--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Xenophaneros Anartaxius" wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Ann" awoelflebater@ wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Share Long wrote: > > > > > > Someone on Batgap forum said that the ten bulls concept was recently mentioned in a Batgap interview: > > > > > > > > > http://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs10s/images/geozero_files/ten_texts.j\ pg > > > > Am I the only one seeing the irony/humour/double meaning in this one? > > That was funny Ann. > > The Ten Bulls, or alternately, the Ten Ox Herding Pictures are Zen Buddhism's equivalent of Maharishi's 'Seven States of Consciousness' in that they illustrate the progression to enlightenment, though in a rather different conceptual world from the TM movement's view. There are actually two different versions of these images, one ends with the empty circle and has a few different images, and the other as Share posted with the man walking through the market place. One of these versions may be a better representation of what happens. I pick the one Share posted. I like the ending in that one (haven't seen any others) because it shows the man reintegrated into life which, I figure, is a good place to be since you are on the planet and possess a body and a mouth and limbs to do things with. All this separateness, removal and distance of feeling for the sentient life around you seems like a unfortunate personal space to be in. Of course, this coming from someone with with one foot firmly planted in waking consciousness and the other standing in some horse poop (maybe I should start keeping bulls). > > If one's experience progresses as the monk in the images, each preceding state could be considered a level of bullshit that one has finally stepped out of. Until the last picture, one steps into another pile after getting out of the previous one. Yes, there seem to be an almost infinite way in which one can experience the bull.
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