30th April

Catching The Bull

The seeker must now struggle to catch the bull. At this stage this student realises that what he has found is not enlightenment, but self that is uncontrollable and unruly, like a wild beast that he must master in order to progress further on his journey. He must overcome his own restless mind to sustain the Zen vision. Zen is experienced as a challenge to be faced, and the separate self as an obstacle to be overcome. The bull will not yield easily, however, finding refuge in inaccessible hiding places. In the same way the separate self of the student, when faced with disciplines like meditation, may cleverly find every excuse not practice, or more subtle still, decided to reinvent itself with fantasies of being a special spiritual person.
Kuo-an Shih-yuan writes:

I battled bravely to seize the bull -
struggling with its ferocious will
and inexhaustible strength,
as it charges high into misty mountains
and deep into inaccessible ravines.

The bull that has been lost in the wilderness is found at last, but he is hard to control. He constantly longs for the sweet smelling fields. His wild nature is unruly and does not wish to be tamed. If the oxherd wants the bull to be in complete harmony with himself, he will have to raise his whip.

To realise Mind, begin by looking for the sources of your
thoughts. Whether asleep are working, standing or sitting,
intensely ask yourself, " What is my mind?"
Bassui Tokusho.
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