Catching the ox

With all his strength, a herder boy grasps the horns of a massive ox. In an attempt to mount the beast, the boy steps on the ox's neck to hold its head to the ground. The painting expresses the Zen message that enlightenment is attained through struggle. Here, the animal represents the unenlightened state, in which the mind rampages like an unruly ox. Zen meditation would catch the ox of the mind by means of religious discipline.

Paintings known as the "Ten Ox Pictures" were popular and inspirational teaching materials. This painting illustrates the fourth of the ten stages of attaining enlightenment. Sekkyakushi, a Zen monk, was a pioneer of Zen ink painting.