Images and Verses from

OX-HERDING:
STAGES OF ZEN PRACTICE

Original by John M. Koller,

Adapted by S. Leach

Featured on www.exeas.org
 I. THE SEARCH FOR THE BULL

In the pasture of the world,

I endlessly push aside the tall
grasses in search of the bull.
Following unnamed rivers,
lost upon the interpenetrating
paths of distant mountains,
My strength failing and my vitality
exhausted, I cannot find the bull.
I only hear the locusts chirping
through the forest at night.

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: The bull never has been lost. What need is there to search? Only because of
separation from my true nature, I fail to find him. In the confusion of the senses I lose even his
tracks. Far from home, I see many crossroads, but which way is the right one I know not. Greed
and fear, good and bad, entangle me.

Blue Verses and Commentary by Kakuan, with illustrations by Tomikichiro Tokuriki (Nyogen
Senzaki and Paul Reps, translators.)
The inspiration for this first step, which is searching for the bull, is feeling that things are not
wholesome, something is lacking. That feeling of loss produces pain. You are looking for
whatever it is that will make the situation right. You discover that ego's attempt to create an
ideal environment is unsatisfactory.
Red Commentary Text is © copyright 1972 by Chögyam Trungpa, used with permission of Diana J.
Mukpo and of Shambhala Publications (All Rights Reserved.)
 
This verse of course refers to the unrestrained mind full of greed, hatred, and delusion that drags
us through the six worlds of hellishness, ghostly craving, beastly impulsiveness, titanic pride,
quiet desperation, and heedless complacence. The luminous sun of our originally pure and
luminous nature is obscured by the dark cloud of our defilement. Our unwholesome causes
stampede over our wholesome ones, like an ox trampling good seeds. This is the human
condition whose confusion and anguish may lead us to seek out the Buddha Dharma.
Green Text Commentary by Ryue @ fraughtwithperil.com.
 II. DISCOVERING THE FOOTPRINTS

Along the riverbank under the trees,

I discover footprints.
Even under the fragrant grass,
I see his prints.
Deep in remote mountains they are found.
These traces can no more be hidden
than one's nose, looking heavenward.

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: Understanding the teaching, I see the footprints of the bull. Then I learn that,
just as many utensils are made from one metal, so too are myriad entities made of the
fabric of self. Unless I discriminate, how will I perceive the true from the untrue? Not yet
having entered the gate, nevertheless I have discerned the path.
By understanding the origin you find the possibility of transcending this pain. This is the
perception of the Four Noble Truths. You see that pain results from the conflicts created
by ego and discover the footprints of the bull, which are the heavy marks of ego in all
play of events. You are inspired by unmistakable and logical conclusions rather than by
blind faith. This corresponds to the Shravakayana and Pratyekabuddhayana paths.
At the beginning of our practice we are not much better off than we were. In fact, we
might even seem worse to ourselves because for the first time we are being taught to
recognize and try to do something about our negative tendencies and unwholesome
causes. The initial practice is probably something very simple, chanting a mantra or just
learning to sit still and be mindful of the breath. One may still find oneself slipping back
into the kinds of murderous, thieving, deceitful, unfaithful, and intoxicated states of the
lower worlds, but the practice keeps our attention and commitment and points us in a
new direction – a direction of faith, compassion, insight, generosity, self-restraint,
patience, constructive efforts, peace of mind, and liberating wisdom. It is easy to get
discouraged and give up, but practice at this stage is not about being perfect but about
honestly acknowledging where we are and becoming increasingly determined and
confident that we can mature into the higher worlds and ways of being that are
characterized by self-development, realization, compassion, and perfect complete
awakening. The simple practice that we are given is what we must keep coming back to
again and again, whenever we make a mistake in daily life or whenever we find our mind
drifting away during formal practice. This is how we get pointed home and make
progress, even if it is hard to discern.
 III. PERCEIVING THE BULL

I hear the song of the nightingale.

The sun is warm, the wind is mild,
willows are green along the shore –
Here no bull can hide!
What artist can draw that massive head,
those majestic horns?

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: When one hears the voice, one can sense its source. As
soon as the six senses merge, the gate is entered. Wherever one
enters one sees the head of the bull! This unity is like salt in water,
like color in dyestuff. The slightest thing is not apart from self.
You are startled at perceiving the bull and then, because there is no
longer any mystery, you wonder if it is really there; you perceive its
insubstantial quality. When you begin to accept this perception of
non-duality, you relax, because you no longer have to defend the
existence of your ego. Then you can afford to be open and
generous. You begin to see another way of dealing with your
projections and that is joy in itself, the first spiritual level of the
attainment of the Bodhisattva.
In time practice becomes a positive, constructive, and consistent
part of our daily life. We also find that if we maintain our
mindfulness we can keep ourselves from slipping unwittingly into
the lower worlds in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Life becomes
more manageable and we begin to get at least a conceptual
understanding of the Buddha Dharma. This helps, because we start
to discern meaning in what before was only confusion and
injustice. Still, this is not a time when we can relax our vigilance,
nor does conceptual understanding mean that we have any true
direct insight of our own. One must guard especially against
complacence and pride and continue to make good causes and
maintain practice.
 IV. CATCHING THE BULL

I seize him with a terrific struggle.

