Puming: The Ten Oxherding Pictures, commentary by Hu Huezhi

ZEN IRODALOM ZEN LITERATURE
« Zen index
« Home

普明 Puming: 十牛圖 Shiniu tu
Taoist Commentary by 胡学智 Hu Xuezhi
Taoist Enlightenment Process in the Light of Ox-Herding Pictures
Written by Hu Xuezhi, edited by Vietanh, Wudang Taoist Kungfu Academy

http://wudang-kungfu.com/wudang-inner-alchemy01.html
http://wudang-kungfu.com/wudang-inner-alchemy02.html
http://wudang-kungfu.com/wudang-inner-alchemy03.html

Ode to Ox-herding Pictures

1. Ox not tamed in herd

Ferociously roars the ox, who dash around with its crooked horns,
Rushing about without impediment till mountain river turns away with road stretching far into distance.
A piece of black cloud overhanging over mouth of a valley,
Who knows, one step after another in farmer’s field, the ox is devastating the young seedling!

Here the ox is a metaphor indicating our heart-mind who has not underwent any discipline. It prefers to go mad and crazy in chasing after what is desirable and lovable, regardless even of the physical life at sometime. Therefore, all sorts of means should be applied to tame it first hand. This looks more close to the ways of Taoist alchemist, rather than practitioners from Chan Buddhism.

Therefore, Lao Tzu said in the chapter 12 as follows:

The five colours make the eyes blind;
The five notes make the ears deaf;
The five flavors deprive the mouth of taste.
Riding and hunting make the mind wild;

The Yellow Emperor went to see Master Kuang Ch'eng, to ask about the administration of the body:

Master Kuang Ch'eng sat up with a start. "Excellent, this question of yours! Come, I will tell you about the Perfect Tao. The essence of the Perfect Tao is profoundly obscure and vague; the subtlety of the Perfect Tao is profoundly elusive and stillness. See nothing, hear nothing, enfold Shen in quietude and the body will go right of its own accord. Be still, be pure, do not labor your body, do not churn up your Jing, and then you can live a long life. There is nothing to be beheld by eyes, nothing to be heard by ears, nothing to be known by heart, then your Shen shall stay in guard for the body, and the body will thereby enjoy long life. Cherish that which is within you, block off what is outside you, much knowledge will do harm.

If it is ways characterizing Chan Buddhism, it would not talk about the unruliness of the heart-mind (ox) when the heart-mind (ox) becomes the main theme in question. Otherwise, slaughter the ox with a sharp sword would not be an easy way to solve the problem (Yes, Chan Buddhism advocates no killing)? If it is way characterizing the six patriarchs of the Chan Buddhism, it would to “keep dusting it in order to prevent it from incur the least dust.” But, why there appears the word “forgetfulness” in later poems? “Forgetfulness” should be typical of Chuang Tzu’s approaches because in Chuang Tzu you can quickly find the passage like “To be forgetful in sitting meditation” which advocates to let heart-mind be in a void, then let all motion gradually come to a standstill, then to fall into forgetfulness of anything, then to forget about everything and follow whatever arises and sinks as it is in total oblivion.

2. The initial tameness

A rope that runs through the nose of ox, I have mounted!
One time dashing off should be well rewarded with a burning pain plus whip lashing!
Even since the beginning the difficulty is the bad habituation to modulate!
Now there comes the task for shepherd boy trying his best to alter the circumstance!

For initial meditation people may find it difficult to be quiet because the heart-mind is easily to subject to the temptation by outside objects. Such instance is much similar to the small children who attend the school at early age: they cannot remain silent and sit there with no motion (this is typical of Chinese education tradition for students in their kindergarten or junior schools!). For them it is really an agony since they are forced to do so.

Most people know it is difficult to tame wild cattle, much worse if with whip in hand riding on the back while you order it to head east, west. You know, in such circumstance, you might risk falling from the back or even fall down to death when the cattle runs crazy. Therefore, the best solution is “mount a rope that runs through the nose of ox, thereby you can easily achieve the effect of ordering the cattle to any direction as you like", which can rid of the risk to be thrown down from the cattle back. In fact, Such a rope denotes "Concentrate the heart-mind" from alchemist’s point of view, and for meditation novice, it indicates a suggestion please place the heart-mind stop at listening. Chuang Tzu said; "Concentrate your mind-will. Hear not with your ears, but with your mind." Yes, for most practitioners they are sure to encounter the difficulties that the heart-mind remains at large and refuses to fall into control.

Some additional methods should be applied to offer a help hand, such as counting the breathing or reversal breathing (belly sticks out when exhale while belly shrinks when inhale) or the visualization of bones of the dead. In a word, to tame the wildness of the heart-mind and that is the point. This can well explain the message “now it becomes the task for shepherd boy trying his best to alter the circumstance.”

3. Modulation

Apply the gradual modulation to cease the hoarse wildness, while gaining the gradual submissiveness little by little.
Wade across rivers, ferry through clouds, unconsciously the cattle begins to follow step by step.
Still handle the rope with no less strength,
The shepherd boy all day long gets accustomed to the gradual forgetfulness, and of the tiredness.

Starting with concentration, yet later on you may find the heart-mind has gradually been free of much delusional thinking, and it might in an instant follow the some spontaneous motion without any support--despite stray ideas may occur sometimes, but it was soon back on the track with the spontaneous motion again. Accordingly, there comes the effect "wade across rivers, ferry through clouds, unconsciously the cattle begins to follow step by step." But people have to keep paying attention to use the heart-mind to listen rather than using ears, lest it should re-take the former course again to wander around with no constrains.

At beginning such kind of work may be very tired, but after sometime practitioners can gradually get accustomed to it, and the tired feeling may disappear naturally. Here we borrow “ode to Mythical Source and Grand Tao," written by Chao Wen Yee for better understanding:

Once someday attainment achieved it is a fully free excursion,
On reflecting upon the refining and cooking process you would sigh over the hard-working you had done!
Though hard-working it is, yet actually no diligence is required,
As the only work you were required to do is to foster the primeval Shen.
It is regrettable the mind prefers to be busy,
At this critical time either to round of or to set free all is within the play of your hand!

