Catching It Is Not the End; We Must Keep Taming It
In the Ten Oxherding Pictures, the stage of taming the ox is a very important part of study. Seeing the ox and catching it does not mean everything is finished. If we relax or become proud because we think we have caught it, rough habits that still remain can make us lose it again.
Our mind is the same. Even if we feel we have briefly seen the original mind or had some kind of experience, we should not immediately think we are awakened. The habits of greed, anger, and ignorance have continued for a long time, so we must keep observing and guiding them.
Taming the mind is not a matter of pressing it down with force. It means steadily continuing good precepts and effort, chanting and prayer, compassionate action, and right living. When good habits soak into body and mind in this way, the mind gradually becomes gentle.
There should be no carelessness in practice. Do not stop because you understood a little today, and do not think it is over because you became a little more at ease today. The strength of steady repetition sets the mind upright.
Today, may we not remain with a small understanding, but tame the mind through gentle and steady effort.
Just as catching the ox is not the end, the mind is not fully tamed because we held it for a moment. Old habits must be changed through steady effort. Today, may you stay alert and continue good habits of practice.
