THE TEN OXHERDING PICTURES | 十牛図 | VI. RIDING THE OX HOME
VI. RIDING THE OX HOME
"Riding the ox, meandering homeward;
Seeing off the evening clouds, playing a flute,
Clapping and singing so happily—
Knowing well, why speak of it?"*
The halting nature of practice in Stage V begins to lead to a more supple, more even practice now. As we sit in more deeply to what is coming up for us and are more disciplined at being present, we begin to truly recognize our true nature and it begins to infuse our activity as we steep in it. The small self is still present, but it is treated with more skill and its limitations are recognized.
This is a very joyful stage, as we begin to appreciate our lives as practice. We ride the ox - meandering homeward. The delusions are dropping away. Taking the time to notice things we hadn't before - the evening clouds, a simple tune - a happiness and comfort emerges that is no longer dependent on our perceived circumstances. There's no expressing it, as itdisintegrates under investigation, so we just live it.
The concept of a gaining idea, so prevalent in the stages up until now, begins to lose hold as we relax into practice. There's a possibility of getting 'stuck' here - as there is a tendency to believe we have reckoned with reality and have apprehended it. Having glimpsed at emptiness and impressed the vision into our marrow, we feel we've 'figured it out'.
But even this understanding is still due a more final reckoning as we move beyond these concepts of self, other, andenlightenment. No longer under the power of the small self, the practice begins to do us. Where, then, are we to go?
