PICTURE  herd  Zen

THE "ZEN MOUNTAIN Monastery"

 Ten paintings "Blankets Buffalo Painting" in the master painter is in  Japan Gyokusei Jikihara Sensei, painted in 1982's a  visit to  the monastery Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper, New York, (USA). Master painter donated paint to  the monastery .

 The poem's original procedural time  teacher  Guo Am writing poetry in the 12th century were translated proceedings Kazuaki Tanahashi here by John Daido Loori and, subsequently revised it by Daido Loori to look forward to create the  image and  metaphors to add variety to  the landscape around the river mountain  monastery  Zen mountain Monastery. Zen master who Daido Loori  leadership spirit  and the  monastery  's chief  monastery  this.

 Zen Master  Loori Daido  said :

 "The path to  enlightenment  was a  journey  of spiritual  to  discover  that the  nature of  truth, the  true nature  of  us . But it was the right time from the beginning did not have anything to give  us  collectors  achieve  both. Right from the beginning  we  were  perfect  and wholeness,  we do not lack anything. During the  journey  of spiritual , while  participating  and  experiencing  things  cultivate special  we  just test yourself and  realization  of the  perfection  that only. "..." In the Zen school days, I and all all other students are really like to know whether you've  accomplished  and what you will have to  go through  these steps  challenge  anything  in the  time  to come. Because  the reason  that in  the monastery  of  us ,  we  have  planned  a  program  of training seems a bit  arbitrary  but useful,  based on  a series of paintings from the  Chinese  ancient. It's "Section Niu Furniture". Development illustrations  spirit  of a student from the beginning steps of learning to train the mind, until the  completion of  the training ... "

 Zen Master  Daido Loori recounted in the  Japan  if a person wants to learn martial arts teacher to find time. Students will be in uniform and tied a white belt. During the  period  of training, according to the  tradition  of the white belt is not carrying laundry. After years of  using  dirty belt will go and can only be called a "black belt". When graduates are also being honored at the "black belt". Later in  the West  to learn  who study  martial arts people also want to  mark the gradual  progress  of students and thus shifting under black belt of  Japanese  ancient times  which put more into  the kind of  "golden belt", " green belt "," brown belt "etc ... added to the" white belt "of the new students start learning martial arts and" black belt "of the trainees were trained  master . 

 Zen Master  Daido Loori  conclusions :

 "The set of ten pictures of the  teacher  Guo Am is used to set the most competitive. In  the monastery ,  we  used this painting and poetry  teacher  Guo Am ... In my time training people  better  when they know  clearly  about the gradual  progress  they have  accomplished  is "..." Ten  painting  buffalo  and poems accompanied by a series of tables  directions . For some people the ten  paintings  that are very useful. For some others the ten  paintings  that can become  obstacles . Please do not let the  picture  herd  that  become  ones stop you. Let's  use them to  illuminate  the path  to your religion. Then let's  give up the painting there. "

 Was it  when  to let go  is not  to be used  to "ten  paintings  herd" is also the period in which  the meditator  has passed to  the other side  , then, need of carrying under "raft" again ...!

 Ten  paintings  herd  and English words in the  next  following is cited in the original book is "PATH OF ENLIGHTEMENT" Stages in a Spiritual Journey (published by Zen Mountain Monastery, Mt.Tremper, NY, 1999 .)

 Part English playwright was  translated  into Vietnamese.

*

1. SEARCHING FOR THE OX

Vigorously cutting a path through the Brambles,

you search for the ox;

Wide rivers, eternal mountains, the path seems? Endless.

With strength depleted,

and mind exhausted, you can not find it.

There is only the gentle rustle of maple leaves,

and the cicadas' song evening.

1. FIND THE OX

Aggressively pave the way  through  the brambles,

you find buffalo;

Large rivers, and mountains, the trail is almost  endless .

With very  debilitating ,

and intellectual  exhaustion , you do not  find  buffalo.

Only the sound  of rustling  of maple leaves gently,

and cicadas afternoon about.

2. FINDING OF THE OX Traces

Along the river, deep trong forest,

You find the traces;

Leaving behind the fragrant grasses,

You study the subtle signs.

