· Mirror and a tile

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Here was a young man obviously made for action, yet able to suppress his restless physical nature and stay quiet. Huai Jang could feel a great potential sitting there, so he resolved to attempt to awaken Ma Tzu on the spot. Stepping back outside, he was led to observe some tiles in a pile near the temple which were being polished and used as replacement tiles. He saw that one of those tiles and a polishing brush would be perfect for his purpose. So he picked up a tile and a brush, went back to Ma Tzu’s hut, stepped inside, sat down and began furiously brushing the tile. After quite a long while, Ma Tzu could not suppress his natural curiosity and alertness over this disturbing activity taking place before him, whereupon he shouted out with annoyance at the stranger working in his hut, “What are you trying to do?” Huai Jang then replied, “I am polishing this tile to make a mirror for you.” Ma Tzu, going along with the game, commented, “Even if I were to want a mirror produced by you, this is not going to work, because you cannot make a mirror by polishing a tile.” Huai Jang then said, devastatingly, “If a mirror cannot be made by polishing a tile, how can one become a Buddha by sitting in meditation?” Ma Tzu, now standing, asked Master Huai Jang, “What should one do then?” The Master answered, “If a cart drawn by an ox does not move, is it correct to whip the ox or the cart?”

SOURCE: Zen Koan @ Absolute Oracle

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