4. Looking back

In the course of time, as meritorious deeds committed in succession, there comes the time that the wildness comes to an end,
As well as frantic force was gradually transformed into the meekness and gentleness.
But the mountain boy does not open up as much as to reach the stage of by just exchange one for another given,
Therefore, the rope remains tethered still within his hands.

After the practice of concentration of heart-mind, the heart-mind is no longer difficult to tame as before and its wildness begins to be worn down, and it gets to be blurred together with any motion unconsciously. However, this was not the time to enter the second phase "to listen with Chi," because concentrated heart-mind (we should call it true intention) and spontaneous motion has not been fully unified to full extent. The Taoist inner alchemy books prefer to liken concentrated heart-mind to women, the spontaneous motion to men and their combination to the intercourse which caused lots of confusion or even brought about the conceptualization of double cultivation which remains very popular in Western world. People should understand they are but the metaphors and should not be interpreted as one way for enlightenment as most false masters claim.

At this stage, though the two begin to stick to each other, there still has in place the intention sometimes be set up to keep them together. So, “the rope remains tethered still within his hands.”

5. Tamed

Beside the old stream, under the shade of green poplar trees,
Let go from the hands or tighten up the rope, all is been carried out by its own course.
By nightfall green clouds are roaming high over meadow bank,
Shepherd boy is returning yet with no rope tightened up.

At this point there already attained the status of "true intention and spontaneous motion depend upon each other", and any intention to hold them two together is but the attachment in extra as the two have gradually united to form an oneness that cannot split with any easiness. This is the status "to listen with Chi." Even some instant of sense activity may casually enter the non-conscious domain, it would not cause any effect to the state on the account that the true intention has been in love with the spontaneous motion for no one knows how long. Therefore, people do not have to deliberately discriminate who is who.

6. Free of hindrance

All at ease fall into doze or sleep in open ground as the will be,
No spur by whip any more, as free as the air is.
Well under the green pines steadily sits the shepherd boy,
Peacefully a gentle tune is aired, narrating more than any happiness.

At this point it should be termed as entering the stage where both Shen and Chi are unified to form an oneness, which lies well beyond the phase "heart-mind and breathing depending upon each other," as the consciousness has gradually blurred, leaving only a little consciousness which could almost not be conscious of anything. It is, however, not the emptiness of nothingness as described by Buddhist, but one whiff of spontaneous circulation in operation in which the sense and pre-heaven breathing both are transformed into two different types of energy---one is Shen and one is Chi, and the former entering the latter while the latter embracing the former. So, you can see the changes that has taken place throughout the process: first is to tame the wildness of the heart-mindg, then get along with the breathing, then get close to “feel” the manifestation initiated by transformation force of great nature—the spontaneous circulation. One famous Taoism scripture called 100-Word Monument reads "sit to listen to non-chord song, run unimpeded into the core mechanism of the Creation by riding of obscurity of illusion." A gentle tune is aired peacefully narrating that more than any happiness." Up to now, can you perceive something from these words or something beyond these words?

Here we borrow the poem “Admonition on Regulating Breathing” by Zhu Shih (a great philosopher in Ming Dynasty) for reference:

A whiteness, I have the view of it;
Cozy and at ease, come and stay together with it and get along with it.
Become quieter and quieter and there seems to open up all out, as like the spring marsh where fish roaming;
Get involved in motion for long whereupon all seems to draw together, as like all insects hibernate.
In diffusion, it opens up to accommodate all, while in turn close up to hibernate,
Its wonderful really stays beyond of any words!
Who is the master of it at all?
The non-mastery dominance deserves to merit such greatness.

At this time non-mastery dominance begins to play its part, naturally there comes the situation“no spur by whip any more, as free as the air is.”

7. Follow the course as it is

Willow bank，green ripples, all dissolves into the sunset,
Gray fog stretches out leisurely, grass-green spreads out downy.
Hunger served with food, thirst with drinks, etc. at all times keeping the manner and tendency as there occur.
Up on the stone the shepherd boy remains asleep soundly.

Here the “sleeping” locates at the core meaning of the words, which apparently falls in line with the main characteristics of immortality study. From the perception in place at beginning to the unconsciousness state later on, from the combination of both Shen and Chi to the unified oneness getting involved in spontaneous motion, the success lies upon “to follow the course as it is,” without any interference, which eventually effects the "natural evaporation, natural convergence, as well as natural stop." (if there is nothing at all, what is to be followed about?)

At this point, the practitioners have come on the stage where heart-mind stops at the natural concordance, the listening stops at the ears. Therefore, we can say all perception and consciousness gradually come to a persistent standstill or a state where persistent standstill dominates. That is sleep, you may conclude. The fact is, however, when ordinary people sleep, dream is the company; when practitioners sleep, no dream at all because all consciousness comes to a stop, to rest, or to “be deprived of all functionality” (Or in another word, the difference between awakeness and sleep disappears). So, the shepherd boy is falling asleep soundly.

Here we borrow one passage from Chuang Tzu for better understanding (translated by Victor H. Mair)

“Someone who dreams of drinking wine at a cheerful banquet may wake up crying the next morning. Someone who dreams of crying may go off the next morning to enjoy the sport of the hunt. When we are in the midst of a dream, we do not know it’s a dream. Sometimes we may even try to interpret our dreams while we are dreaming, but then we awake and realize it was a dream. Only after one is greatly awakened does one realize that it was all a great dream, while the fool thinks that he is awake and presumptuously aware. ‘My excellent lord!’ ‘Oh, thou humble shepherd!’ How perverse they are!

“Both Confucius and you are dreaming, and I too am dreaming when I say that you are dreaming. This sort of language may be called enigmatic, but after myriad generations there may appear a great sage who will know how to explain it and he will appear as though overnight!”

8. Reciprocal forgetfulness

White cattle in white clouds,
Inadvertently, man remains free of any mind, so does the cattle.
Moon has its shade penetrate through white clouds, and vice versa.
White clouds, full moon in brightness, all are as they are, either east or west as they may be.

In Chan Buddhism, white clouds is a metaphor used often to illustrate the state free of hindrance which is gained by riding of the attachment (to ego, to dharmas). So, does the white cattle. People are advised to pay more attention upon how the ox changes its color from the black to white in the pictures, and how often the white clouds, full moon or free air are used in the poems accompanying the pictures.

