Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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In the novel, the monk and the emperor swore brotherhood in the palace, and the Tang Monk, accompanied by his horse, set off westward.
In Journey to the West, it is Guanyin Bodhisattva (Avalokiteśvara) who inspires Tang Sanzang (the Monk Tang or Tripitaka) to embark on the scripture-seeking pilgrimage.
The allusion to “grinding bricks into mirrors” originates from a Zen Buddhist parable.