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Rituals, Buffalo Boy and Buffalo, Hungry Ghosts, & Defusing a Bomb

Thich Nhat Hanh · May 30, 1993 · Bonn, Germany · Audio Only

The Ten Ox Herding Pictures illustrate the journey of practice. In the first drawing, the buffalo boy looks for his beloved buffalo. In the third, the boy rediscovers the buffalo. In the fourth, the boy rides the buffalo. In the fifth, the boy nourishes the buffalo with love and tenderness. In the sixth, both look relaxed with absolute freedom. In the next drawing, only the boy remains as the buffalo becomes one with him. In the following drawing, even the boy is gone, representing utmost emptiness. In the ninth, the buffalo sits by the source of a stream. In the tenth, the buffalo goes into town, doing what everyone else does. Meditation is not something in the sky, but the actions of daily life. Performing acts like drinking or kissing with total concentration may resemble a ritual, but it is actually living the moment deeply. The “buffalo boy” is the energy of mindfulness that helps navigate feelings towards rituals and precepts, which are designed to ensure safety and freedom rather than impose restrictions.

Buddhist meditation involves Samatha (stopping, calming) and Vipasyana (deep looking), leading to Prajna (understanding). Three Bodhisattvas represent the aspects of mindfulness required for true practice: Manjushri embodies deep looking and understanding; Avalokiteshvara represents the capacity of deep listening to understand suffering; and Samantabhadra symbolizes great action to relieve suffering. Without the energy of mindfulness, activists risk burnout, but with it, one practices engaged Buddhism. Deep listening requires emptying oneself of judgment and prejudice to help relieve the suffering of others, who may be like “bombs” ready to explode due to a lack of communication.

Society produces “hungry ghosts” (Pretas), described as having mouths on fire, big bellies, and throats as small as needles, making them unable to absorb love or nutrition. While tantric rituals use mantras to expand their throats, helping real-world hungry ghosts requires patience, trust, and a supportive Sangha acting as a family. Transforming relationships requires recognizing that parents who cause suffering were once fragile five-year-old children themselves. By touching this vulnerability, compassion arises, allowing for the restoration of communication and happiness through the practice of deep listening and loving speech.

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