THE TEN OXHERDING PICTURES | 十牛図 | VII. OX FORGOTTEN
"Having ridden home on the ox
Both man and ox are free.
Though the sun is high, still the man seems to dream;
Whip and tether lie unused in his thatched hut."
In Stage VI ox and man come together and our practice follows the path towards integration. Like a painter behind the easel, we bring our experience of oneness to the canvas of our life with the palette of upaya. But the subject and object here are still at play, and we spend our time shifting between the vantage of our small self and big mind.
With time, this distinction drops away and the ox is transcended. The various vain cares of the small self drop away and we see through the eyes of the universe. Compassion flows freely, and practice begins to take on a sense of joy rather than striving. We see how the Absolute plays on this dualistic plane and can manifest it. It is no longer other.
There is room here to get stuck, as we identify less with striving and spiritual accomplishment. Practice begins to flow naturally now and life begins to live us. It is, of course, true that rituals and traditions can only point the way and are not needed to light the path for us anymore. It is still vital, however, to leave the signs along the trail intact for the benefit of others. We may even erect a few additional signs to clarify it more.
Like the man in the Song of the Grass Roof Hermitage, we're no longer attached to a fixed abiding place anymore. Our hermitage of the self is built with simple materials that were readily available and close at hand. They are meant to provide us with shelter for a season. The ravages of time and tempest - not to mention simple everyday living - will necessitate rebuilding from time to time. As we become more acquainted with our true nature, it will change how we live. The structure of the self will change. With practice, it will drop away.
