Riding the Ox

[manitou]

Moderator - could this please go in Pinned Topics?

 

Riding the Ox. This is an expression I've known about for years and I've certainly seen it in Taoist art. I've always assumed it referred to the perfect balance it would take to actually ride an ox, unlike a horse. Funny shaped animal.

 

But it occurred to me the other day that there is a different way of seeing Riding the Ox - and it jumped out at me because I'm at such a crossroads in my own life. An ox is probably not the most intelligent of animals, and to Ride the Ox would certainly mean to let the Ox take you wherever it wants to go.

 

The only way one could enjoy riding the Ox would be to totally surrender to it. To let it take you wherever it wants to take you, because to try to get it to bend to our wills would be ridiculous. This is just like life, in its optimal form. Let it take us where it wants to take us, One day at a Time.

 

Such a foolish way to live life, by all world standards. How can we possibly develop (or unearth) the wonder of a child, the naive foolishness of living life this way, and still get along? How can we possibly get along without our own machinations about tomorrow's fears - will the mortgage be met? will my daughter graduate from school? We build these mental and physical structure to insulate us from Tomorrow - our inherent fear.

 

Yes, we meditate on the Oneness, and everything actually being Here and Now. We know this with our brains, we've read it through the words of others. But to actually put this into play in our mundane lives - to take it out of the theoretical and bring it into the physical - doesn't this seem to be the ultimate goal?

 

Putting our money where our mouth is, as I see it.

 

I haven't a clue as to how to kick this off. I'd love to see this thread grow from the inside to the outside - with small incidents from our lives, and trying to merge the beautiful wisdom of any of the tomes that we have come to love. Maybe if someone is at a place in their life where one passage from a book is particularly important to their own struggle at the moment, that could be the very thing we focus on. Maybe we can help each other get through these obstacles; to be there to bounce ideas off of; to really learn to Walk like we Talk.

 

No whiners allowed. Just folks that are serious.

[Fū Yue]

As Lao Tzu hinted at, being in mysterious agreement with the obscurity of others has been a great help to me.

 

Looking past another man's words, I know that, given this unbelievable conspiracy of causes and effects, the sentience that I also exhibit would do or say the exact same thing in his position, at that very moment. You can't blame yourself or the other person, you can't blame anything. He's not hurting you, really. He's playing out an ancient drama.

 

This all has come together for such a short time, it's best to learn from everything with a smile.

[eye_of_the_storm]

My present understanding was that the OX represented the mind and the taming of the mind?

 

My experience with the Ox story comes from Zen.

 

I am unsure if they are the same story (:

[eye_of_the_storm]

[strawdog65]

What a Great Idea!

 

Leave it to you Barbara to come up with this!

 

Part of what has always bothered me about esoteric or purely

intellectual divinations, concerning our journey whether it be

internal or external...is the apparent dichotomy of actually applying

what we espouse in thoughts and writings, and actively applying it to

our daily lives.

 

More walking the walk, and a heck of lot less talking.

Insulated, removed from society....anyone can be the Sage.

It is the test of fire, being in the thick of the minions of

mindlessness, that truly tests our meddle.

 

Every moment is a lesson, and with this knowledge we begin anew.

 

Control is an illusion, hanging on for the ride on that Ox's back...

That is the reality.

 

Without expectation, we live in appreciation of all that transpires.

With acceptance of this moment, we desire nothing more and are happy.

There is only this moment, and within this moment is our lifetime.

[manitou]

Without expectation, we live in appreciation of all that transpires.

With acceptance of this moment, we desire nothing more and are happy.

There is only this moment, and within this moment is our lifetime.

 

 

Huzzah. Let that puppy unfold.

[Mark Foote]

 

...An ox is probably not the most intelligent of animals, and to Ride the Ox would certainly mean to let the Ox take you wherever it wants to go.

 

The only way one could enjoy riding the Ox would be to totally surrender to it...

 

 

 

"... making self-surrender (one's) object of thought, (one) lays hold of concentration, lays hold of one-pointedness of mind."

