Zen ox-herding pictures depict enlightenment

Stephanie Liao, March 1st, 2021; Jay Rosay, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

A bull (ox) is notoriously hard to locate and catch, just like our goal.

This is what "enlightenment" (awakening) looks like in Zen? Yes, this is it satori in Zen.

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LOOK: The Ten Ox Herding Pictures, the Depiction of Enlightenment

The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures - Tricycle: The Buddhist Review

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2021 was the Year of the Metal Ox

The Year of the Metal Ox might be a great time to learn about a significant series of poems and murals that features the sturdy animal.

“The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures,” known in Chinese as Shiniu, is used in the Zen Buddhist tradition to symbolize the stages of enlightenment and the return to society to enact the wisdom and compassion one has learned.

For many, it’s one of the best models for depicting the [Zen] awakening process.

The bull (ox) has been a simile to meditation practice for years. It originated in Indian literary traditions, and as Buddhism spread throughout Southeast Asia, the simile of the bull spread alongside it.

The bull represents the “eternal principle of life, truth in action,” which we’re always seeking to grasp and tame until we become one with it.

“True Innovation” in the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures | Zen and Innovation by Kouji Miki | Medium

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Different versions

In the 12th century, the well-known Ten Ox-Herding Pictures emerged in China. There are four Chinese versions. The first series is believed to have been made by Ching-chu in the 11th century.

Ching-Chu’s version only has five pictures, and it features the ox’s color changing from black to white. The transition is meant to represent the gradual development of the meditation practitioner, ending in his/her disappearance.

On the other hand, Tzu-te Hui made a version with six pictures. The first five were similar to Ching-chu’s, while the sixth shows a stage that goes beyond the stage of emptiness, which is where Ching-chu’s version ends.

A third version was made by an unknown author and is the most popular version in China. It’s similar to the two previously mentioned versions in that the bull also changes from dark to white in the ten pictures that are included in this series.

The most recognizable version was drawn by the 12th century Chinese Zen Master Kuoan Shiyuan. He also wrote accompanying poems and introductory words. There is no whitening of the bull in this version, nor does it end with emptiness or absolute truth. Instead, it shows a return to the world featuring the "Laughing Buddha," Putai [who's not really a buddha at all but a bodhisattva named Budai and Hotei].

This version gained wide circulation in Japan and the West after inclusion in a book called, Zen Flesh, Zen Bones: A Collection of Zen and Pre-Zen Writings, by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki.

Here is Kuoan Shiyuan’s Ten Bulls Murals:

• 1. In Search of the Bull “In the pasture of the world, I endlessly push aside the tall grasses in search of the Ox. Following unnamed rivers, lost upon the interpenetrating paths of distant mountains, my strength failing and my vitality exhausted, I cannot find the Ox. More:

LOOK: The Ten Ox Herding Pictures, the Depiction of Enlightenment: Chinoy TV 菲華電視台

• Wiki version: Ten Bulls (Wikipedia)