[Journey to the West]The Parable of “Grinding Bricks into Mirrors”

The allusion to “grinding bricks into mirrors” originates from a Zen Buddhist parable.

During the Tang Dynasty, a monk named Ma Daoyi practiced under Chan Master Huairang on Mount Nanyue. Ma devoted himself to seated meditation, believing it would lead to enlightenment. However, Huairang questioned his approach. To illustrate the futility of rigid formalism, Huairang likened Ma’s meditation to grinding bricks into mirrors—a superficial act that could never achieve its goal.

Huairang explained:

“True cultivation isn’t about external forms like sitting in meditation. It requires realizing the Buddha’s teachings and discovering one’s true heart. Suppose a cart stops moving—do you strike the cart or the ox pulling it? Similarly, if you study Zen by sitting, Zen isn’t mere sitting or lying down. If you study Buddha by sitting, Buddha isn’t a fixed state. Clinging to the idea that enlightenment comes through seated meditation misunderstands the Dharma. You become trapped in the form, unable to penetrate reality’s true essence.”

Connection to Journey to the West

The poem opening Chapter 8 of Journey to the West critiques those who chase enlightenment through empty rituals:

“Grinding bricks into mirrors, piling snow as grain—delusions that bind them.”

— Journey to the West, Chapter 8

This Zen parable and the novel’s verse share a core message:

• Beyond Formalism: True spiritual progress demands inner awakening, not mechanical adherence to practices.
• Essence Over Ritual: Sun Wukong’s journey mirrors this lesson—his initial pursuit of immortality through brute force (stealing peaches, pills) fails until he embraces self-discipline and wisdom.
• Satirical Reflection: Both the parable and the novel mock rigid asceticism, urging seekers to transcend superficiality.

Just as Huairang guided Ma Daoyi to abandon futile grinding, Journey to the West challenges its pilgrims—and readers—to seek enlightenment beyond appearances. The Monkey King’s path from reckless ambition to enlightened protector embodies this truth: liberation lies not in rituals or power, but in understanding one’s true nature.