The Greater Unknown Self

The Zen tradition has a classic series of paintings known as the Oxherding Pictures, sometimes referred to as steps to enlightenment. In these pictures, a small boy searches for and then proceeds to tame an Ox much larger than he is. For purposes of this discussion, the little boy is who we think we are, while the Ox is who we are regardless of who we think we are.

For example, although I might think I am environmentalist because I live in the country in a cabin, I might discover that my wood stove hurts the environment both in terms of the wood it requires and the greenhouse gasses it creates.

This can also show up in interpersonal relationships. I might feel as if I have not been heard and feel the need to "stand up for myself" and express my point of view more strongly. From the standpoint of my feelings, I am re-enacting a scene from my youth. If I were to look from the point of view of someone else, I might see a grown man over-reacting and possibly stifling the expression of others.

The point is that we can tend to get caught up thinking in terms of our own objectives and lose sight of the greater consequences of our actions. The perceived need to look after our own survival consistently pulls us away from universal consciousness into a narrower point of view. Consequently we view ourselves as being much smaller than we actually are.