In a counterintuitive scene from "Journey to the West": Tang Sanzang sweeping the pagoda. In Chapter 62, Tang Sanzang visits the Jinguang Temple in the country of Sai, sees the dusty treasure tower, and insists on sweeping it. According to common sense, sweeping a pagoda should start from the top down, making it cleaner as you go. But Tang Sanzang starts from the bottom, sweeping layer by layer upward. The result is: just as he cleans the ground beneath, dust falls back down, making it look messier the more he sweeps.

But it is precisely this "foolish method" that contains three key lessons:
First: Start from a low point.
In reality, no one begins at the top of a tower. When entering a new field or starting a journey of growth, we all begin at the bottom. Ignorance is not foolishness; unwillingness to learn and change is. Don’t feel inferior because your starting point is low—admitting you are at the bottom is the true beginning of moving upward.
Second: Be present and clear.
Tang Sanzang only sweeps the layer at his feet, not worrying about how high above or how dirty below. In life, you can only grasp the present. The past cannot be changed, and the future has not yet arrived. Focus on doing well what’s in front of you, and find peace in the moment—this is the highest form of self-discipline.
Third: Turning back makes it dirty.
When you look back while moving upward, the steps are dirty again. It’s like how, after growing, people feel their past selves were naive or inadequate. Don’t blame yourself—thinking the past was “dirty” actually shows you are now “cleaner.” Only those who stay in place will always think they are right.
People don’t need to reach the top in one step, nor do they need to pursue perfection. Remember these nine words: Start low, stay present, turning back is dirty. Walk slowly, repair steadily, and every step you take counts.