Oxherding

by Chogyam
Trungpa

The ten oxherding pictures, a well-known Zen representation
of training of the mind, are so basic that it could be
considered fundamental to all schools of Buddhism. A deeper
way of looking at it is in terms of spiritual development
from Shravakayana to Maha Ati. In the Tibetan tradition
there is an analogy of elephant herding but it refers
largely only to the practice of shamatha. The
symbolism does not go beyond the riding of the elephant. In
the oxherding pictures the evolutionary process of taming
the bull is very close to the Vajrayana view of the
transmutation of energy. Particularly returning to the world
as the expression of the compassion of the Nirmanakaya shows
that the final realization of Zen automatically leads to the
wisdom of Maha
Ati.