 

(Samyutta Nikaya V 208, Pali Text Society volume 5 pgs 175-176)

 

 

My personal take is that one-pointedness of mind is synonymous with a sense of location that takes in each of the senses (including the mind). For me, this sense of location is nothing more than where I feel I am in space right now. If I stop to reflect on it (making self-surrender the object of thought?), one-pointedness of mind comes forward.

 

 

"An empty hand grasps the hoe handle,

Walking along I ride the ox,

The ox crosses the wooden bridge,

The bridge is flowing, the water is still."

 

(Fuxi, from "Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson copyright 2000 pg 2)

 

 

This is a very physical practice for me, and if anyone is interested they could read about it here.

 

As to the application of the experience of concentration in everyday life, my best shot is waking up and falling asleep.

 

Mostly I thought I would share Fuxi's poem, which is a constant star in my daily practice.

[manitou]

Looking past another man's words, I know that, given this unbelievable conspiracy of causes and effects, the sentience that I also exhibit would do or say the exact same thing in his position, at that very moment. You can't blame yourself or the other person, you can't blame anything. He's not hurting you, really. He's playing out an ancient drama.

 

 

 

 

Omigod. (or OmiVoid, whichever you prefer)

 

The conspiracy of cause and effect - how beautifully put. I often think that - that I would probably do exactly what they would do, given the same stimulus, the same life story, the same hula-hoop of influence that individual has. I think that mindset goes a long way to establishing the non-judgmental attitude that is necessary to Oneness.

 

The woman camped next to my RV is trying to save my soul by playing Christian sermons this morning. I can hear her sneakily turn the thing up when I'm out there - she tried her best last night to save me, but she walked away knowing I was a lost cause. I started to get a little annoyed this morning when this started, but instead of submitting to the annoyance, I asked her if she could turn it up a little. She was truly surprised that I was asking, but ask I did. The reason I asked, was that I figured this would be a good test for me, seeing as that's where I come FROM - that's what I was born into. If there was anything in that sermon that made me angry, I figured that would be an indication of an area that needed a little more looking into.

 

I'm happy to report that the sermon passed without incident. I listened to it in peace, knowing that was her 'hula-hoop' and this was right where she was supposed to be. Hopefully that old structure within me has taken all residual fears with it when it left.

Edited April 22, 2012 by manitou

[thelerner]

"An empty hand grasps the hoe handle,

Walking along I ride the ox,

The ox crosses the wooden bridge,

The bridge is flowing, the water is still."

 

(Fuxi, from "Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson copyright 2000 pg 2)

 

 

This is a very physical practice for me, and if anyone is interested they could read about it here.

 

As to the application of the experience of concentration in everyday life, my best shot is waking up and falling asleep.

 

Mostly I thought I would share Fuxi's poem, which is a constant star in my daily practice.

I'd like to compliment you on your site. Simple and clear.

[manitou]

"... making self-surrender (one's) object of thought, (one) lays hold of concentration, lays hold of one-pointedness of mind."

 

(Samyutta Nikaya V 208, Pali Text Society volume 5 pgs 175-176)

 

 

My personal take is that one-pointedness of mind is synonymous with a sense of location that takes in each of the senses (including the mind). For me, this sense of location is nothing more than where I feel I am in space right now. If I stop to reflect on it (making self-surrender the object of thought?), one-pointedness of mind comes forward.

 

 

"An empty hand grasps the hoe handle,

Walking along I ride the ox,

The ox crosses the wooden bridge,

The bridge is flowing, the water is still."

 

(Fuxi, from "Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson copyright 2000 pg 2)

 

 

This is a very physical practice for me, and if anyone is interested they could read about it here.

 

As to the application of the experience of concentration in everyday life, my best shot is waking up and falling asleep.

 

Mostly I thought I would share Fuxi's poem, which is a constant star in my daily practice.

 

 

I'm curious, Mark - are you a meditator, and for how long?

 

Also, I just got onto your site and got quite a jolt. I've never heard it put into words the sensation of Riding the Ox as it pertains to the fascia under the spine (or however it was said). Since my kundalini awakening 7 years ago, there has been a definite 'sense of tingling (and tickly) vibration' in this very area that they refer to being stretched. I didn't know there was a practice dedicated to this phenomena. There is definitely a surreal feel to this; one intuitively knows that it's not so much a physical thing as a physical/spiritual thing combined. Right before mine started I distinctly heard and felt the unsnapping of three little snaps way down at the bottom of my spine (completely different than feeling your spine pop) which happened as I was bending over to pick up a shoe. It felt more like the image of a flap on a plastic envelope with three little snaps on it, coming undone. That's exactly what it felt like. I don't know if this figures into anything at all, but it was sure odd at the time.

