No Spiritual Formation meeting until November 21, after the retreat with Wendy. The new book for our study starting on November 21. We will be reading Addison Hodges Hart’s The Ox-Herder and the Good Shepherd: Finding Christ on the Buddha’s Path. The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures, produced by the twelfth-century Chinese Zen master Kakuan Shien, trace a universally recognizable path of contemplative spirituality, using the metaphor of a young ox-herder looking for his lost ox. According to Addison Hodges Hart, the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures and the teachings of Christ, the Good Shepherd who guides us to God, share a common vision. Both show us that authentic spiritual life must begin with an inner transformation of one’s self, leading to an outward life that is natural and loving. In The Ox-Herder and the Good Shepherd Hart shares the story that these ten pictures tell, exploring how this ancient Buddhist parable can enrich and illumine the Christian way.