It tells a powerful story—the story of a boy, an ox, and a journey to enlightenment.
Let me tell you the story of "The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures", or as it's called in Korean, "Simudo" (심우도, 尋牛圖).
🧒 "Who lost the ox?"
This painting is about a boy who lost his ox. But guess what? The ox is not a real ox! It’s a symbol of your true self or your peaceful mind. And the boy is you, me, all of us—searching for peace and meaning in life.
This story is told in 10 simple steps.
1. Looking for the ox
The boy feels lost or unhappy. So, he starts looking for something—he doesn't know what yet.
👉 Just like when we feel something is missing in our life and we begin to search for answers.
2. Finding footprints
He doesn’t see the ox yet, but he sees its tracks!
👉 Maybe he reads a book or meets a wise person. He’s on the right path!
3. Seeing the ox
He sees the ox’s tail!
👉 This is the moment when you start to realize something about yourself—maybe during quiet time or meditation.
4. Catching the ox
He grabs it with a rope, but the ox is wild and runs away.
👉 Our mind is the same! Even if we try to be calm, our thoughts go crazy!
5. Taming the ox
He practices every day, and the ox starts to calm down.
👉 Like training your mind to focus. It gets easier with time.
6. Riding the ox home
Now they’re friends. The boy plays music while riding the ox.
👉 His mind is peaceful. He feels happy and free.
7. The ox disappears
The boy is alone—but he’s not sad.
👉 He realizes the ox (peace, truth) was always inside him. There’s no need to search anymore.
8. The boy disappears too
Now everything is gone—just a white circle.
👉 This means complete peace. No “me,” no problems—just calm and quiet.
9. Returning to the world
The boy comes back to normal life, but he’s changed.
👉 He knows who he is now. He lives simply, with a quiet smile.
10. Helping others
He goes into town with a bottle of wine and a big heart.
👉 He doesn’t talk about peace—he lives it. He helps people. That’s the real goal.
😄 Why is this painting so loved?
Because it’s not just about monks or temples. It’s about you and your life.
Even if you don’t live in a mountain or meditate every day, you still search for peace, right?
And this shows us:
You don’t need to go far. The peace is inside you.
You just need to find it, train it, and then live it with others.
🧘♀️ So, what can we learn?
This journey tells us:
You don’t have to become someone else.
You just have to find your true self—the ox—and live peacefully with it.
And the final goal isn’t to escape people, but to serve them with joy.
▶️ Click here to see the Ten Stages pic of the Ox-Herding Path
