Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 6- Getting free of hindrance

Traditional poem:

Sleeping contentedly under the sky,
the buffalo needs the whip nevermore.
The boy, sitting under the pine tree,
starts to play a peaceful, happy tune.

My words:

Mushotoku,
the old Patriarch is HERE,
right NOW, by the pine tree;
NOW, you are HERE too.

Insight has turned into WISDOM,
and mind is CALM and CLEAR,
FREE from hopes and fears,
no longer fettered by CLINGING
and CRAVING.

This is a stage where SATORI
has been polished, and mind
dwells in PEACE and BLISS,
even in the midst of turmoil.

Mind rests in a SELFLESS state,
which is its natural state,
fresh, artless and unbound.

This is the old Patriarch,
NOW, beyond past, present
and future, right HERE.

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 5- Tamed

Traditional Poem:

Under the green poplar, by the ancient stream,
the buffalo moves in harmony with nature.
Returning at sunset over the fragrant meadow,
the buffalo follows the boy, who has dropped his rope.

My words:

Now your karmic imprints are being quickly cleansed,
and there is no need to use artificial mindfulness.
Mind is free from the impulse of bad habits,
even though a few of them still remain.

Life becomes spontaneous practice,
while satori manifests effortlessly.
There is a sense of natural freedom,
and boy and bull become one.

As long as we follow the stream of the lineage,
we can never get lost in confusion again.
The stream leads us towards the patriarch,
under the shadow of the tree of compassion.

Eating the grass of bliss,
mind is already tamed.
Mushotoku,
Hishiryo.

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 4- Turning Back

Traditional Poem:

A long time has passed before the buffalo turns back,
it´s reckless temper has gradually grown gentle.
Not trusting the buffalo completely to itself,
the boy has not yet unfastened the rope.

My words:

Tie your mind to the tree of compassion;
that will calm down the buffalo.
But keep the rope of concentration,
and the whip of diligence, just in case.


At this stage, our SATORI has grown up,
and our mind is tied up to Bodhichitta.

We are concerned with our development
for the sake of sentient beings.

We have realized that it is not possible to
reach enlightenment being selfish.

It is at this point when we have a direct experience
of the emptiness of self.

From now on, we know that the bull and us are
one and the same.
But we must be careful, because we can fall down
the cliff of nihilism, and that is why
we need to establish ourselves in Bodhichitta.

There is still a long way to go, but from
now on things will be easier.

Our insight is growing, as well as our compassion.

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 3- In Harness

Traditional Poem:

Under constant training, the buffalo stops dashing,
following the boy across streams and through clouds.
Not daring to loosen the rope in his hand,
the boy tends the buffalo all day in spite of his fatigue.

My words:

A glimpse of your real face,
do not let go the rope and the whip!
Follow the stream of the lineage,
and the bull will become your friend.

At this stage, our discipline has borne out some fruit, and he have reached a good level of Shamata.

Now it´s easier to pacify the mind, we don´t need to struggle continously with it, but we still need to be VIGILANT, and use the rope of concentration and the whip of mindfulness so the bull follows us gently.

During our meditation, we have reached some INSIGHT into the nature of the Mind, and that is why the head of the bull is white; but it has been only a glimpse of it, that has to transform into full realization.

Using Zen vocabulary, we can say that the SATORI experience has appeared, but it has to be polished. Many practitioners can reach this stage, but if they untie the bull, thinking that they have reached enlightenment, then they will drown in the river of arrogance and self-conceit.

That is why it is very important to have a master who can help you not going astray.

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 2- Initial training

Traditional Poem:

Controlled by a rope through it´s nose,
The buffalo runs swiftly under the whip.
It is no easy thing to overcome a willful temper,
as the boy struggles hard to lead the buffalo.

My words:

Right now, not later,
sit down your mind.
Look closely at the bull:
Is it white or is black?

This is the initial stage of the practice, when we become in touch with the confused mind.

With the ROPE of CONCENTRATION, we observe the mind.

With the WHIP of MINDFULNESS, we keep placing our attention on the mind,
and don´t get distracted.

This is the stage of learning to pacify our mind, what is also known as Shamata meditation.

It is not easy at this stage to pacify the mind, because it has roamed for so long.
But with the Whip of diligence and mindfulness, and the rope of concentration we will finally calm the mind down.

This is the stage where more of the practitioners give up, not being really COMPROMISED with the path of Liberation.

If we don´t take the path seriously, we will never be able to go beyond this stage, because
without DISCIPLINE it is not possible to TAME the MIND.

So, my friend, are you taking the path seriously, or is it just another of your hobbies?

Zen 10 Ox-herding pictures: 1-In the wild

Traditional Poem:

Displaying its horns, the buffalo bellows aloud,
Running along the mountain path into the distance.
A patch of black clouds overhangs the valley,
the buffalo tramples wheat seedlings wherever it goes.

My words:

Confusion and suffering,
all over the valley.
Look for the root,
and you will find the black bull.

These 10 stages are not real, but they are useful for the practitioner in order to know where he is on his way along the path.

In fact, this picture describes the usual state of mind of most of us: CONFUSED.

Most of the time we spend our life dispersed, without paying attention to what is going on: we just get carried away by our thoughts and emotions, without a clear objective, rambling up and down, getting trapped by our distorted perceptions of what comes across our consciousness, and we trample on the situations we find ouselves in, pushing and pulling like a wild buffalo, rejecting and avoiding some situations, and wishing and clinging to other ones.

This is Samsaric existence, the existence of sentient beings immersed in suffering.

This first picture of the set of ten, depicts the stage of the man or woman who wakes up to his or her real situation, and determines his/her mind to TAME the Buffalo.

From now on, he will be conscious of his sad situation, and will concentrate on capturing the wild buffalo, that is to say, getting to know his own mind.

From now on, he or she will become a PRACTITIONER.