有個(gè)禪師和他的一名弟子正靜默地走在一條山路上。到了一株古老的松樹下，他們坐下來吃了一些簡單的米飯和蔬菜。飯后，這名弟子，一名尚未掌握禪意之秘關(guān)鍵的年輕和尚，打破了沉寂而問禪師：“師父，我如何進(jìn)入禪呢？”

當(dāng)然，他是在問，如何進(jìn)入意識的狀態(tài)——就是所謂的禪。

禪師保持沉默。這名弟子焦急地等待著答案。五分鐘過去了，他正要張口再問的時(shí)候，師父突然開口了：“你聽到山間的溪流聲了嗎？”

這名弟子根本不知道有山間溪流，他太忙碌于思考禪的意義了?，F(xiàn)在，當(dāng)他開始去聆聽這個(gè)聲音的時(shí)候，他嘈雜的腦子終于安靜下來。起先，他還是聽不到什么。然后，他的思想沉寂了，一個(gè)更高的警覺狀態(tài)出現(xiàn)，突然他真的聽到了遠(yuǎn)方一個(gè)很小的溪流發(fā)出了幾乎聽不見的呢喃聲。

“是的，我現(xiàn)在可以聽到了?！彼f。

禪師舉起了他的手指，眼睛流露出既嚴(yán)肅又溫柔的神采，說：“從那里進(jìn)入禪?！?/span>

這名弟子瞠目結(jié)舌。這是他的第一次“頓悟”(satori)，一瞬之間的開悟。他終于知道，禪就是“不知其知”！（不知道他所知道的是什么!）

他們繼續(xù)靜默的旅程。這名弟子對于他周圍景物的鮮活感到極其訝異。他感覺好像是第一次經(jīng)歷到這些事物一樣。然后，逐漸地，他的思想又開始了。那個(gè)警覺的定靜又被他心智的噪音遮蓋住了，沒多久，他又有一個(gè)問題：“師父，“他問，“我一直在想，如果我告訴你我無法聽到那個(gè)山間小溪的話，你會(huì)說什么？”禪師停下來，看著他，舉起手指說：

“從那里進(jìn)入禪!”

CAN YOU HEAR THE MOUNTAIN STREAM?

A Zen Master was walking in silence with one of his disciples along a mountain trail. When they came to an ancient cedar tree, they sat down under it for a simple meal of some rice and vegetables. After the meal, the disciple, a young monk who had not yet found the key to the mystery of Zen, broke the silence by asking the Master, “Master, how do I enter Zen?”

He was, of course, inquiring how to enter the state of consciousness which is Zen.

The Master remained silent. Almost five minutes passed while the disciple anxiously waited for an answer. He was about to ask another question when the Master suddenly spoke. “Do you hear the sound of that mountain stream?”

The disciple had not been aware of any mountain stream. He had been too busy thinking about the meaning of Zen. Now as he began to listen for the sound, his noisy mind subsided. At first he heard nothing. Then, his thinking gave way to heightened alertness, and suddenly he did hear the hardly perceptible murmur of a small stream in the far distance.

“Yes, I can hear it now,” he said.

The master raised his finger and, with a look in his eyes that in some way was both fierce and gentle, said, “Enter Zen from there.”

The disciple was stunned. It was his first satori – a flash of enlightenment. He knew what Zen was without knowing what it was that he knew!

They continued on their journey in silence. The disciple was amazed at the aliveness of the world around him. He experienced everything as if for the first time. Gradually, however, he stated thinking again. The alert stillness became covered up again by mental noise, and before long he had another question. “Master,” he said, “I have been thinking. What would you

have said if I hadn't been able to hear the mountain stream?” The master stopped, looked at him, raised his finger and said, “Enter Zen from there.”