No. 1271-A牧牛圖序
Preface to the Ox Herding Pictures
遺教經云。譬如牧牛。執杖視之。不令縱逸。犯人苗稼。則牧牛之說所自起也。嗣是馬祖問石鞏。汝在此何務。答曰。牧牛。又問。牛作麼生牧。答曰。一回入草去。驀鼻拽將來。則善牧之人也。又大溈安公之在溈山也。曰。吾依溈山住。不學溈山禪。但牧一頭水牯牛。又白雲端公之於郭功輔也。詰之曰。牛淳乎。而若自牧。若教他牧。層見疊出於古今者。益彰彰矣。後乃有繪之乎圖。始於未牧。終於雙泯。品而列之為十。其牛則如次。初黑繼白。以至於無。粲如也。而普明復一一係之以頌。
The *Instructions on the Final Teachings* sutra says: "It is like a cowherd, holding his staff and watching over the cattle, not letting them run wild or trample the crops." This is the origin of the cowherd analogy. Following this, Chan Master Mazu asked Shigong: "What are you doing here?" He replied: "Herding cattle." Mazu asked again: "How do you herd them?" Shigong replied: "Whenever it wanders off into the grass, I grab its nose and pull it back." This is a skilled herdsman.
Similarly, Great Master Guishan An, while at Mount Gui, said: "I live on Mount Gui, but I do not study Guishan's Chan. I simply tend a single water buffalo." And Master Baiyun Shouduan once questioned Guo Gongfu: "Has your ox become gentle yet? Are you herding it yourself, or having others herd it for you?" Such examples appear repeatedly throughout ancient and modern times, becoming ever more evident.
Later, people began to depict this in pictures. The series begins with the untamed ox and ends with the complete vanishing of both ox and self—arranged and classified into ten stages. In the images, the ox progresses from black to white, and finally to nothing at all, shining clearly. Master Puming then added verses to each of the ten stages.
普明。未詳何許人。圖頌亦不知出一人之手否。今無論。惟是其為圖也。象顯而意深。其為頌也。言近而旨遠。學人持為左券。因之審德稽業。俯察其已臻。仰希其所未到。免使得少為足。以墮於增上慢地。則裨益良多。遂錄而重壽諸梓。外更有尋牛以至入廛。亦為圖者十。與今大同小異。并及教中分別進脩次第。可比例而知者。俱附末簡。以便參考。若夫一超直入之士。無勞鞭挽而天然露地白牛。不落階級而剎那能所雙絕。則圖成滯貨。頌成剩語。覧之當發一笑。吾無強焉。
Puming—we don't know where he came from, and whether the illustrations and verses were created by one person or not. For now, let's set that aside. What matters is this: The images are vivid yet profound in meaning; the verses, though simple in expression, carry deep significance. Practitioners can use them like a reliable map to examine their own virtue and progress—looking down to see what they have already attained, and looking up toward what they have yet to reach. This prevents them from becoming complacent with small achievements and falling into arrogance. And so the work brings great benefit. Thus I had it recorded and reprinted.
Beyond this, there is another set of ten illustrations, from "Searching for the Ox" to "Entering the Marketplace," which is largely similar to this version. I have also included in the appendix the stages of cultivation distinguished in the teachings, which can be understood by analogy, for your reference.
As for those who can reach enlightenment in a single leap—no need to be coaxed or pushed, the white ox in the open field is naturally there; no stages to fall into, in an instant both subject and object vanish. For such ones, these illustrations become useless goods, these verses become unnecessary words. If you read them, you might have a good laugh. I won't force you to do otherwise.
萬曆己酉如來誕日 後學 袾宏 謹書
Here is the translation:
Written respectfully by the humble disciple Zhuhong on the birthday of the Tathagata in the year 1609 (Wanli reign, jiyou year).