Polishing A Tile
A Zen Koan.
Nanyue visited his friend, Mazu, at his home. When he arrived, Mazu stood up.
Nazyue said — “what have you been doing these days?”
Mazu replied — “I have just been sitting.”
Nanyue said — “what is your intention in just sitting?”
Mazu replied — “I intend to become a Buddha.”
Then Nanyue picked up a tile and started polishing it on a stone near Mazus’ hut.
Mazu, confused, asked — “master, what are you doing?”
Nanyue said — “polishing a tile.”
'“But why are you polishing the tile?”
“I am trying to make it a mirror.”
“How can you polish a tile and make a mirror?”
Nanyue replied — “How can you do zazen and become a Buddha?”
Mazu said — “Then how else can I do it?”
Nanyue answered — “When driving a cart, if it stops moving, do you whip the cart or the ox?”
