Cutting off the Rope of Desire

割断欲望之绳

LotusWisdom

摘自《莲花智慧1》
Excerpt from Lotus Wisdom 1

A young man went to a Zen monastery from his home, and on his way, he saw an interesting thing, which he wanted to test the old Zen master in the monastery.

一个后生从家里到一座禅院去，在路上他看到了一件有趣的事，他想以此考验禅院里的老禅者。

In the Zen monastery, chatting with the master over tea, he suddenly asked, “What's the deal with going around in circles?”

来到禅院，他与老禅者一边品茗，一边闲扯，冷不防问了一句：“什么是团团转？”

“It's all because the rope has not been severed", the old Zen master replied casually.

“皆因绳未断。”老禅者随口答道。

The young man was stunned by this answer.

后生听到老禅者这样回答，顿时目瞪口呆。

The master then asked, “why are so surprised?”

老禅者见状，问道 “什么使你如此惊讶？”

Oh, Master, I'm surprised how did you know that?" The young man said,

“不，老师父，我惊讶的是，你怎么知道的呢？”后生说，

"When I was on the way here today, I saw a cow that was tied to a tree with a rope through its nose.

“我今天在来的路上，看到一头牛被绳子穿了鼻子，拴在树上，

The cow wanted to get off the tree and go to the meadow to graze, but it turned around and around and couldn't get out.

这头牛想离开这棵树，到草地上去吃草，谁知它转过来转过去都不得脱身，

" I thought without doubt that since Master didn't see it, you would definitely be in the dark, however Master gave the proper answer right away."

我以为师父既然没看见，肯定答不出来，哪知师父出口就答对了。”

The old Zen master said with a smile, "what you ask is a matter, and what I answer is truth.

老禅者微笑着说：“你问的是事，我答的是理。

What you asked is about the buffalo being tethered by a rope that cannot be freed. What I answered is that the mind cannot be freed because it is entangled in worldly concerns.
"A single truth can lead to solutions to hundreds of problems."

你问的是牛被绳缚而不得解脱，我答的是“心被俗务纠缠而不得超脱，一理通百事啊。”

The young man suddenly realized!
Because of a rope, the buffalo lost its meadow.

后生大悟！因为一根绳子，水牛失去了草原；

Because of a rope, the kite lost its sky.

因为一根绳子，风筝失去了天空；

Because of a rope, the elephant lost its freedom.

因为一根绳子，大象失去了自由；

Because of a rope, a horse lost its gallop.

因为一根绳子，骏马失去了驰骋。

So what is often holding us back in our lives?

那么我们的人生，又常常被什么牵住了呢？

A stamp often makes us sit and think over and over again;

一块图章常常让我们坐想行思；

A job title often makes us toss and turn restlessly;

一个职称常常让我们辗转反侧；

Winning or losing often makes us exhausted;

一回输赢常常让我们殚精竭虑；

A gain or loss often makes us distressed;

一次得失，常常让我们痛心疾首；

A love relationship often makes us sorrowful and longing;

一段情缘，常常让我们愁肠百结；

A high salary often makes us frown thousands of times.

一份高薪，常常让我们蹙眉千度。

For money, we rush out and about;

为了钱，我们东西南北团团转；

For power, we turn up and down, left and right;

为了权，我们上下左右转团团；

For desire, we run away up and down;

为了欲，我们上上下下奔窜；

For fame, we chase around day and night.

为了名，我们日日夜夜窜奔。

Where has enjoyment gone? Where has happiness gone?

快乐哪去了?幸福哪去了?

The lively and lovely childhood in those days is like an afterlife;

当年活泼可爱的童年，已恍若隔世；

The bouncing youth can no longer be recalled.

当年蹦蹦跳跳的少年，已无法记起。

Past events have faded like a puff of smoke, and now it is full of gloom and gloom!

往事如烟，现在是怎样的满面愁云惨淡！

Why can't we break free from it? Why can't we pull it out? That’s all because the rope is not absolutely severed!

为什么都挣不脱?为什么都拔不出？皆因绳未断啊！

There are three thousand tangled threads of afflictions in human life. How many of them do you have the courage to cut off? How many of them do you have the wisdom to break free?

人生三千烦恼丝，你有勇气斩断几根！？你有智慧挣脱几根！？

The Zen master said, "All beings are like that cow, bound by the rope of birth,ageing, illness, and death, head out and back in the six paths without liberation."

禅者说：“众生就像那头牛一样，被生老病死之绳缠缚着，在六道中头出头没而不得解脱。”

翻译：安度 2022/3/21
一校：蔡老师
二较：张广龙
审稿：Nina