Running a podcast on Journey to the West is sparking all sorts of connections for me.
Here’s how a 500 year-old Chinese mythological novel can shed some light on the UFC star’s mind state:
In the opening chapters, the monkey Sun Wukong learns a series of magic tricks that make him the world’s most formidable fighter.
Being faster, stronger and more skilled than any other being on Earth, he brings glory and fame to his fellow monkeys.
Having beaten some seriously dangerous monsters on earth, Monkey runs afoul of the forces of heaven, but manages to win his initial encounters there, too.
Heaven’s a big organization, they’ve got better things to do than commit more resources to squashing a monkey, so they give him a series of jobs and titles.
But even that isn’t enough, and the monkey finds himself in a near-apocalyptic battle with all of heaven, demanding that he be crowned its emperor.
Eventually Buddha finds out, and when talk fails to persuade the monkey, Buddha makes a wager: If you’re as powerful as you say you are, then jump out of my palm, and the heavenly throne is yours.
Easy peasy, the monkey thinks, and in one leap he somersaults clear to the edge of the universe, where he tags one its pillars and pees on another for good measure.
To his surprise, the monkey finds on his return that he never left Buddha’s palm: the pillars he defiled were actually the great one’s fingers!
And with one flip of said palm, monkey tumbles. Buddha’s fingers slamming down into five mountains that pin Wukong underneath.
There he must learn humility and realize that, powerful as we believe ourselves to be, we can never escape the limits of reality.
It’s easy to think that because we are so successful at one thing as to seem magical—McGregor’s nickname is “Mystic Mac”—we can use this magic to do anything.
Not just the greatest MMA Fighter, but the greatest boxer, the greatest promoter, the greatest whiskey mogul and a literal king.
Next thing you know, you’re assaulting commoners for refusing to drink your booze.
That kind of thinking gets toxic really fast.
And when it does, you’ll very quickly find that the things which held you up can just as easily crush you.
Fame becomes inescapable, fans become enemies, and the mind that made so many brilliant decisions now only seems capable of making bad ones.
What went wrong?
Monkey and McGregor both identified with their egos. It’s about getting what they deserved, what they earned, what they want.
While Buddha identifies with what exists outside the self.
This is why we can’t escape Buddha’s palm: No matter how big our heads get, we will not outgrow the universe.
When we strive instead to be one with the world around you, to help others grow instead of our egos, then we can reach our full potential.
Most of the time, though, you can’t get to that state of mind without first suffering a fall.
If McGregor hasn’t hit rock bottom yet, then let’s hope he finds himself beneath it.