The tracks, suddenly as clear as the distant sky,

Lead you Into the endless mountains.

There is no place to hide.

2.  FIND  TRACES OF BUFFALO

Along the river, deep in the woods,

you  find  the traces;

Leaving the aromatic grass in the back,

you  observe  the traces  subtle .

The path  suddenly  clear  as the sky in the distance,

Takes you into the mountains  endless .

No place to hide it.

3. SEEING THE OX

The song of the yellow Oriole

Echoes in the forest.

Warm sun, gentle breeze,

green willows along the shore.

The ox has no place to turn

In the Brambles.

3. SEE THE OX

Warble of  his gold

rang out in the woods.

The sun  is warm, gentle breeze,

green willows along the banks.

The ox is no place to turn

in the brambles.

 

4. Catching THE OX

Through extraordinary effort

You Seize the ox.

Still, nó sẽ is forcefull,

Và spirited body.

Sometimes it runs high Into the mountains,

other times it disappears Into the mist.

4. GETTING THE OX

Thanks to  attempt  extraordinary

you hold is the buffalo.

But  the will  of the buffalo was  lively ,

Buffalo and intense body.

Sometimes it runs up into the mountains,

sometimes it turns  away into  the fog.

 

5. Taming the OX

The whip and tether can not be put aside

Or the ox unfortunately mud-filled swamps wander Into.

When patiently trained to trust, it Becomes gentle

and can be unfettered.

Then, Freely,

it follows your way.

5.  Herd

Unable to take the whip and wires

Lest buffalo may wander

in the swamp mud.

When  patiently  trained to create  trust ,

Buffalo becomes gentle and can be forced out more clearly.

At the time,  freedom ,

Buffalo  on the heels of  you on the road.

6. RIDING THE OX HOME

Following the winding road

you ride the ox home.

The rustic flute sound của

Pervades the evening haze.

Each note, each song: feeling unbounded.

Beyond lips and mouth.

6. RIDING THE OX HOME

Follow  the  path  snaked

you ride the ox home.

Rustic flute sounds your

rang out in the evening dew.

Every note, every  song : sentimental  endless .

Beyond the  limits  of the lips and mouth

.

7. Forgetting THE OX

Astride the ox, you tầm home.

Now at rest, the ox is forgotten.

With the bright sun high in the sky,

you are in blissful Repose.

Whip and tether are abandoned

behind the thatched hut.

7. FORGET THE OX

Buffalo riding, you reach home.

Now rest, people forget buffalo.

With  the sun  in the morning  in the sky high above,

You rest in the  happy  culmination.

Whip and rope are taken away

after thatched hut.

 

8. THE OX Transcending

Whip, tether, self, and ox

all have merged, no traces Remains.

The vast blue sky can not be reached by thoughts;

how can a snowflake in a raging fire Abide?

Having reached home,

you are in accord with the ancient way.

8. THE OX

Whip, rope, person and buffalo

all of which have merged, no traces save.

Great blue sky can not be reached by  ideology ;

How may a snowflake  exist  in a raging fire?

Got home,

you with  organized religion  cardboard.

9. RETURNING TO THE SOURCE

Having trả to the source,

effort is over.

The intimate self SEES nothing outside,

hears nothing outside.

Still, the endless river flows tranquilly on,

the flowers are red.

9.  BACK  SOURCE

Return to  the source,

efforts were  finished .

The so-  ego  set no longer see themselves spending outside,

no longer hear external expenses

Only river  endless  remains  quietly  flowing down,

the red flowers.

10. THE MARKETPLACE entering

Entering the marketplace

barefoot and unadorned.

Smiling blissfully, though covered with dust

and ragged of clothes.

Using no supernatural power,

You bring the Withered trees bloom Into spontaneously.

10. IN FAIR

At the fair,

barefoot and no grooming.

Laughing  happily , although dusting

and ragged clothes.

Do not use  the force ,

You make the withered tree suddenly bloom.

END=NAM MO CAKYA MOUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.THE MIND OF ENLIGHTENMENT.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.28/2/2017.