A Game That Sets the Mind Spinning (A Zen story) 奇賭的聯想

I had some good giggles making a video for this Zen story. I hope you enjoy it too.

Here is the story video.

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a Zen master named Zhaozhou. Even at eighty years old, he didn’t stop traveling. He mindfully walked from place to place, seeking wise teachers and good friends to learn from and grow with.

People loved his simple yet powerful words. His teachings spread far and wide. Over time, the way he lived and taught became known as the “Zhaozhou style.”

唐代的趙州禪師，八十歲還外出尋師訪友，步行修習。他的禪語和法言一時風靡天下，世稱「趙州門風」。

Master Zhaozhou also had a cheerful and playful side. One day, in a lighthearted mood, he turned to his student, Master Wenyuan, and said with a smile, “Let’s play a little game. But this isn’t a normal bet. Instead of showing who’s better, we’ll see who can compare themselves to the lowest, most useless thing. The one who’s more humble wins. But the winner has to give the loser a fruit as a prize.”

這位老禪師為人十分風趣。有一天，他一時興起，對弟子文遠禪師說：「我們來打個賭玩玩吧！不過與一般的賭不一樣，我們鬥劣不鬥勝。誰能把自己比喻成最不值錢、最下賤的東西，誰就勝利。但勝者要拿出一只水果給輸者吃。」

Wenyuan laughed. “Alright! You go first.”

Zhaozhou said, “I’m a donkey.”

Wenyuan smiled and replied, “I’m the donkey’s behind.”

Not wanting to lose, Zhaozhou said, “Then I’m the dung that comes out of it.”

Without missing a beat, Wenyuan answered, “And I’m the maggot crawling in that dung.”

By then, the game had gone as far as it could. A maggot in dung was about as low as anyone could go—there was nothing left to say.

「好吧！你請先說。」文遠欣然同意。

「我是一隻驢子。」趙州禪師先開口。

「我是驢子的屁股。」文遠接上來。

「我是屁股裡的糞。」趙州不甘落後。

「我是糞裡的蛆。」真虧文遠想得出。

已經賤到糞裡的蛆，實在沒法再比下去了。

But Zhaozhou wasn’t done yet. He paused, then asked, “So what are you doing in the dung?”

Wenyuan calmly smiled and said, “I’m cooling off and enjoying the shade.”

His quick and clever answer left Zhaozhou speechless. With a laugh, the old master said, “Alright then, go get the fruit.”

於是趙州就將了文遠一軍：「你在糞裡做什麼？」

「我在那裡避暑乘涼啊！」文遠悠然回答。

趙州只好認輸，說道：「拿水果來。」

To most people, this kind of talk might seem strange or hard to understand. But this is what makes Zen special. It doesn’t always use logic to explain. Instead, it surprises the mind and wakes up the heart—with both wisdom and humor.

一般人看這段禪話，覺得有點不可思議。這恰恰是禪宗與眾不同之處。

Zen Buddhism teaches that things in nature aren’t truly “clean or dirty,” or “beautiful or ugly.” These labels come from people’s own thoughts, emotions, and preferences.

An awakened Zen master sees the world with a clear and pure heart, free from confusion and selfishness. To such a mind, the world appears peaceful and sacred, like a pure land. But when the heart is full of greed, anger, or ignorance, the world seems filthy and unbearable—like a pile of dung. In the end, the way the world looks depends on the heart that sees it.

禪宗認為，自然的事物本沒有淨穢、美醜之分，這種區分是世人主觀的好惡引發出來的。開悟的禪師，心地一片光明，纖塵不染，他們眼中的世界是一片清淨的佛土，而凡夫俗子的眼中，世界是一堆骯髒的糞土。

A true Zen master stays calm and pure, even in harsh or dirty places. Even if their life seems low or simple, their spirit is strong and noble. They don’t run from trouble—they face it, rise above it, and through it, find wisdom. This is how trouble becomes a path to awakening.

從污濁裡體現清淨，從卑賤裡體現偉大，從煩惱中證悟菩提(覺悟)-這便是禪師們過人的真功夫。

here is the link - http://www.shyan-yih-tarng.idv.tw/

This draft is a humble attempt at the translation. May the merit of this work go to those suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts.