Part 2: The Pictures, Cont.

The second series is that of the unknown author whose work was edited and published by Chu Hung. While clearly superior to Guo-an Shih Yuan’s version, this series, too, contains pictures that create a wrong impression of the work, that are misleading and often at variance with common sense interpretation.

#1. Undisciplined. The black beast, with a ring in its nose and a rope dangling from the ring, runs wildly away from the Oxherder. The animal depicted here clearly represents the Oxherder’s errant ego or lack of self-control.

 

#2. Discipline Begun. The Oxherder is pulling on the rope and whipping the black beast. Again, this is the ego over which he is trying to gain control.

 

#3. In Harness. The animal is subdued and agrees to be led by the nose. His head has turned white.

 

#4. Faced Round. Again, the animal is depicted as an ego that is coming under the control of the Oxherder. His head, shoulders and forelegs are suitably white.

 

#5. Tamed. There no longer is a rope tied through the animal’s nose. The animal gently follows the Oxherder.

 

#6. Unimpeded. The Oxherder, playing the flute, and the nearly completely white animal relax contentedly together.

 

#7. Laissez Faire. The Oxherder and the completely white animal are completely at peace.

 

#8. All Forgotten. Here we come upon the most important picture in the series. The scene is celestial. The white ox grazes upon clouds while a female figure stands suspended in the air and a diamond-shaped four-star constellation (identified elsewhere as the constellation Lyra) shines beside a full moon. This picture can only signify the arrival of the Spinning Maiden, Vega, the Bride of Divine Marriage, i.e., the Union of Opposites. The Oxherder has therefore attained androgyny. He has, in Jungian terms, integrated his Anima and attained the first goal of Spiritual Alchemy.

 

#9. The Solitary Moon. This, of course, is the symbol of complete enlightenment, the total realization of the Buddha Self. There is no ox in the picture and the man stands upon the earth, while in the sky, beside the full moon, there appears a peculiar seven-star constellation, identified variously as the Chinese Ox constellation containing the star Altair (The Oxherder) or as a Chinese-configured asterism taken from the constellations Aquila or Aquarius. (There is little or no agreement between Chinese astronomers and their western counterparts regarding the groupings of stars into the various asterisms and constellations. This makes identification difficult; but what is even more confusing is that the earth’s precession has altered the appearance of the groupings. It is often impossible to determine, without a more precise reference date, which stars are indicated.)

 

#10. Both Vanished. Here we have the Empty Circle. Neither man nor animal is shown. The text contains a curious biblical line... "Behold the lilies of the field."

Neither of these series of ten pictures is acceptable. Guo-an Shih-Yuan’s is too jejune and elementary while the series popularized in China is too violent and, in that it strictly identifies the animal as the undesirable ego which needs merely to be coerced into submission, misleading. Further, it does not sufficiently elaborate upon the mystical elements of the Opus, and is therefore vague and uninformative. We have here two interpretations of spiritual discipline: one suitable for beginners - from whom the great esoteric lore of Spiritual Alchemy is deliberately concealed; and the other frankly referring to Alchemy’s principle goals, the Union of Opposites (spiritual androgyny) and total transcendence, but creating a false impression as to how that goal is to be achieved. It is not really so unusual to find Chinese and Japanese texts deliberately omitting or obscuring references to spiritual androgyny. The works of Hebrew, Arabic and European alchemists are also extremely cryptic. Seldom, if ever, does an author place at the disposal of the uninitiated the procedures and goals of the Magnum Opus. But being secretive is not the same thing as being wrong, misleading, or provocative. In our next installment we’ll discuss mankind’s fascination with bulls. Anyone interested in pursuing alchemical disciplines should read the entire psychology section of Seventh World of Chan Buddhism reproduced elsewhere in our website. No progress can be made in any spiritual path until the Shadow and Persona are dealt with. Forgiveness of one’s enemies, emotional independence from one’s family and friends, and personal humility and simplicity are absolute prerequisites. Daily practice of the Healing Breath (Chapter 10) is also advised.

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