At this point we should term it as a reciprocal forgetfulness of both Shen and Chi, and all phenomena falling within our consciousness sphere begin to decompose and the reciprocal binding between all phenomena begin to unravel and all seems to arrive at the same root with same footing, and all becomes transparent to each other, or in another word the barrier between all phenomena begins to collapse. Yes, man forgets about ox, and ox forgets about man. Man forgets about their cognizing objects and the cognizing objects forget about man---the binding between cognizing faculty and cognizing objects begins to die away. Thus comes the reciprocal forgetfulness. In the words of Buddhism, it is the gradual disappearance of attachment to ego and the attachment to dharma---the cognition that everything has inherent nature.

Chuang-Tzu said, "fish and waters of both rivers and lakes forget about each other reciprocally, both people and all means they hold on to forget about each other reciprocally." Therefore, you can see how importantly the forgetfulness is during the enlightenment process! Furthermore, unilateral forgetfulness merits no reward whatever at this point. It should be the reciprocal forgetfulness to be in place simultaneously.

Once upon this stage, where is heart-mind? Where is the means you should adhere to? Where is ego? Where are all phenomena? White clouds, a full moon in brightness, all are as they are, either east or west as they may be. Chuang-tzu said: “undo the Jing and Shen to transcend life existence.” It is a great liberation in comparison when people think about the former bondage they cocoon themselves within due to their attachment. In fact, all enlighten process is nothing but to continue undoing the bindings and bondage, clear up the sulliness, rid of the habituation, rectify that put upsided-down, to restore our true features.

Here most people prefer to use “forget” to replace “undo.” In fact, the forgetfulness already lost its meaning and its functionality, either.

9. The shining in independence

Nowhere is the cattle, thus shepherd boy has completely nothing to be engaged in.
There is nothing at all save a slice of cloud dangling lonely between cliffs of green peaks.
Clap hands and sing a song in high tone he beckons down the moon,
Well return he does yet another mountain ridge he has to climb over!

Here we borrow one passage from Chaung Tzu for reference

Nan-po Tse-kuei said to Nu-Yu, "You are of an old age, and yet your complexion is that of a virgin. How is this?"

Nu-Yu replied, "I have obtained Tao."

"Could I get Tao by studying it?" asked Nan-po Tse-kuei.

"No! How can you?" said Nu-Yu. "You are not that type of person. There was Puliang-I. He had all the talents of becoming a sage, but not the way of becoming the sage, whereas I had way of becoming a sage but without the talents of a sage. But do you think I was able to teach him to become indeed a sage? Had it not been so, in the way of accomplishing sage’s Tao to tell one who has a sage's talents would be an easy matter. I patiently keep watch to it and talk to him. In three days, he could put the world outside himself. Again I keep watch to it for seven days more, then he could put all concerns outside himself. I waited for another nine days, after which he could put all beings outside himself. After putting all beings outside himself, he was able to achieve the thorough awakening of dawn. After he could achieve the thorough awakening of dawn, then he had the clear vision of the absolute independence, and after that, he could do away with past and present. After he could do away with past and present he was able to enter domain where life and death are no more. That which let life die out does not die; that which gives life to life does not live. This is the kind of thing it is: there's nothing it does not send off, nothing it does not welcome, nothing it does not destroy, nothing it does not complete. This is to be 'attaining peace amidst confusion and strife.' After the confusion and strife, and the completion attained.

Here let us pay attention to the following sentence: “After he could achieve the thorough awakening of dawn, then he had the clear vision of the absolute independence.” Here it is the shining in independence or independent shining. In Chinese Pin Yin it is called “Shen Du.” One subtlety is there, subject to neither decrease nor increase, shining all over heaven and earth and make up one whole ball of brightness. When one full moon is hanging high up in clear shy there are unlimited moons in rivers and lakes to shine. Talk about its exterior it is infinity, talk about it interior there has nothing to contain inside. Therefore, the barrier existing between interior and exterior disappears, which indicates the absoluteness or total independence after transcending the relativity realm where all remains relative to the other (each being is but the aggregate of other and lacks its inherent nature). Yet, it is not the end because it is still a being though at a complete different realm. So, it is still a barrier or an illusion based upon the leftovers or corpuses of the deceased.

For people who have some knowledge of Buddhism theory they can understand such stage denotes several stages within process called Cultivating-Way, the fourth of five enlightenment phases (accumulation stage, beneficial practice stage, seeing-path stage, cultivating-Way stage and gaining-fruit-of-Buddhahood stage).

10. Double annihilation

Both human and cattle are nowhere, free of any footprints to be traced!
A bright full moon has its light shining thoroughly, penetrating all through with no exception.
If you ask the ins and outs after all,
Wild flowers, fragrant grass all nodding as the freeze comes upon.

Here we can see all traces and deceased corpses have been rid of. You may ask what the traces and deceased corpses mean. In fact here we indicate the traces or corpses of deceased sullied habituation, afflictive hindrance as well as noetic hindrances. There are so delicate and subtle that to rid of them makes up a so challenging task that many people fail to gain success or finish only part of the work, eventually.

Here let borrow some words from Chuang Tzu: “This is the kind of thing it is: there's nothing it does not send off, nothing it does not welcome, nothing it does not destroy, nothing it does not complete.” Then you can well understand the words； If you ask the ins and outs after all, wild flowers, fragrant grass all nodding as the freeze comes upon. Why? Because the mountain still is the mountain, the river still is the river. Nothing changed, you may ask? No! wild flowers, fragrant grass all shaking their heads!

From Zhang Ziyang down on, there had been the situation where fellow students met under both Chan Buddhism and immortality study. Some students in immortality study failed to gain practical progress because of their attachment to the so-called “being”, “elixir pill”, “small water wheel”, “large water wheel”, “medicinal substance”, “firing process” and so on. Therefore, they went to Chan Buddhism to seek a breakthrough, thus bringing in many ideas typical of immortality study. In Chan poems there is little to be found concerning wind, fire, water, and earth, but often filled with the description of natural scenery. Same, many people who study Buddhism and Confucianism and fail to gain progress also go to seek solution from immortality study. Hence, in immortality poetry there often appear the terms used in Buddhism and Confucianism. Thus comes the present situation where the convergence of Taoist immortality study, Buddhism and Confucianism dominates.