His great will and power
are inexhaustible.
He charges to the high plateau
far above the cloud-mists,
Or in an impenetrable ravine he stands.

I have abandoned the whip and ropes

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: He dwelt in the forest a long time, but I caught him today! Infatuation for
scenery interferes with his direction. Longing for sweeter grass, he wanders away.
His mind still is stubborn and unbridled. If I wish him to submit, I must raise my whip.
Seeing a glimpse of the bull, you find that generosity and discipline are not enough
in dealing with your projections, because you have yet to completely transcend
aggression. You have to acknowledge the precision of skilful means and the
simplicity of seeing things as they are, as connected to fully developed compassion.
The subjugation of aggression cannot be exercised in a dualistic framework -
complete commitment into the compassionate path of the Bodhisattva is required,
which is the development of patience and energy.

As practice progresses we find that our willfulness and negativity will decrease. It
becomes easier to aim for and maintain one’s equilibrium whether during practice or
in daily life. One may still slip up, as the habitual tendencies are still there beneath
the surface waiting for their chance to bubble up into consciousness and influence
our intentions, words, and deeds for the worse. So vigilance is still required, but it is
no longer such a struggle.
 V. TAMING THE BULL

The whip and rope are necessary,

Else he might stray off down
some dusty road.
Being well-trained, he becomes
naturally gentle.
Then, unfettered, he obeys his master.

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: When one thought arises, another thought follows. When the first
thought springs from enlightenment, all subsequent thoughts are true. Through
delusion, one makes everything untrue. Delusion is not caused by objectivity; it is
the result of subjectivity. Hold the nose-ring tight and do not allow even a doubt.
Once caught, the taming of the bull is achieved by the precision of meditative
panoramic awareness and the sharp whip of transcendent knowledge. The
Bodhisattva has accomplished the transcendent acts (paramitas) - not dwelling on
anything.
This is much more rarefied state of practice, when one is able to catch a glimpse of
the purity of the true nature of mind. Practice becomes more effortless and natural,
like coming home from a long and difficult journey. We are finally able to trust
ourselves and feel more confident in our practice. There is still some residual
defilement, however, so that one is not quite yet at a point where one is fully
liberated or awakened. During practice, one finds that unwholesome thoughts no
longer trouble one, but many neutral or wholesome considerations may arise. It is at
this point that one should not interfere with mind but simply be aware and remain
attentive to one’s primary practice.
 VI. RIDING THE BULL HOME

Mounting the bull, slowly

I return homeward.
The voice of my flute intones
through the evening.
Measuring with hand-beats
the pulsating harmony,
I direct the endless rhythm.
Whoever hears this melody
will join me.

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: This struggle is over; gain and loss are assimilated. I sing the song of
the village woodsman, and play the tunes of the children. Astride the bull, I observe
the clouds above. Onward I go, no matter who may wish to call me back.

There is no longer any question of search. The bull (mind) finally obeys the master
and becomes creative activity. This is the breakthrough to the state of
enlightenment - the Vajra-like samadhi of the Eleventh Bhumi. With the unfolding of
the experience of Mahamudra, the luminosity and colour of the mandala become
the music which leads the bull home.

There comes a point during formal practice when the mind stops to chatter and we
become joyfully centered on the primary practice. It is a light and even tingly bodily
sensation and one feels at ease and happy without necessarily having to
consciously reflect on it. In terms of daily life, one must of course take up conscious
thinking and feeling, but now behind it is a perspective that flows out of the
experience and perspective of one’s formal practice. There are still defilements
hidden away in our subconscious, but they are now subdued and no longer actively
disrupting our life. One is not yet able to constantly abide in the unconditioned, but
now the conditioned world of cause and effect has become more clear and less
threatening as one achieves a tentative inner peace and joy.
 VII. THE BULL TRANSCENDED

Astride the bull, I reach home.

I am serene. The bull too can rest.
The dawn has come. In blissful repose,
Within my thatched dwelling
I have abandoned the whip and ropes

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: All is one law, not two. We only make the bull a temporary subject. It is as
the relation of rabbit and trap, of fish and net. It is as gold and dross, or the moon
emerging from a cloud. One path of clear light travels on throughout endless time.

