BOOK REVIEW - Riding the Ox Home by John Daido Loori
By Alain Burrese
 March 11, 2010 - I first learned of the Ox Herding Pictures while living in Korea. A Korean friend, who had once lived in a monastery when contemplating becoming a monk, shared the pictures and their meaning to me as we visited a Buddhist temple near where we lived. The pictures represent a spiritual path of self-study. They are good reminders of the journey. When I saw this book, I looked forward to learning more about the pictures, the journey they represent, and other's interpretations of their meaning.
"Riding the Ox Home" by John Daido Loori is a small gem of a book. It can be read quickly, for it is not that long, but studied deeply because the message is a guide toward self-discovery. Loori is abbot of the Zen Mountain Monastery in Mount Tremper, New York, and founder and director of the Mountains and Rivers Order, an organization of associated Zen Buddhist temples, practice centers, and meditation groups from around the United States and abroad. His experience and guidance shines through in the passages that accompany the pictures.
After a short introduction, the ten Ox Herding Pictures are shown at the beginning of each of the ten chapters. After the picture, there is an English translation of a poem to accompany each picture. After the picture and poem, there is commentary by Loori on the meaning and how that relates to each individual's own self-discovery and study. The wisdom of these passages runs deep, and one can contemplate on each chapter for a long time. In fact, you can contemplate on the passages of this book for a lifetime, for the journey of self-discovery is a path that may indeed take that long, and it's not necessarily reaching the end that is important, but merely staying on the path.
For those that practice Zen, I recommend this little book to assist you with staying on the path, for it is basically a small map with guideposts as to what the path is. I too hope for you what Loori wishes in the last line of this book, "May your journey be fruitful and may your life go well." That's what the practice is all about.
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Alain Burrese, J.D. is an attorney, speaker and writer that focuses on areas such as Asia, martial arts, safety, security, self-defense, conflict resolution, negotiation, and business. He is currently seeking representation for his first novel, Lost Conscience. You can read more articles and reviews, and see clips of his DVDs as well as much more at http://www.burrese.com and http://www.aikiproductions.com
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