Fish and waters in both the rivers and lakes reciprocally forget about each other, both people and all means they hold on to reciprocally forget about each other. Lets us do “an effort” to make Buddhism and Confucianism and Taoism all reciprocally forget about each other and walk upon the grand course leading to the eternal Tao!

The Ox-herding Chart of Chan Buddhism
and the Enlightenment Process It Tells
Rewritten and translation by Hu Xuezhi
edited by Muriel Kirton
The Empty Vessel, Summer 2011, Volume 18, Number 4, pp. 11-19.
https://web.archive.org/web/20130726231106/http://abodetao.com/the-ox-herding-chart-of-chan-buddhism-%E2%80%A8and-the-enlightenment-process/

For many years, the English translation of the Oxherding
Chart of the Chan Sect of Buddhism has attracted
a great deal of interest and attention, and has been the
subject of intensive study by Western readers. The illustrated
poem was composed in classical Chinese, which
unfortunately means that, for many readers in mainland
China today, the meaning can be difficult to grasp, since
the opportunities to study classical Chinese literature
are limited. As things stand, the Chart seems to have
gained much more popularity in America and Japan
than in mainland China where people nowadays would
rarely hear of it being used or referred to by mainland
Chan Buddhists.
Several years ago, I read a martial arts novel by
Huang Yi, which had a title along the lines of “Shatter
the Emptiness into Many Pieces”, He made liberal use
of the poem from the Ox-herding Chart to describe how,
in the course of his study and practice, the hero of the
novel progressed step by step towards the attainment
of immortality. However, as regards the tangible nature
of his achievements, we are merely offered descriptive
words and phrases about the nature of the mind
and the hero’s diligent advancement towards ‘sudden
enlightenment’. We are in no sense given descriptive
details or an explanation regarding the regulation of
the breath or the deployment of Chi. In the practice of
inner alchemy (immortality study), it would be characterized
as ‘talk concerning only mercury, as yet without
lead.” You can easily deduce from this that the author
is simply a poet or literary scholar of the Wei and Jin
Dynasty, whose interest lay in crafting metaphysical
and mythical stories compiled from a mix of different
elements and components lifted from Chan literature.
However, after a detailed/careful reading and contemplation
of both the Chart and the accompanying poems, I was
suddenly struck by the realization that the Ox–herding
Chart reveals many of the features that define the practical
process of inner alchemy practice (immortality study).
There may be some Buddhists or scholars from the Chan
Sect who would refute my observation, but after many
days of meditation, it seems that I feel more certitude
about my assertion.
Let me explain. I had a sudden insight that the
chart can be understood as an illustration that depicts
the sequence of progressive stages leading to the attainment
of immortality, with each stage being described
and characterized by different symbols, each holding a
specific meaning. As we know, for the Chan sect, there is
Chan poetry, and for immortality practice there is NeiDan
(inner alchemy) poetry. Chan poetry is often characterized
by the subtlety of a full moon located far beyond
the pointing finger, whereas NeiDan poems most often
feature highly metaphorical, artistic concepts which lie
somewhere between that which can be perceived, and
that which is totally beyond any perception whatsoever.
Immortality teaching does not talk about ‘immediate
or sudden enlightenment’, nor does it make assertions
such as “All things created by cause and its accessory
conditions have no reality.” Similarly, it does not promote
concepts such as “immediately become an immortal.’’ Yet
its gradual and progressive approach can lead to success,
when followed systematically from the beginning, and
pursued without the omission of any necessary steps.
Nonetheless it seems to hold little attraction for practitioners
from the Chan sect, even though it truly leads
upwards, like a super-straight ladder.
Although the Chan sect often talks about immediate,
or sudden, enlightenment and the realization of full attainment
free from all hindrance, we should not take that
to mean that we are freed from the need to apply effort,
either prior to, or subsequent to, reaching that attainment.
Otherwise, Huineng (the sixth patriarch) would not have
been required to toil over the grindstone for nine months
before reaching his attainment, nor would he have been
required to run to join a hunting team, and thereafter
embark on practices that lasted for nineteen years. Later
on, when he began to teach, what did he teach? In the
beginning he taught the chant “Prajna Paramita’’ (Reaching
the Other Shore). To speak truthfully, the goal of the
Chan Sect is to arrive at a state of mutual affinity between
teacher and disciple, while for the study of immortality
the goal rests on the infusion of varying levels of Yang
Qi. In essence, both lie well beyond the descriptive faculty
of either spoken or written language, as regards the
authentic aptitude, ability and skills involved.
The study of Chan and its subtlety, lies in Chan’s
allegoric connotations, or ‘the understanding which is
gained in an instant’. This incorporates a rational element,
but leaves no opening for any form of speculation.
Only mutual affinity can prompt the sudden perception
and understanding of the allegorical meaning, which
primarily arises from the attained idea that “all things
that are produced by cause and associated conditions
have no reality,” and “the mind remains unimpeded, no
matter what.”
The subtlety of immortality study however, lies in
the Mysterious Pass, which serves as the only channel
of communication connecting both the Pre-heaven and
Post-heaven domains. The Mysterious Pass lies neither
within nor outside the corporeal body and neither within
the interior nor the exterior. It presents itself only when
the interior resonates with the exterior, so allowing the
natural to concur with the artificial, with the prerequisite
that both Shen and Chi are already sufficient for the process.
We can use the analogy of love to illustrate the state
of being: the feeling of love between a woman and a man
arises spontaneously, and the majority of people know
that love cannot be forced. Similarly, both emptiness and
naturalness begin to meet in harmony and communicate
with each other, though both vary in the degree to which
they become apparent.
You may perhaps wonder whether it is possible for
immortality study/internal alchemy and the study of
Chan to meet up with each other in one place, or on one
thoroughfare, without there being obstacles between
them? Let us read the following passage which is an
excerpt from Chuang Tzu, entitled “The Fasting of the
Mind”, translated by Victor H. Mair

