Tā qílǘzhǎolǘ, bǎ shǒujī ná zài shǒu lǐ què dàochù zhǎo.
He was looking for what he already had — searching all over while holding his phone in his hand.
Tips
history
A variant of 骑驴觅驴 (qílǘmìlǘ), recorded in 《景德传灯录》(Jǐngdé Chuándēng Lù), a Song-dynasty Chan Buddhist text. The original line uses the image as a Zen metaphor: people seek enlightenment everywhere while it is already within them.
memory
Picture someone perched on a donkey, frantically asking everyone if they've seen a donkey. The absurdity is the point — and it's exactly what hunting for the keys already in your hand feels like.
