The Aim and The Ox Instruction.
Let’s begin by offering others the merit of this practice.
May all beings in all directions benefit from the merit of this practice.
Here are the necessary instructions for the spiritual aspirant. It is simple and clear.
This is the beginning of instruction for those seeking union with the Divine Beloved, known by many names.
That’s how it starts. A reminder of the goal.
And what is this beginning of seeking union, it is to learn and practice a spiritual method to unite with the Beloved.
And what is the description of the Beloved?
It is the Reality that is in all things. Everything comes from ONE, and the ONE returns to everything.
There are many, many takes on these instructions, but the basic teaching is to yoke or hook up our life every day in every moment to the Reality (the Source) of all things.
Unfortunately, we hook up with the apparent world, the transitory, impermanent stuff of things in the wishful hope of gaining some other thing which we are convinced is a golden ring.
We all need to be well-trained in practice as the Oxen are disciplined, obedient and work together.
Many years ago I was lucky enough to attend an ox parade in New England. There were teams of oxen yoked together. Each team had a trainer with a very small and narrow whip. The trainer did not need to use the whip with the teams of oxen as they paraded around the track in an open field. When the trainer sensed his team wandering, he merely raised the whip in the air where the oxen could see it.
These beautiful beasts were well-trained. Are we?
The training for the oxen requires the same virtues we need to hook up with the Beloved. Discipline, obedience and an ability to work together.
The ox is a hard-nosed, strong, powerful and hard working beast.
Investigation, attention, willingness and effort are cultivations in training our Ox within.
It requires patience and dedication to train ourselves to be disciplined, obedient and able to join the other oxen.
These are the same cultivations for those who want to begin to train the mind to unite with the Beloved. In our situation we join with the Source known by many names..
The very first instruction, however, also means to recognize what the aim of practice is. The aim is to give ourselves to the Beloved. It is not to improve our selfish interests.
The self that is concerned with…
what will I do
how will I look
what will I say
what can I get
will I like it
what will I wear
where will I live
This is NOT the Path to the Beloved.
Each one of these concerns is a worry and a worry is a fear which is rooted in the poison of hate. These concerns are the voice of the self and suggest that the self is not interested in hooking up with the Beloved but hooking up with the things of the world.
BUT….it is not to condemn the self as bad or good, or less bad now and getting better. No, that is not it.
It is to train and practice with everyday entanglements by ascribing and returning to the aim of being hooked to the Source, the ONE, the Beloved..
When worry (fear) arises it suggests a need for training. That’s all.
The training is to disclaim the self and to begin to recognize the Source of all things is not coming from the ego, but the underlying, ever-present, Reality of the indescrible Beloved.
Just as we are on borrowed time, we are living on borrowed creation. It may seem like an obvious reality, but it may be we have forgotten.
Knowing that what we know is not of our making but an illumination of knowledge beyond our genetic codes and inherited past. In ordinary words, it means we do not claim credit or claim blame. We train the mind to be yoked to the Source over and over again.
The training is, at times, paradoxical. Just as one ox takes the training easily another ox may need more or less of something in order to take on the heavy wooden crosspiece.
Each one of us cultivates our direction through our choices. It is up to each of us to decide for ourselves who we are and what direction we will go.
Don’t give up. Keep going.
OM
🙏
May reading Practice Reminders help you on your spiritual journey.