“I have nothing further to propose,” said Yen Hui. “I
venture to ask you for a method.”
“Fasting,” said Confucius. “I shall explain it for you. If
you do things with your mind, do you think it will be easy?
Bright heaven will not approve one who thinks it will be easy.”
“My family is poor,” said Yen Hui, “and it’s been several
months since I’ve drunk wine or tasted meat. May this be
considered fasting?”
“This is fasting suitable for sacrifices, but it is not fasting
of the mind.”
“I venture to ask what ‘fasting of the mind’ is,” said Hui.
“Concentrate your mind-will. Hear not with your ears,
but with your mind; not with your mind, but with your Chi.
Let your hearing stop with the ears, and let your mind stop
with natural concordance. Chi, however, is vacuous and empty,
accommodating all. There is none but Tao who dwells in the
empty vacuity. And becoming empty and vacuous is the fasting
of the mind.”
“Before I am able to exercise fasting of the mind,” said Yen
Hui, “I truly have an identity. But after I am able to exercise it,
I will no longer have an identity. Can this be called emptiness?
“Exactly so!” replied the master. “Let me tell you. Enter and
roam about this realm, but without any awareness of what the
realm is. In the event of arrival in it sing in concert with it; in
case of no arrival in it stop at the cessation. Let the door open
and close, by its own course. House all as an undivided whole
and lodge in that which takes the course all in its natural way.
Then you are close to it. To leave no footprints is easy; to walk
on no ground is difficult.
“If you are impelled by human feelings, it is easy to be
false; if you are impelled by nature, it is hard to be false. I’ve
only heard of creatures that fly with wings, never of creatures
that fly with nonwings. I’ve only heard of people knowing
things through awareness, never of people knowing things
through unawareness. Observe the void – the empty room
emits a pure light. Good fortune lies in stopping when it
is time to stop. If you do not stop, this is called ‘galloping
while sitting.’ Let your senses communicate within and rid
yourself of the machinations of the mind. Then even myriad
things are transformed. It is that to which Yao and Shun
bound themselves, and that which Fuhsi and Chich’u exercised
all their lives. All the more is it suited for the masses.”

The famous inner alchemist Chen Yingning
once wrote 24 stanzas of NeiDan poetry. Below,
we have selected two for your appreciation:

The first poem

Ultimate reality shines forth, illuminating the grains of sand
which line the banks of the river Ganges
Those of the world, the sages, the enlightened, all, at their
origin, sharing one common source.
Each, when free of thoughts arising, converging in stillness
towards complete expression,
Yet, when moved by just one single sense, is already eclipsed
by clouds.
Ridding oneself of all affliction. And to what end? The addition
of illness!
Drawing near to true thusness. And to what end? The emergence
of a diverging path!
Meekly following the predestined relationship as it arises and
keeping the mind free of hindrance. And to what end?
Nirvāna, birth and death, do but compare to hollow flowers
floating in the air.

The second poem

Overcome emptiness, free yourself of accumulated kalpa
and endure for a billion years,
Bid farewell to the canoe that ferried us to the far shore.
End your endless search for the countless tomes written on
immortality, even though you know the final words have not
yet been composed.

So what is meant by ‘the final words’? Are they
words that could not be uttered, or words that the author
did not wish to voice? The answer, provided by Chen
Yingning, is that the author did not dare not to voice the
words, since it may have alarmed the readers. So exactly
what words were they? To find the answer let us turn
to the illustrations and consult the poems of the chart.

Ode to the Ox-herding Chart

1. The untamed Ox outside the herd

Ferociously, the ox bellows and, free of all constraints,
Thrusts about with its crooked horns,
Racing wildly round the mountain
To where the river turns away, and the road stretches
off into the far distance.
A bank of black cloud hangs over the opening to the valley,
And who can tell how much destruction is wrought to
the young seedlings
Trampled underfoot in the farmer’s field!

Here the ox is a metaphor for the heart-mind, which
has not been reined in or subjected to any form of discipline.
It prefers to be free and uncurbed, chasing after
whatever it finds desirable or congenial, pleasing or
compelling, even at the expense of physical and emotional
wellbeing. Accordingly, all possible means should
be employed to tame it and take it in hand. This concept
seems to correlate more closely to the methods of the
Taoist alchemist than the practitioner of Chan Buddhism.
A propos, Lao Tzu said in chapter 12 of the Tao Te
Ching:

The five colours make the eyes blind;
The five notes make the ears deaf;
The five flavors rob the mouth of taste.
Riding and hunting make the mind wild;

Therefore, The Yellow Emperor went to see Master
Kuang Ch’eng, to ask about the administration of the
body:

Master Kuang Ch’eng sat up with a start. “It is excellent,
this question of yours! Come, I will tell you about the Perfect
Tao. The essence of the Perfect Tao is profoundly obscure and
vague; the subtlety of the Perfect Tao is profoundly elusive and
still. See nothing, hear nothing, enfold Shen in quietude and
the body will go right , of its own accord. Be still, be pure, do
not labor your body, do not churn up your Jing, and then you
can live a long life. There is nothing to be beheld by the eyes,
nothing to be heard by the ears, nothing to be known by the
heart, thus your Shen shall guard the body, and the body will
thereby enjoy a long life. Cherish that which is within you, block
off what is outside you, too much knowledge will do you harm.
If the poem was intended to characterize the teachings of
the Chan sect, it would not talk about the unruliness of the
heart-mind (ox) when the heart-mind is the main issue under
consideration. Otherwise, slaughtering the ox with a sharp
sword would not be the answer to the problem (Particularly
since Zen Buddhism is opposed to killing). Similarly, if it is
intended to characterize (the teachings of) the six patriarchs of
the Chan sect, we might expect to be given the directive “keep
dusting it to prevent it from incurring the least speck of dust.”
So, why then does the word “forgetfulness” appear in later
poems? The concept of “forgetfulness” reflects the approach
of Huang Tzu where you readily find passages such as “To be
forgetful in sitting meditation”, which advocates combining the
heart-mind with the breathing (listening to the breath), and
allowing the heart mind and breath to harmonize and become
at one with each other. Thereafter, falling into forgetfulness of
both breath and heart-mind, forgetting about everything, in
complete oblivion and without intervention, following whatever
arises or fades away.

