打转转？这是因为他被一根绳子拴住了鼻子，被一根绳子拴住了心灵。由于世上的人没有挣脱这根绳子的束缚，所以才一直在那里打转转啊！”
秀才听了，当时就佩服得五体投地，不由得赞叹，禅的智慧，实在是高明！
摘自: 吴言生著《CHINESE ZEN A PATH TO PEACE AND HAPPINESS》，
TONY BLISHEN 译，Better Link 出版社，纽约 )
