Under the trees by the water, the bull's traces run here and there.
Has the herdsman found the way through the high, scented grass?
However far the bull now may run, even up the far mountains,
With a nose reaching up to the sky, he cannot hide himself any longer.
Many wrong paths cross where the dead tree stands by the rock.
Restlessly running round and round, in his little nest of grass,
Does he know his own error? In his search, just when his feet follow the traces,
He has passed the bull by and has let him escape.
Many have searched for the bull but few ever saw him.
Up north in the mountains or down in the south, did he find his bull?
The One Way of light and dark along which all come and go;
Should the herdsman find himself on that Way he need not look further.
(Gentling the Bull by Myokyo-ni pub. The Zen Centre London)
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You can find The Zen Gateway's course on these ten pictures here.
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