In the twelfth century, the Chinese Zen master Kakuan Shien produced the pictures, poems, and commentaries we know as the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures. They trace a universally recognizable path of contemp
In the twelfth century, the Chinese Zen master Kakuan Shien produced the pictures, poems, and commentaries we know as the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures. They trace a universally recognizable path of contemplative spirituality, using the metaphor of a young ox-herder looking for his lost ox.
According to Addison Hodges Hart, the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures and the teachings of Christ, the Good Shepherd who guides us to God, share a common vision. Both show us that authentic spiritual life must begin with an inner transformation of one's self, leading to an outward life that is natural and loving. In The Ox-Herder and the Good Shepherd Hart shares the story that these pictures tell, exploring how this ancient Buddhist parable can enrich and illumine the Christian way.
Includes 10 color illustrations
Jim Forest
-- author of Praying with Icons
"Various forms of Buddhism, not least Zen Buddhism, have played a part in the spiritual journey of many Christians, including Addison Hart. The ten ancient ox-herder drawings by the Chinese Zen master Kakuan Shien have helped Hart embrace core themes in the gospel and lightened his pilgrim?s backpack. . . . The Ox-Herder and the Good Shepherd is a refreshing introduction to what one might call Zen Christianity."
Publishers Weekly
"Hart?s goal to find Christ on the Buddhist path is without pretension and is a respectful, honest endeavor to discover an underlying commonality in disparate religious systems. For the Christian who is not well acquainted with the Zen Buddhist tradition, Hart?s book serves as an introduction to this Eastern religion/spirituality; it can also be a primer for how to approach non-Christian faiths from a compassionate and sympathetic point of view."
Fr. Richard Rohr, O.F.M.
-- Center for Action and Contemplation
"I probably write two blurbs a week for various books, but many times merely skim the book and try to say something good, honest, and real about it. This book I read in its entirety in one sitting -- because it is indeed very good, very honest, and very real. I vainly wished I had written it myself, but Addison is the authentic ox-herder that you need -- and will remember."
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