中國是農業社會，自食其力的禪宗以牧牛經驗譬喻修道的工夫。南嶽懷讓、石鞏慧藏、百丈懷海、長慶大安這四位禪師均以傳統的思維方式表達禪法思想。 南泉普願與溈山靈祐則不走傳統路線，而是以跳脫佛教意識形態的創新方式來做思維。他們二位都樂意來生投胎變成一頭牛，樂在其中。這種公案令人驚悚、懷疑、不解、困惑。 原本牧牛是主、客體對立的，但是南泉普願和溈山靈祐是主客體合而為一，把牛提升為超越的主體，悠遊自在於六道輪迴之中。 這二位禪師表達的是心靈自主性與超越性，流露出大我平等觀，真正的慈悲不是避苦得樂，不是超脫三界，而是完全融合人我，泯萬物為一體，無有高下貴賤之分，體現如如不動的靈明真性。甘願為牛不妨礙真性，如如不動。禪師既幽默又認真的看待自己的生死大事，任外人如何評論，也動搖不了他們的心志、處事態度與寧靜心靈。 The philosophy of taming the bull has been famous from the 8th century in China. It described the skill of taming bull just similar to the progress of human awareness. The situation is just alike from delusive mind to the pure and enlightened Tao. The bull is the symbol of self Nature. There are 10 steps of taming skill, hint 10 progress of realization. The bull should change its color from black to white, at the same time human make progress from innocence to awareness and realization. Finally the bull will go home willingly, human will get the nature source happily, creat a new life, transcend the time and the space, even transmigration. The 10 steps are: 1. Searching for the lost black bull. 2. Discover the footprints of the bull. 3. Perceive the black bull-reflection of self-conscious. 4. Catch the bull-hold ourselves. 5. Taming the bull-training our own. 6. Astride the bull home-homeward to our Nature source. 7. Leave the bull alone-solitude of ego self. 8. Transcend the boy and the bull-transcend subject and object. 9. Back to the original-enlightenment and escape. 10. Love this world-Mahayana career, devoted to the world. Farming is the life style of ancient Indians and Chinese. Taming bull is a common experience. It is so natured and easily understood. The spiritual life is frank to everyone. This thinking was welcomed by the Eastern and the Western. Nowadays it is recited by many poets, and painted many pictures. Because it comes from the common sense, it makes people feel beautiful and practical.