Even that joy and colour becomes irrelevant. The Mahamudra mandala of symbols
and energies dissolves into Maha Ati through the total absence of the idea of
experience. There is no more bull. The crazy wisdom has become more and more
apparent and you totally abandon the ambition to manipulate.

Here is where practice is no longer a self-conscious effort at all. Even the positive
disruption of the feelings ease and joy merge into an even more sublime equilibrium
and state of one-pointed concentration. In terms of daily living, one is able to live a
simple life, free of attachment and aversion. One is fulfilled and content. The sun that
illumines the six worlds sets, indicating that the time of duality is ending.
VIII. BOTH BULL AND SELF TRANSCENDED

Whip, rope, person, and bull –

all merge in No Thing.
This heaven is so vast,
no message can stain it.
How may a snowflake exist
in a raging fire.
Here are the footprints of
the Ancestors.

I have abandoned the whip and ropes

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: Mediocrity is gone. Mind is clear of limitation. I seek no state of
enlightenment. Neither do I remain where no enlightenment exists. Since I linger in
neither condition, eyes cannot see me. If hundreds of birds strew my path with flowers,
such praise would be meaningless.

This is the absence of both striving and non-striving. It is the naked image of the
primordial Buddha principle. This entrance into the Dharmakaya is the perfection of non-
watching - there is no more criteria and the understanding of Maha Ati as the last stage is
completely transcended.

The full moon is an indication of buddhahood, but as yet there is a trace of subtle duality
keeping the practitioner alienated from it. The practitioner is able to feel a sense of
achievement as he reflects on the pure nature of mind. The ox of the mind stands amidst
clouds that only reflect the mind. In addition there is still a sense of need for progress as
clouds and moon seem to move from west to east, from the place where the sun set on
the six worlds to the east where those just beginning their journey to that
accomplishment have yet to hear and practice the Dharma.
 IX. REACHING THE SOURCE

Too many steps have been taken

returning to the root and the source.
Better to have been blind and deaf
from the beginning!
Dwelling in one's true abode,
unconcerned with and without –
The river flows tranquilly on
and the flowers are red.

I have abandoned the whip and ropes

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: From the beginning, truth is clear. Poised in silence, I observe the forms of
integration and disintegration. One who is not attached to "form" need not be
"reformed." The water is emerald, the mountain is indigo, and I see that which is
creating and that which is destroying.
Since there is already such space and openness and the total absence of fear, the play of
the wisdoms is a natural process. The source of energy which need not be sought is
there; it is that you are rich rather than being enriched by something else. Because
there is basic warmth as well as basic space, the Buddha activity of compassion is alive
and so all communication is creative. It is the source in the sense of being an
inexhaustible treasury of Buddha activity. This is, then, the Sambhogakaya.
Now there is a true integration as mind and practitioner are one. The practitioner has
gone beyond accomplishment and dualistic watching of the mind, and yet there is still
more to be done. The practitioner is now the bodhisattva making his vows and returning
to the six worlds to help others. And yet, is this not itself a sign of subtle duality
between awakened self and the ignorant masses, between the cloudy peaks and the
valley below?
 X. IN THE WORLD

Barefooted and naked of breast,

I mingle with the people
of the world.
My clothes are ragged and dust-laden,
and I am ever blissful.
I use no magic to extend my life;
Now, before me, the dead trees
become alive.

I have abandoned the whip and ropes

Painting by Master Gyokusei Jikihara.  Reprinted with

permission of the Zen Mountain Monastery.
Comment: Inside my gate, a thousand sages do not know me. The
beauty of my garden is invisible. Why should one search for the
footprints of the patriarchs? I go to the market place with my wine
bottle and return home with my staff. I visit the wine shop and the
market, and everyone I look upon becomes enlightened.

Nirmanakaya is the fully awakened state of being in the world. Its

action is like the moon reflecting in a hundred bowls of water. The
moon has no desire to reflect, but that is its nature. This state is
dealing with the earth with ultimate simplicity, transcending following
the example of anyone. It is the state of "total flop" or "old dog". You
destroy whatever needs to be destroyed, you subdue whatever
needs to be subdued, and you care for whatever needs your care.

Here everything is overcome and there is no more duality as the true

nature shines forth unhindered. The bodhisattva has returned home
because he was always home. There is no ox, no practitioner, no
awakened, no ignorant. All things are just as they are. There is nothing
that needs to be added and nothing that needs to be taken away. Here is
just the full moon shining equally, spontaneously, and without any
contrived effort. This is the sheer luminosity of perfect and complete
awakening compassionately radiating all skillful means.