INTRODUCTION
✨ In this symbolic poem, Master Woo Myung uses cattle and cowboys as metaphors for the search for Truth. 🌿 The young cowboy, worn by modern civilization, cannot find his cattle, while the old cowboys of the past knew how to search.
True seekers must learn from those who have seen Truth directly. Like bulls who remain calm and indifferent, Truth simply is—unchanging, waiting to be discovered. The one who is good at finding cattle holds the reins of wisdom and discipline, guiding himself firmly along the path.
ORIGINAL WRITING BY MASTER WOO MYUNG
Cattle
Even the young cowboy who feeds his cattle
has become so worn by the city and its civilization
that he cannot find his cattle.
He says he tends to them
when in fact he does not know what cattle are.
The cowboys of the old days were good at finding cattle,
but they have long since passed away.
It is only by stories
handed down through the generations
that the key to searching out cattle remains.
One can find cattle
but only if he has seen them.
Cheeky bulls just sit quietly and calmly,
eyeing those who search them out with pity.
Those bulls do not care whether or not
they are being sought after
but just remain as they are.
Whether he stands in green pastures
or at the edge of a field,
the one who is good at finding cattle
holds the reins tightly in his hands.
– Woo Myung
REFLECT AT SANTA CLARA MEDITATION
At Santa Clara Meditation, writings like Cattle remind us that the search for Truth requires more than words—it requires direct experience, wisdom, and discipline. 🐂 Just as a true cowboy holds the reins firmly, seekers must learn to hold onto the method and not be swayed by distractions, until they discover their inner Truth.
