Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week
August 27, 2008
RIDING THE OX OF MIND
There are several levels of mindfulness one can achieve. It is like the images shown in the ox-herding pictures from the Zen tradition. First, there is a sense of watching yourself (searching for the ox.) And then there is a sense that you don't actually have to watch yourself, because you can feel your own footprint; (finding the footprint of the ox). That is a level of how confident you are with yourself. And then as you go along, you begin to feel that you are very much in control of everything. (You find the ox and tame it.) The sense of being is always present there. You could ride on yourself (the ox), and play a flute as you ride along. The sense of well-being is so solid, so definite, you can even extend greater awareness of, not only the sense of being or body, but the sense of well-being, of livelihood -- which leads to further levels of mindfulness.
From "The First Foundation: Mindfulness of Body," in the 1973 Hinayana-Mahayana Transcripts, page 45.
All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by permission.
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Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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