The Opus Is a Symbol, Like the Philosopher's Stone

In the Zen tradition, a representation of this state of being can be found in the last of what are known as the 10 Ox herding pictures. This is a series of pictures that depicts a process of development that could be compared to the alchemical Opus. Despite his unassuming nature, however, his presence has the power to make withered trees burst into bloom. And this is an image according to Addison Hodge's book The Ox herder and the Good Shepherd of Inner Stability and The Ordinariness of Holiness.

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