Edited April 22, 2012 by manitou

[Eric23]

...Yes, we meditate on the Oneness, and everything actually being Here and Now.

 

 

Not here and now but now and here.

If you don't know the difference

is a matter of life and death, get down

naked on bare knees in the snow

and study the ticking of your watch.

 

Jim Harrison

from After Ikkyu and other poems

 

This small book contains fifty seven short poems based on Jim Harrison's observations of the world around him and his take on Zen. After reading and re-reading these poems I'm just maybe getting a small inkling of what it's all about.

[manitou]

Not here and now but now and here.

If you don't know the difference

is a matter of life and death, get down

naked on bare knees in the snow

and study the ticking of your watch.

 

Jim Harrison

from After Ikkyu and other poems

 

 

Would you discuss this? I love the imagery--

[Eric23]

Would you discuss this? I love the imagery--

 

It's all about now, right now. All you can really do is deal with what is going on now.

 

Here could imply a process of getting to a point or even a position that is somewhere along the way to some there where you think you want to be.

 

Now is now regardless of where here is.

 

My first impression after reading the poem was, "I don't own a watch that ticks." I have several timepieces running on battery power, however none of them are worn in plain sight wrapped around my wrist. A decision made long ago before embarking on this journey. I was constantly looking at my watch and driving myself crazy. Apparently I should have been listening to the ticking

[Mark Foote]

Not here and now but now and here.

If you don't know the difference

is a matter of life and death, get down

naked on bare knees in the snow

and study the ticking of your watch.

 

Jim Harrison

from After Ikkyu and other poems

 

 

I'll give it to you another way, using the practice of waking up and falling asleep: "when I realize my physical sense of location in space, and realize it as it occurs from one moment to the next, then I wake up or fall asleep as appropriate".

 

If you start where you are and try to apprehend "now", you are somewhere looking at something; in contrast, if you perceive in this moment where you are, you are all of one piece. The difference is indeed a matter of life and death, as we are only truly alive in one piece; thankfully, even the biggest fool can only be as they are where they are, even if they imagine otherwise.

 

Waking up or falling asleep in the midst of activity is pure like snow, and by many names the practice of waking up and falling asleep is practiced throughout the world in a posture or carriage on the knees or involving bending the knees. The watch that's referred to is the occurrence of consciousness in connection with contact between sense organ and sense object, the impact as consciousness takes place, and the ability to feel- takes place, takes place, takes place.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Mark Foote

[Mark Foote]

 

I've never heard it put into words the sensation of Riding the Ox as it pertains to the fascia under the spine (or however it was said). Since my kundalini awakening 7 years ago, there has been a definite 'sense of tingling (and tickly) vibration' in this very area that they refer to being stretched. I didn't know there was a practice dedicated to this phenomena. There is definitely a surreal feel to this; one intuitively knows that it's not so much a physical thing as a physical/spiritual thing combined. Right before mine started I distinctly heard and felt the unsnapping of three little snaps way down at the bottom of my spine (completely different than feeling your spine pop) which happened as I was bending over to pick up a shoe. It felt more like the image of a flap on a plastic envelope with three little snaps on it, coming undone. That's exactly what it felt like. I don't know if this figures into anything at all, but it was sure odd at the time.

 

 

That's a great, clear description of what you felt and maybe something of how it came about. I was dancing a little bit tonight to a pair of guitar players at an event, and for me something seemed to flow as I accepted the ability of the cranial-sacral rhythm at my place of mind to open the cranial-sacral rhythm elsewhere in my body. Sometimes our unconscious arranges for consciousness to take place at precisely the location necessary to impact a stretch and open the exit of nerves from the sacrum, spinal column, or skull; I would say that's exactly what happened when you bent over to pick up that shoe. It wasn't just the bending; it was the impact of consciousness at a particular place with regard to your mind and body that added just a tiny bit of movement to the cranial-sacral rhythm where it was already moving well, opening the movement where it was not.

