鏡で(かがみで)鼻が短く(みじかく)見える角度を(かくどを)探したり(さがしたり)、他人の(たにんの)鼻を観察(かんさつ)した

Although Naigu was a respectable priest spreading Buddha's teachings, inside he couldn't stand others looking at his nose and laughing. He would look in the mirror to search for angles that made his nose look shorter, or observe other people's noses to see if there were any like his, piling up useless efforts day after day.