The Oxherd Series – Traces of the Ox – Modern Koans
The Oxherd Series is a collection of 10 images and commentary on the quest for enlightenment. Its source is the Zen tradition. What you're reading here is a satirical, but not all together purposeless, treatment of these so called stages. Using excerpts from one of my favorite cartoons, Bob's Burgers, I hope to bring this old story into the present.
The Oxherd Series – Number Two – Traces of the Ox
In the second Oxherd image, there is a clue discovered. We intuit that our urge to take on a spiritual search is worth the effort. This is an optimistic but vulnerable stage in the process.
In the religious and self-help worlds, this urge is well understood. Even in the time of the Buddha, there were a plethora of wanderers and philosophers offering this and that method to achieve liberation. I grew up in the age of televangelists, when the charismatic preachers of the revival movement took their appeals directly to the living rooms of America. Attracting even more people seeking salvation and willing to part with some cash.
There are entire industries that cater to people feel the need to loose weight, create success, or become leaders. They come in a variety of flavors to suit everyone’s personal tastes. There’s formal, business casual, no-frills, and new age to name a few. In the image above from Bob’s Burgers Tina, a naive teen with lots of urges, finds “traces” of Moolissa in the form of manure in the shapes of emoticons. The seeking urge for salvation is great, and it often creates a blindspot in which reason can’t operate.We’ll read things into reality that are absurd. A lot of these snake oil salesmen take advantage of this urge and offer solutions that deliver a net result of transferring money from your bank account to theirs. So for those of you on the spiritual hunt, caveat emptor.
So is there a difference between different religions ? Do any of them work? Of course, being Buddhist, I have a strong bias against other options. But I think that you can apply some rigor to the problem and find something that is right for you. If it turns out to be something other than Buddhism, so be it.
In my view it’s an experimental question. I don’t mean that there is a scientific study showing that this or that method guarantees enlightenment, there is no such thing, It’s about efficacy.
When you want to determine efficacy, you need to clearly identify your goal. Consider Wile E. Coyote’s stark discovery when he thought he reached his:
Here’s another example. Consider a nutrition plan. Your doctor has told you that the extra weight you’re carrying is probably the reason you don’t feel very well. First you read about some plans, or maybe a friend tells you about on. They make a compelling case; maybe they lost some weight. So you commit to trying it.
What is success on a nutrition plan? In my opinion it’s two fold. First you are able to lose weight. But second, and probably more important, you can keep it off. So when it comes to a spiritual path, what is success? We’ll talk about that in the next installment.
Next: Perceiving the Ox
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
Modern Koans is an ongoing series that recognizes that good questions are often more important then their answers.
The riddles of God are more satisfying than the solutions of man. ― G.K. Chesterton
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