 

When I describe something I do that comes to me out of a necessity of breath and posture, like the way I dance or the stretches involved in the way I sit, I have to add that the real thing happens waking up and falling asleep. If I grasp at the feeling I have, I am no longer waking up and falling asleep, and my ability to feel changes. If what I feel informs the place of occurrence of consciousness, then the ability to feel is my necessity of breath and posture, and I find myself waking up or falling asleep in the midst of my activity.

 

You could not have opened movement in your sacrum and pelvis without a necessity that placed your mind just so, in response to your ability to feel. I think I'm going to go bow to my cushion, turn around and bow to the universe in ten directions, and sit my prayers for the night.

Edited April 23, 2012 by Mark Foote

[dawei]

My present understanding was that the OX represented the mind and the taming of the mind?

If the Ox is the mind... then the rider is [seated] 'above the mind'.

[eye_of_the_storm]

If the Ox is the mind... then the rider is [seated] 'above the mind'.

 

yes

[manitou]

Now is now regardless of where here is.

 

 

 

I see what you're saying.

 

I read a book once, the Tao of Physics by Frijtof Capra, that tries to explain quantum physics for lay people such as myself. What I took away from that was that since matter is both a particle and wave, that the particle takes up space. Whereas, the wave (of possibility) takes up time. A wave of anything would take time to get from point A to point B. Therefore, it makes sense to me that we're sitting at the crossroads of space and time, if you look at it from a scientific angle. It all seems to triangulate...

[manitou]

Edited April 23, 2012 by manitou

[Mark Foote]

My present understanding was that the OX represented the mind and the taming of the mind?

 

My experience with the Ox story comes from Zen.

 

I am unsure if they are the same story (:

 

My experience is that the place of mind triggers activity in the body, and this is the ox.

[Mark Foote]

The road to somatic awareness!

 

"When it comes to your body, if you can't feel it, you can't move it. If you can't move it, you can't feel it."

 

--Thomas Hanna

 

Somatic awareness?- that would be bodily awareness, I guess, and it sounds like Hanna has some concern for the body of referred sensation. By that I mean the ability to feel, the ability to feel throughout the body.

[manitou]

Yesterday I went to the little cowboy town down the hill to pick up my mail. There's a coffee house right next to the post office, a nice patio outside where my puppy and I had a cup of coffee (she actually had part of a scone).

 

I was sitting there, all blissed out, looking at everyone as One. I transcended the scene in a way; the Oneness of everyone was all I felt.

 

Until I felt a stab in my heart. I was sitting there so blissed out that I had failed to see a frail elderly woman (even more frail and elderly than I am) take a large package out of her car and struggle in to the post office with it. I noticed it just as she was going in the post office door. I was immediately sorry that my blissful state had rendered me useless and I had been unable to help her.

 

NOTE TO SELF:

 

Don't forget to be in the Here and Now. It's like the old Christian hymn "You're So Heavenly Minded You're No Earthly Good...."

[therion]

Yesterday I went to the little cowboy town down the hill to pick up my mail. There's a coffee house right next to the post office, a nice patio outside where my puppy and I had a cup of coffee (she actually had part of a scone).

 

TWIN PEAKS

[mYTHmAKER]

Until I felt a stab in my heart. I was sitting there so blissed out that I had failed to see a frail elderly woman (even more frail and elderly than I am) take a large package out of her car and struggle in to the post office with it. I noticed it just as she was going in the post office door. I was immediately sorry that my blissful state had rendered me useless and I had been unable to help her.

 

NOTE TO SELF:

Don't forget to be in the Here and Now. It's like the old Christian hymn "You're So Heavenly Minded You're No Earthly Good...."

 

Shame on you for being in bliss. Don't ever let it happen again. May god forgive you.

 

You probably would have missed her if you were miserable - unhappy or just caught up with your thoughts.

You might have had your back turned. Some things we see - some we miss.

Drop the guilt - Go for the bliss

 

 

 

[RiverSnake]

Returning back to the pure, the unconditioned, the playful...like a child free of all fetters. One of my favorite cards

 

Edited April 24, 2012 by OldGreen