Oxherding pictures in Zen Buddhism (Zen)

The path to Buddhahood as followed in the discipline of Zen has been represented by a sequence of oxherding pictures. As the ox is hunted, viewed, caught and tamed it may become progressively lighter in colour, ending in the disappearance of awareness both of the ox and the observer, return to source and Buddha-awareness. There are at least four varieties of such pictures. Individual entries describe those of Kaku-an Shi-en of the Rinzai school which depicts ten stages, although the Seikyo set is said to have been only six.