The Ten Bulls: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Taming the Ego

For over two decades, the author has made Saturday hikes a ritual, primarily exploring Bukhansan National Park near Seoul. What began as solitary journeys, seeking quiet contemplation on rocky outcrops, has transformed into navigating bustling trails filled with both locals and international visitors. The author fondly recalls the serene atmosphere of Wontongsa Temple in the past, where faint melodies from a monk's radio would drift from the back room, a stark contrast to the present-day vibrancy.

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The bull symbolizes our mind, our ego, and the discriminating thought that separates us from others.

The essay delves into the Buddhist allegory of the Ten Bulls, or 'Sim-u-do' (심우도), which depicts the path to enlightenment through understanding and taming the self. The 'bull' represents the ego, or the 'discriminating mind' that separates oneself from others. The journey begins with searching for the bull (Sim-u), then seeing its tracks (Gyeon-jeok), finding the bull (Gyeon-u), capturing it (Deuk-u), taming it (Mok-u), and finally riding it home (Gyu-u-gwi-ga). The process continues with forgetting the bull and retaining only the self (Mang-u-jon-in), then forgetting both self and bull (In-u-gu-mang), returning to the original source (Ban-bon-hwan-won), and finally entering the marketplace with hands outstretched (Ip-jeon-su-su).

This journey of self-mastery is illustrated by a recent experience on the trail. Overwhelmed by the crowds, the author felt a surge of irritation towards the noise and the presence of others, a clear manifestation of the untamed 'bull' of ego. The author reflects on the Buddhist teachings of interconnectedness – that all beings originate from and return to the same ocean, and that all things are one. Yet, the immediate reaction is one of annoyance, highlighting the difficulty of truly embodying these principles when personal peace is disturbed.

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This discriminating mind, born from the thought of 'me,' is something we individuals can never escape.

The author explores various paths to overcome this discriminating mind: the path of devotion, exemplified by Jesus' teachings; the path of wisdom, as taught in Buddhism, recognizing the impermanence and interdependence of all things; and the path of diligent good deeds, even without profound understanding or devotion. Modern Vipassanā meditation, the author notes, encourages observing the mind's fluctuations without forceful suppression, allowing for gradual taming.

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The path of observing the mind's changes moment by moment, without trying to forcefully suppress it, can gradually tame the mind.

Ultimately, the author posits that even after taming the ego and returning to a seemingly ordinary state, the struggle with self-centeredness continues. This cyclical nature of managing one's ego is presented not as a one-time achievement but as an ongoing, essential practice for all sentient beings navigating the complexities of life. The essay concludes that the journey depicted in the Ten Bulls is a continuous process, a recurring homework assignment for humanity.

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The Ten Bulls is not a picture completed once, but our repeatedly recurring homework.