2. The Initial Taming of the Ox

Taking a rope, I run it through the nose of the ox, and
cling fast!
His first attempt to go haring off is well rewarded with burning
pain from the lash of the whip !
But, with the determined strength of ingrained, wild inclinations,
He struggles against all change and modification.
Now the ox-herd boy must bring his full abilities to bear
on his struggle to transform the ways of the ox!

In meditation people may initially find it difficult to
keep their thoughts and mind quiet, since the heart-mind
is easily drawn by objects and attractions outside itself.
This can be likened to young schoolchildren who cannot
remain silent or sit motionless (a requirement that,
in the Chinese education system, reflects the behavior
traditionally expected of children in kindergarten or
junior schools!). For them it truly is agony since they are
forced to comply).
Most people know that it is difficult to tame a wild
ox, especially if, whip in hand, you mount on its back
and order it to head east or west. In that situation, you
know that you risk falling from its back, or even falling to
your death, when the ox runs amok. Therefore, the best
solution is to “cling fast to a rope that runs through the
nose of the ox’’, thereby easily directing the ox to move in
any direction you choose, and avoiding the risk of being
thrown from its back. In fact, from the standpoint of an
alchemist, such a rope denotes the breath. For a novice
in meditation, it indicates that the heart-mind should
rest upon the breathing. Yet, for most practitioners, it is
certain that they will encounter difficulties created by
the heart-mind that remains at large, and refuses to come
under control.
To facilitate the process, additional methods should
be introduced, such as counting the breath, or using reverse
breathing (expanding the abdomen when exhaling,
and contracting it when inhaling). This clarifies the words
Now the ox-herd boy must bring his full abilities to bear on
his struggle to transform the ways of the ox!

3. Beginning the Process of Modification

With modifications and adjustments, he steadily tempers
the wildness of the ox,
Winning its slow but sure submission.
Wading across rivers or sailing through clouds, the
ox begins to follow instinctively, one step at a time.
All day long, still handling the rope with no less strength,
The ox-herdboy grows accustomed to
the gradual forgetfulness, and tiredness.

Start with counting the breath, and after some time, you
may find that the heart-mind has been gradually been
freed of much of its delusional thinking, and begins to
follow the inhaling and exhaling of the breath without
the need for assistance. Even though stray ideas may at
times arise, the heart-mind will soon be back on track
with the breath once again. Accordingly, the experience
arises of “wading across rivers or sailing through clouds,
the ox begins to follow instinctively, one step at time.”
However, from time to time, the attention of the heartmind
must be re-focused upon the breath, lest it should
resume its former course, and again wander around with
no constraints.
At the beginning such intensity of effort may
be very tiring, but with time, practitioners slowly
become accustomed to it, and the feeling of tiredness
disappears in a natural fashion. Here, we refer
to “The Ode to the Mythical Source and the
Grand Tao,” written by Chao Wen Yee to elucidate:

When, one day, attainment is achieved, it is a fully free
excursion.
Reflecting upon the process of refining and cooking, you
will sigh over the effort expended
Through striving, even though, in truth, no diligence
was required,
Since the work requires only the fostering of the primeval
Shen.
It is regrettable that the mind prefers to be active.
At this critical time, whether to hone, or be set free, all is
held within the palm of your hand!

4. Looking back

In the course of time, as meritorious endeavors successively
bear fruit
Little by little, it comes to pass that wildness reaches its
end,
And, slowly, frenzied force becomes meek gentleness.
Yet, being not yet sure this will remain constant and
unchanged
The mountain boy still holds the rope tethered within
his hands.

After the practice of counting the breath, together with
listening to the breathing, it is less difficult to tame
the heart-mind than before. Its unruliness begins to be
worn down, and, unconsciously, it begins to cleave to
the breath. However, this is still not the right time to
enter the second phase, which is “to listen with Chi”,
since the heart-mind and breath have not yet been fully
unified. Taoist inner alchemy books prefer to use metaphor.
The heart-mind is likened to women, and the
breath to men, and the combining of the two is signified
through the symbol of sexual intercourse. This has
led to considerable confusion, resulting in the theory
of dual cultivation between men and women, which
continues to be a popularly held concept in the western
world. It should be understood to be but metaphor,
and should not be interpreted as one of the paths to
enlightenment, as most false masters claim.
Although, at this stage, the heart-mind and breath
begin to attach to each other, it is necessary to ‘set the
intent’ to keep them conjoined, in order for them to hold
together. Thus, “The mountain boy still holds the rope
tethered within his hands.”

5. Tamed

Beside the old stream, under the shade of green poplar trees,
Allowing the rope to drop from his hands, or tightening
it up,
All has been accomplished in its own way.
By nightfall, green clouds roam high above the meadow,
The ox-herd boy is returning, yet the rope hangs loose.

At this point, the condition of “the heart-mind and
breathing depending upon each other” has already
been attained. Any further intention to hold them joined
together has simply become a prolongation of excess
‘attachment’ , which is unnecessary, since the two have
gradually united to form a ‘oneness’ that cannot readily
be split apart. This state is known as “to listen with Chi.”
Even though there may occasionally be moments when
the senses become active, and dispassionately enter the
non-conscious domain, it will have no effect due to the
fact that the heart-mind, for no one knows how long a
period of time, has entered into a state of ‘being in love’
with the breath. Therefore, there is no longer any need
to deliberately listen to, or continue to count the breath.

6. Free of hindrance

Completely at ease, dozing or falling asleep, at will, on
the open ground ,
No longer driven onwards by the whip, free as the air.
Happy under the green pines, the ox-herd boy sits
steadily
And peacefully plays a gentle tune
that tells of more than any happiness.

