The Symbolism of the Ten Bulls

Summary

The speaker offers an extended interpretation of the Zen and Taoist “Ten Bows” or ox-herding pictures, describing them as a symbolic sequence that traces the transformation of human nature from ignorance and appetite toward discipline, insight, and ultimate transcendence. The talk frames the series as a classic element of Japanese Zen literature, noting its probable Chinese origin and later transmission through Korea to Japan, where it became a favored teaching device in Zen commentary, including the work of Dr. Suzuki and other Japanese Zen exponents. At the center of the exposition is the relationship between consciousness and personality. The speaker presents the human being as a compound of principle and appetite, or spirit and body, with the ox representing the wild, self-willed personality and the boy or shepherd representing consciousness, wisdom, or the guiding principle. The ox begins as untamed, selfish, and unaware of any higher purpose, symbolizing the ordinary human condition driven by impulse, habit, anger, ambition, and desire. The speaker emphasizes that Zen and Taoism assume that human beings can change, refine their nature, and gain control over temper, addiction, and destructive habits if they possess sufficient determination. The sequence of images is then interpreted step by step. The boy lures the ox with green fodder, symbolizing the first attraction of the personality toward a better life through the promise of relief from suffering. The halter, yoke, and rod represent the beginnings of discipline, moral training, and the acceptance of guidance. As the ox becomes more docile, parts of it turn white, indicating the gradual purification of the mind, emotions, and sensory life. The speaker repeatedly stresses that this process is not coercive in a crude sense; rather, it is a wise and benevolent education in which the law, doctrine, or dharma becomes a friend rather than an enemy. A major theme is the role of law and doctrine as the true support of human development. The ox is eventually tied to a tree, which the speaker interprets as a symbol of the Buddhist law and of the sacred tree associated with the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment at Bodhgaya, and passing into parinirvana. The tree signifies stability, shelter, and the universal order that can guide the personality more effectively than the individual’s own fluctuating will. The speaker connects this with the Buddhist “three jewels” and with the idea that one must eventually surrender self-direction in favor of a larger spiritual discipline. As the ox becomes increasingly white and peaceful, the relationship between boy and ox changes from control to companionship. The ox follows willingly, the rope slackens, and the animal begins to enjoy the guidance it once resisted. This stage is linked to philosophy, mysticism, and yoga: the flute played by the boy evokes mantra, meditation, and the harmonizing power of spiritual practice. The speaker compares this inner harmony to the music of the spheres, to Krishna’s flute, and to the quietude in which the divine can be heard. The ox lying in green pastures and drinking from still waters suggests a state of inner peace in which the passions have been calmed and the personality has become receptive to truth. The second half of the series moves beyond ordinary discipline into deeper contemplative states. The ox is shown separated from the boy by a stream, then floating among clouds, and finally disappearing altogether. These images are interpreted as stages in which the self becomes detached from the world, from sensory life, and even from the ordinary sense of individuality. The speaker argues that Buddhism is not nihilistic or merely extinctionist; rather, it teaches the end of sorrow and illusion, not the annihilation of reality. The final circle is presented as the symbol of the infinite, the void, or the ultimate reality from which all things arise and to which they return. The speaker associates this with samadhi, parinirvana, the bodhisattva ideal, and the idea that true awakening is like waking from a dream. The talk closes by reflecting on the nature of reality, space, and consciousness. The speaker suggests that what appears to be emptiness may in fact be the source of all existence, and that the disappearance of the ox and boy signifies not nothingness but a reality beyond ordinary faculties. The final point is that the human being’s deepest task is to move beyond illusion, selfishness, and suffering into a state of true being. The speaker ends with practical announcements about a gift shop and library exhibit, but these are secondary to the main philosophical message: the ox-herding pictures are a symbolic map of human unfoldment, learning, and spiritual liberation.