Stages of Awareness and Realization of Enlightenment,
Ten Ox-Herding Experiences, 十牛圖,
by Sylvia Young Chu
1. Searching for the Ox
In my world pasture, something is amiss.
I feel a yearning and a loss.
Who am I?
Why am I suffering?
What is the purpose of my life?
I feel compelled to explore the meaning of my existence.
I push aside the tall grasses and search
for the ox in the distant paths and mountains.
Lost, I hear only the crickets singing in the dark night.
2. Discovering Footprints
With curiosity and determination,
I rise to devote myself to the search.
Deep in the forest,
under a tree by the riverbank,
I find traces of animal footprints.
Are these my ox's prints?
I am not able to recognize my ox from
just the footprints. An ox is around;
I sense its presence and I am eager to see my ox.
3. Glimpsing the Ox
Yonder, perched on a branch, a nightingale sings.
On the bank, green with willows, the warm sun
shines through and the gentle wind breezes by.
I see the ox, its stately horns, and majestic head.
Its tiny tail, what a marvelous thing! *
Just this tail, emptiness itself, encompasses all existence –
mountains and rivers in the fullness of all things.
My senses come alive; I see and hear. I enter the gate and
perceive all things are none but myself!
4. Catching the Ox
With struggle, I seize the ox, but
he is hard to control. His unruly,
wild nature still longs for sweet grass and
refuses to be broken in. He runs after things
at will. To bring it to complete subjection,
I raise my whip freely; it still struts up
the plateau and at times,
is lost in the misty, impenetrable mountain pass.
I faithfully work on my patience and perseverance.
5. Taming the Ox
Not only do I use the whip of wisdom, but
I also use the rope of meditation. In fact, I never
allow myself to be separated from the rope
lest the ox stray down the dusty road.
I have to change my perspectives and habits.
After proper tending, the ox becomes docile and
tame. Now, even unfettered, the ox, without being
bound, obeys my commands. It follows me as
a master of true intimacy and will not wander away.
6. Riding the Ox Home
The struggle is over; I subdue the ox and slowly
ride home. I hum a rustic woodsman’s tune and
sing a simple children’s melody.
My flute intones through the evening. I entrust
myself to the universe, accepting all and
letting go of all. Whoever hears my tune
will join me in the blissful joy. My eyes and
heart are fixed on my deepest truth and
passion; I no longer turn when enticed.
7. The Ox Forgotten, the Man Alone
I reach home; I alone, am the universe, at peace.
All things are all things -- as one,
not two. There is no ox of pursuit and
no more question to ask. There is no need to
question or to search. Wholeness and complete
fullness are already within me. I rest,
with my whip and rope beside me. In blissful
repose, not seeking attainment, I relax in my
humble home. Dawn has come; there is light.
8. The Ox and Self are Both Gone
The whip, the rope, the self and the ox,
all are forgotten in the vast spaciousness of –
"knowing nothing, being nobody, no self,
having nothing, spiritually poor, ** desiring
nothing, no seeing, *** going nowhere, and
no words.” I become spacious in the unknowing.
The power of nothing unveils the “Hidden
Treasures” **** -- unadorned, uncontrived,
magnificence of freedom."*****
9. Returning to the Source
From the very beginning, just this moment, pristine
with no defilement and nothing missing –
a radiance of all things, a wholeness, and a source
of energy, not sought, always there, pulsing
aliveness, creativity, and compassion. No self is
there for identification, judgment, or defense in
separation. No fear, just witnessing – the river
flowing blue and the mountain towering indigo,
unknowing, unmoved; things change and that is so.
10. Returning to the Market Place
Fearless, engaged, and smiling, I return
to the market in spiritual poverty. Nothing is holy or lowly;
I do not seek the footprints of sages, nor any magical
brew for longevity. Everything I touch; behold,
the dead twigs bloom with flowers. Inside my
closed gate, not seeking recognition, the beauty
of my garden is unmatched. I go to the marketplace and
hang out with the fishmongers and beggars.
I return home in free abandonment with a full wine bottle.
Notes
*Its tiny tail, what a (strange) marvelous thing that is: A Cow Passes through a Latticed Window, Case 38, Mumankan, The Gateless Gate.
**Poor: Seizei (Ch’Ing-Shui) the Poor, Case 10, Mumankan, The Gateless Gate.
***No seeing: The Heart Sutra
****Hidden Treasures, the title of Zen Essence, Fountains, Lanterns, and Paths of Hidden Treasures, Book IV.
*****From Zen Essence: Fountains, Lanterns, and Paths of Freedom, Book III, Chapter 8 Freedom, by Sylvia Young Chu.
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