The stage attained at this point should be termed the
stage where both Shen and Chi are unified to form a
oneness, which lies well beyond the phase of “the heartmind
and breathing depending upon each other,” since
the consciousness has gradually blurred, leaving only a
very small percentage of lucid awareness, and even this
is almost unconscious of any breathing. It is, however, not
the emptiness of nothingness as described by Buddhism,
but an intimation of spontaneous circulation in operation,
in which the senses and breath are both transformed
into two different types of energy. One is Shen and the
other is Chi. The former enters the latter while the latter
embraces the former. So, you can see the changes that
have taken place throughout the process: firstly listen to
the breath, then ‘enjoy and engage with its company’,
and ‘get along with’ the breath, then become closer and
merge with it to “feel” the manifestation initiated by the
transforming force of great nature — the spontaneous
circulation. One famous Taoist scripture, called the 100-
Word Monument, reads “sit to listen to non-chord song,
run unimpeded into the core mechanism of Creation by
ridding yourself of the obscurity of illusion. Peacefully
playing a gentle tune that tells of more than any happiness.”
Up to now, can you perceive something from these
words or something beyond these words?
For illustration, let us consider the poem “Admonition
on Regulating Breathing” by Zhu Shih (a great
philosopher in the Ming Dynasty).

Nose white, I have sight of it;
Relaxed, and at ease, come join with it and enjoy the accord.
Becoming quieter and quieter, it seems it spreads widely,
expanding out like the spring marsh where fish roam;
For a long time immersed in constant motion, whereupon
all then seems to converg , like insects gathering together
to sleep through winter.
In diffusion, opening to accommodate all, and in turn,
closing to hibernate,
The wonder of it is beyond words!
Who, then, is the master of it all?
Only the dominance of non-mastery is worthy of such greatness.

At this time the dominance of non-mastery begins to
play its part and, of its own accord, the situation arises
of being “No longer driven onwards by the whip, free
as the air.”

7. Following the natural course

Willow bank and green ripples dissolve into the sunset,
Leisurely fingers of gray fog stretch out, grass spreads in
velvet green .
Hunger is served with food, thirst quenched with drink,
at all times true to the manner and affinity of their occurance.
Stretched out on the stone, the ox-herd boy lies soundly asleep.

Here, “sleeping” lies at the core of the meaning behind
the words, which in turn, correlate with the main
characteristics of immortality study. From the perceptions
of the initial stage, to the later state of oblivion,
from the combination of Shen and Chi to the involvement
in the spontaneous motion of ‘unified oneness’,
success lies upon the precept which directs us “to
follow the natural course,” without any intervention.
Eventually, this brings about “natural evaporation,
natural convergence and natural cessation.” (if there
is nothing at all, what is left for us to follow around?)
At this point, the practitioner has reached the stage
where the heart-mind stops at the natural concordance,
and the listening stops at the ears. Accordingly, we can
say that all perception and consciousness gradually
come to an enduring standstill, or reach a state which
is dominated by ‘constant standstill’. You may construe
this to mean a state of sleep. However, the fact is that
when ordinary people sleep, they are in the company
of dreams; when practitioners sleep, they are completely
free of dreams, since all consciousness comes
to a standstill. It rests, or “is deprived of all functionality”.
Or, to express it in other words, the difference
between the awakened state and the sleeping state
disappears. So, the ox-herd boy falls soundly asleep.
Here we borrow a passage from Chuang Tzu for better
understanding (translated by Victor H. Mair)

“How do I know that love of life is not a delusion? How do
I know that fear of death is not like being a homeless waif who
does not know the way back home? When the state of Chin first
got Pretty Li, the daughter of the border warden of Ai, she wept
till her robe was soaked with tears. But after she arrived at the
king’s residence, shared his fine bed, and could eat the tender
meats of his table, she regretted that she had ever wept. How do
I know that the dead may not regret their former lust for life?
“Someone who dreams of drinking wine at a cheerful
banquet may wake up crying the next morning. Someone who
dreams of crying may go off the next morning to enjoy the sport
of the hunt. When we are in the midst of a dream, we do not
know it’s a dream. Sometimes we may even try to interpret our
dreams while we are dreaming, but then we awake and realize
it was a dream. Only after one is greatly awakened does one
realize that it was all a great dream, while the fool thinks that
he is awake and presumptuously aware. ‘My excellent lord!’
‘Oh, thou humble shepherd!’ How perverse they are!
“Both Confucius and you are dreaming, and I too am
dreaming when I say that you are dreaming. This sort of
language may be called enigmatic, but after myriad generations
there may appear a great sage who will know how
to explain it and he will appear as though overnight!”

8. Reciprocal forgetfulness
White ox in white clouds

Free of intention, the man remains liberated from his
mind, as does the ox.
White clouds make a shadow of the moon above , and a
shadow of white clouds is cast by the moon below.
White clouds, full moon in brightness, all things are as they
are, each following their own path to east or west, just as they are.

In the Chan sect, white clouds is a metaphor often
used to illustrate the state free of hindrance, which
is gained by ridding the self of attachment (to ego,
to dharmas). This is reflected in the white ox. People
are advised to pay more attention to how the ox
changes its color from black to white, and how the
words ‘white clouds’, ‘full moon’ or ‘free as the air’
are used in the poems which accompany the pictures.
At this stage, we should describe the state as ‘a reciprocal
forgetfulness of both Shen and Chi’. All phenomena
that fall within the realm of our conscious mind begin
to crumble and the reciprocal binding, or the bonds
and attachments that connect all phenomena, begin
to unravel. Everything seems to come to rest at the
same root, on the same footing, and all things become
transparent to each other. Or, to put it another way,
the barrier between all phenomena begins to collapse.
Yes, man forgets about the ox, and the ox forgets about
man. Man forgets about his cognizing objects (objects
of cognition) and the cognizing objects forget about
man---the binding between the faculty of cognition and
the cognizing objects (cognition of objects) begins to
fade away. Thus reciprocal forgetfulness manifests. In
the words of Buddhism, reciprocal forgetfulness is the
disappearance of the attachment to ego and to dharma
– and the cognition that everything has inherent nature.
Chuang-Tzu said, “Both fish and waters of river and
lake reciprocally forget about each other; both people
and all the means (measures, processes and methodologies,
etc) they reciprocally hold on to, forget about each
other.” Therefore, you can see the importance of forgetfulness
during the process of enlightenment! It should
be noted that unilateral forgetfulness merits no reward
whatsoever at this point. A state of reciprocal forgetfulness
must manifest simultaneously.
Once this stage has been attained, we might ask
where the heart-mind now resides? Where are the measures,
processes and methodologies you should adhere
to? Where is the ego? Where are all phenomena? “White
clouds, full moon in brightness, all things are as they
are, each following their own path to east or west, just
as they are”.
Chuang-tzu said: “Undo the Jing and the Shen to
transcend life’s state of existence.” This attainment is
a great liberation, when compared to the former state
of bondage within which people cocoon themselves
through their attachments.
In this context, most people prefer to use the term
“forget” to replace “undo.” But, in fact, by this stage, ‘forgetfulness’
has already lost both its meaning and its function.

