Ten Oxherding Pictures: Meaning of the Ten Ox Scenes
The Ten Oxherding Pictures (sibudo, 十牛圖) are a set of Zen paintings that tell, in ten scenes, how a person sets out to find an ox, tames it, forgets both the ox and themselves, and finally returns to the world; the ox is commonly read as a person's original, true mind. Korean temples often paint them on the outer walls of a Dharma hall, and they are also called simudo (尋牛圖), "pictures of seeking the ox." At Hapjang (합장), the online temple Goyosa, ten paintings stand along a path, and you can walk past them in order, reading a short guide or listening to it in Korean.
- Paintings
- 10
- Where
- Along a path on the temple grounds (Ten Oxherding Trail)
- Guidance
- A short reading guide for each painting, read aloud in Korean
- Time needed
- As long as you like at each painting
- What you need
- Nothing
The ten scenes, in order
The Ten Oxherding Pictures made by Zen masters in Song-dynasty China spread widely, and the scene names and images differ a little between versions. The order most often seen at Korean temples is as follows.
- Seeking the ox (simu, 尋牛): setting out to find the ox.
- Seeing the tracks (gyeonjeok, 見跡): finding the ox's footprints.
- Seeing the ox (gyeonu, 見牛): catching sight of the ox.
- Catching the ox (deugu, 得牛): taking hold of the ox.
- Taming the ox (moku, 牧牛): training the ox.
- Riding the ox home (giu-gwiga, 騎牛歸家): returning home on the ox's back.
- The ox forgotten, the self remains (mangu-jonin, 忘牛存人): the ox is forgotten and only the person remains.
- Both ox and self forgotten (inu-gumang, 人牛俱忘): person and ox are both forgotten, often drawn as an empty circle.
- Returning to the source (banbon-hwanwon, 返本還源): returning to the original place and seeing nature just as it is.
- Entering the marketplace with open hands (ipjeon-susu, 入廛垂手): going into the busy market and reaching out a hand to people.
How to read the pictures
The Ten Oxherding Pictures are not a puzzle with a right answer; they are more like a mirror for seeing which scene your mind is in right now. Losing the ox and finding it again, or thinking it is tamed only to watch it run off, will feel familiar to anyone who has tried meditation. It is also worth noticing that the last scene is not a retreat into the mountains but a return to the midst of people.
Try it in Hapjang
All ten Oxherding Pictures stand one after another along a path on the temple grounds. Walk up to a painting and a short reading guide explaining that scene appears, and you can listen to it read aloud in Korean. You can linger at a single painting or look at just a few and turn back. Combined with the slow walk (pohaeng), the stroll becomes even more unhurried.
Frequently asked questions
Are sibudo and simudo the same thing?
They refer to the same set of pictures. Sibudo means "ten ox pictures," and simudo, "pictures of seeking the ox," takes its name from the first scene.
What does the ox symbolize in the Ten Oxherding Pictures?
It is commonly likened to the true mind a person has always had. Finding and taming the ox is read as the process of training the mind.
Why does the last oxherding picture show a marketplace?
It is commonly interpreted to mean that awakening does not end with staying in the mountains, but with returning to live among people.
Related pages
- Walking Meditation: How to Do Pohaeng, the Slow WalkPohaeng is the slow walking meditation Korean monks do between sitting sessions. Learn how to do it and follow the slow walk on Hapjang's forest trail.
- Slow Forest Trail — Walking Meditation and a Stupa FieldA slow forest walk at Goyosa in Hapjang, an online Korean temple. Try slow walking (pohaeng), loving-kindness on a forest bench, and pass the stupa field.
- Forest Path of All Beings: The Fir Path to GoyosaThe fir-lined forest path and Stream Valley leading to Goyosa's One-Pillar Gate in Hapjang. Walk slowly with others and stack stones on roadside cairns.
- Meditation for Beginners: Where to Start and How LongNew to meditation? Start by noticing your breath for 3–5 minutes. Posture, what to do when your mind wanders, and how to breathe with others in Hapjang.
Last updated