On the evening of April 15, Fo Guang Shan Chicago hosted an English Dharma lecture featuring Venerable Hui Ze from Hsi Lai Temple. The lecture focused on the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures by the Song Dynasty Zen Master Kuoan Shiyuan, guiding the audience on a meditative journey from seeking the mind and seeing one’s nature to returning to the source. The lecture, titled “Herding the Mind: Discover the Self Through Ten Ox-Herding Poems,” was attended by Venerable Miao Wei and 20 participants, including local community members and friends of FGS.
Venerable Hui Ze pointed out that the ox symbolizes the human mind—powerful yet difficult to tame. A practitioner must use patience and wisdom to discipline this “inner ox” to reach a state of physical and mental ease. The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures are divided into ten stages, ranging from “Seeking the Ox” and “Perceiving the Footprints” to “Catching the Ox” and “Herding the Ox,” and finally to “Both Ox and Self Forgotten” and “Entering the Marketplace with Helping Hands.” These stages represent the gradual breakthroughs in a practitioner’s inner exploration and self-awakening. He explained that the first five pictures focus on self-awareness and taming the mind, while the latter five shift toward practicing the Bodhisattva path, caring for others, and performing altruistic deeds.
During the lecture, the Venerable also introduced the three levels of spiritual realization in Zen: “Seeing mountains as mountains and waters as waters; seeing mountains not as mountains and waters not as waters; and finally, seeing mountains once again as mountains and waters as waters.” He used this to illustrate how meditation helps practitioners see through appearances, delve into their true nature, and realize their inherent Buddha-nature.
In the Q&A session, the Venerable introduced the “FoGuangPedia” platform, encouraging everyone to utilize online resources to deepen their Buddhist studies. He further noted that the practice of the Bodhisattva path is a significant aid in “seeking the ox,” helping individuals discipline their minds and grow in compassion during daily life. Spiritual practice should not stop at personal awareness but should be integrated into the routine by participating in temple activities and volunteer service, transforming inner wisdom and compassion into action and creating a virtuous cycle of benefiting self and others. Venerable Miao Wei invited everyone to join the temple’s cultivation sessions, study groups, and various BLIA activities to collectively cultivate blessings and wisdom in their daily lives.