9. Shining in independence

The ox is nowhere to be found,
Thus the ox-herd boy has nothing in which to engage
himself.
Nothing is there, save a lonely wisp of cloud suspended
between green peaked cliffs.
Clapping his hands and singing in a high pitched
voice, he beckons down the moon,
Only to find on his return that yet another mountain
ridge awaits him!

Here we borrow a passage from Chuang Tzu for
clarification.

Nan-po Tse-kuei said to Nu-Yu, “You are advanced in
years, and yet your complexion is that of a virgin. How can
this be?” Nu-Yu replied, “I have obtained Tao.”
“Could I obtain Tao by studying it?” asked Nan-po Tsekuei.
“No! How can you?” said Nu-Yu. “You are not that type
of person. I rememberPuliang-I. He had all the talent to become
a sage, but not the way to become a sage, whereas I had the way
to become a sage but without the talents of a sage. But do you
think I was indeed able to teach him to become a sage? Had
things not been thus, in seeking the way to accomplish the sage’s
Tao, it would have been an easy matter to identify someone with
a sage’s talents. I patiently kept watch over him, and talked
to him. In three days, he could put the world outside himself.
Again I kept watch over things for seven more days, and, at
that point, then he could leave all concerns outside himself. I
waited for another nine days, after which he could put all beings
outside himself. After putting all beings outside himself,
he was able to achieve the thorough awakening of the dawn.
After he could achieve the thorough awakening of the dawn,
he then had a clear vision of absolute independence, and after
that, he could do away with past and present. After he could
do away with past and present he was able to enter the domain
where life and death are no more. That which causes life to die
does not itself die; that which gives life to life does not itself live.
This is the kind of thing it is: there is nothing it does not let go,
and nothing it does not greet with welcome. There is nothing
it does not destroy, and nothing it does not completely fulfill.
This is the meaning of ‘attaining peace amidst confusion and
strife.’ After the confusion and strife, completion is attained.

Here let us pay attention to the following sentence:
”After he could achieve the thorough awakening of the
dawn, he then had a clear vision of absolute independence’.
The meaning in this context is ‘shining in independence’
or ‘independent shining’. In Chinese Pin Yin it
is called “Shen Du.” This is a thing of subtlety, which is
subject to neither increase nor decrease, shining over
all of heaven and earth and composed of one complete
ball of brightness. When a single full moon rises high
in a clear sky, an unlimited number of moons shine in
the rivers and lakes. If we talk about its exterior- it is
infinite, if we talk about its interior - nothing can be held
within it. Thus we see that the barrier between interior
and exterior disappears, indicating the absoluteness, or
total independence, which is attained once the realm of
relativity, where all things remain relative to each other,
has been transcended. Yet, it is still not the end since ‘a
state of being’ continues to exist, albeit in a completely
different realm. Accordingly, that state of being continues
to operate as a barrier, or an illusion, based upon the
remains, or the corpses, of the deceased.
Those who have some knowledge of Buddhism
theory will understand that this stage denotes several
stages within the process called ‘Cultivating-Way’, the
fourth of five enlightenment phases (accumulation stage,
beneficial practice stage, seeing-path stage, cultivating-
Way stage and gaining-fruit-of-Buddhahood stage

10. Double annihilation

Both man and ox are nowhere, free of any footprints
that can be traced!
The light of a bright full moon shines over all, penetrating
everything without exception.
If, in the end, you enquire about the workings and
methods of it all,
Wild flowers and fragrant grass all nod as the breeze
comes on.

Here we see all that all traces and deceased corpses
have been disposed of. You may ask about the meaning
of the ‘traces and deceased corpses’. In fact, it signifies
the traces or corpses of deceased, sullied habituation and
both afflictive hindrance and noetic hindrance. These are
so insubstantial and of such a degree of subtlety, that
any attempt to divest ourselves of them is such a truly
challenging undertaking, that many people fail in their
endeavour, or only partially complete the task.
Let us borrow a few words from Chuang Tzu: “This is
the kind of thing it is: there is nothing it does not release
and let go, and nothing it does not greet with welcome.
There is nothing it does not destroy, and nothing it does
not conclude. This is the meaning of ‘attaining peace
amidst confusion and strife.’ After the confusion and
strife, the completion is attained.
Thus you can well understand the words. If, in the
end, you enquire about the workings and methods of
it all, Wild flowers and fragrant grass all nod as the
breeze comes on.
Why? Because the mountain still is the mountain,
the river still is the river. So you may therefore ask
whether anything has changed. No! The wild flowers
and fragrant grass are all shaking their heads!
From the times of Zhang Ziyang, there have been
instances where fellow students from both immortality
study and the Chan sect have met together. Some students
of immortality study had failed to gain practical
progress because of their attachment to the so-called
“being”, “elixir pill”, “small water wheel”, “large water
wheel”, “medicinal substance”, “firing process” and
so on. Therefore, they turned to the Chan sect to seek
a breakthrough, and thus introduced many ideas and
concepts typical of immortality study into Chan. There is
little to be found concerning wind, fire, water, and earth in
Chan poems, but they are often filled with descriptions of
natural scenery. Similarly, many people who have studied
Buddhism and Confucianism have also failed to make
progress, and they, in turn, have sought a solution from
immortality study. Hence, terminology used in Buddhism
and Confucianism frequently appears in immortality
poetry. Thus we arrive at the present situation. which
is dominated by the convergence of Taoist immortality
study, Buddhism and Confucianism.
“Both fish and waters of river and lake reciprocally forget
about each other; both people and all the means (measures,
processes and methodologies, etc) they reciprocally hold on to,
forget about each other.” Let us make an effort so that Buddhism,
Confucianism and Taoism might all reciprocally
forget about each other, and walk upon the grand path
leading to the eternal Tao!