A guide to spiritual development from American Zen teacher, John Daido Loori. The ox-herding pictures are a collection of traditional Zen pictures, accompanied by verses, that depict the stages of one man’s quest to find and tame an ox - a classic parable illustrating the steps along the path to enlightenment. This volume offers a commentary on the ox-herding pictures as a guide to the spiritual life, demonstrating through practical examples how they can serve as a compass for living one’s entire life. The work includes traditional Chinese brush paintings by Gyokusei Jikihara Sensei.