“True Innovation” The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures Tell Us About the Disparity between Intrinsic Motivation and Lifestyle in the Age of AI.
by Kouji Miki
The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures Tell Us About the Disparity between Intrinsic Motivation and Lifestyle in the Age of AI.
The glimmer of AI is now dyeing the world. With the dawn of this age, it is foreseen that the importance of man’s own inner pulse, or so-called “intrinsic motivation,” will increase. This is because with this motivation, human thought and action will gain an unprecedented acceleration with the assistance of AI.
Modern industrial society has so far neglected the excavation of this intrinsic motivation. Emotions-the true motivations that lie deep within the individual-have long been ignored. However, as we step onto the stage in the age of AI, this intrinsic motivation is about to become the most important factor in determining the direction of progress.
Zen teachings on how to elicit this intrinsic motivation have been presented for a whopping 1,500 years. It resides in the seemingly enigmatic The Ten Ox-Herding Pictures. This Zen teaching offers us a way to find and use our intrinsic motivation.
But there is one problem. But there is one problem: In the age of AI, there will be an abyssal gap between those who have intrinsic motivation and those who do not, not only in business, but also in family life and the quality of life itself. How to bridge this gap — this is the challenge we face.
In the age of AI, our intrinsic motivation will be an essential element in deepening our humanity and accelerating social progress. The key to this is already within us.
Innovation occurs through the transformation of consciousness.
I have been consistently involved in innovation for more than 20 years, from my days as a researcher studying purchasing activities and innovation, to actually participating in the management of a venture that supports transactions via the Internet, and then launching zenschool, a school for new product development.
I have been involved in innovation for more than 20 years, and have witnessed cases where major innovations have occurred by changing the mindset of the people involved in new business development and innovation. In addition, I have witnessed many times how we at zenschool have been able to change the mindset of the students, resulting in innovation.
What we have learned from these various cases is that true innovation cannot occur without a change in human consciousness. It may be an exaggeration to call it a “change in consciousness. However, in my case, it is an indisputable fact that the change in consciousness that I gained through the bitter experience of restructuring gave me a great deal of innovation in my business. I am not an expert in Buddhism or psychology. I am not an expert in Buddhism or psychology, but I have a hypothesis that Buddhism, especially Zen-like thinking, may have a close relationship with innovation.
Buddhism was born in India. About 1,000 years after the death of Buddha, the 28th disciple of the Buddha, Daruma Daishi, who is said to be the founder of Chinese Zen Buddhism, came from India to northern China and introduced Buddhism. In the Southern Song dynasty, the Rinzai and Soto sects of Zen Buddhism, which adhered to pure Zen, became increasingly prosperous. Zen Buddhism came to Japan in the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, and from the Kamakura period onward, Zen Buddhism spread among the samurai and the common people, and Zen temples were built in many places, and with the Muromachi shogunate, Zen Buddhism further spread its influence. The five Zen temples were established under the protection of the samurai, and through Buddhism, the samurai culture and the aristocratic culture merged, and Zen Buddhism strongly influenced the Muromachi culture.
Born more than 1,500 years ago, coming to Japan from China more than 800 years ago, and then evolving in its own way, Japanese “Zen” — that is, Japanese “Zen” — has been confronting the consciousness of the Japanese people for 800 years. There is a chart called the“Ten Ox-Herding Pictures” that shows the process of change in human consciousness in the long history of Zen.
Ten Ox-Herding Pictures was created by Zen Master Kakuan Shion in the late 12th century, around the end of the Northern Song Dynasty in China. The meaning of this work is that “the Buddha nature inherent in human beings” is likened to a familiar animal, the cow, and the process of a person’s practice of seeking Buddhahood is expressed in ten pictures and poems, likening it to a herder taming a cow. In other words, it is said that all people have Buddha nature, but they are struggling in the world of lostness, and that Zen Master Kokuan showed them a new way to escape from it by herding cows.
The herdsman in the Ten Oxen chart begins his search for the cow, or the true self, when the cow he is raising runs away. The figure of the herdsman shows the process of human enlightenment, and the process is metaphorically indicated in ten stages.
It is important to note that the Ten Oxen Diagram was created by Zen Buddhism, which has been dealing with the transformation of the minds of a vast number of people for more than 2,500 years, and Zen Buddhism was one of the most innovative forms of Buddhism.
From the time of the Buddha’s death to the present, Buddhism has probably transformed the consciousness of an enormous number of people. The pattern of transformation of the human mind based on the clinical data of a huge number of people is condensed in this Ten Ox-Herding Pictures.
What is depicted in the Ten Ox-Herding Pictures the steps that people take to reach enlightenment, but it is not necessarily just enlightenment. I dare to say that in the process of creating “innovation” as a process of “social enlightenment” in a sense of the modern age, I noticed a similarity in the transformation of zenschool graduates who created practical social and industrial innovations by changing their consciousness.
Let’s try to discuss the change of consciousness and innovation by following the “Ten Ox-Herding Pictures”.
As a prerequisite, I would like you to share the following
Herders = Innovators (individuals or project leaders who try to bring about innovation in product/service development)
Ox = Ideas (for new products and services)
The process of enlightenment in the = Innovation Process
Ⅰ. Looking for Ox：尋牛(JINGYU)
The term “cattle prowl” means to ask, “What? I don’t have a ox in my house! There is no ox in my house! In the process of innovation, “ox” refers to “the passion of what you want to do as a person and your company, which is the source of the idea (for a new product or service).
In many cases, when companies develop their own products and services, they tend to put a lot of effort into creating innovative products. But the innovator has to have an idea. But the innovator can’t find the passion in himself or herself to create the idea. So, they are tempted to extend their antennae to the outside world in order to introduce technology, design, and novelty that they do not have within themselves or their own company.
This is the stage where you start to think, “Huh? We (ourselves or our company) may not be able to create an innovative product. In the meantime, I need to go out and look for information about the latest technology and design. ……” This is the starting point for action.
In the Ten Ox Picture, the first thing that happens is that the ox runs away from its own home, but in the process of innovation, this is a state in which the antennas are directed outside the self or the company. In most cases, the evaluation of oneself and one’s company is low. Therefore, we assume that there must be superior ideas, technologies, and know-how outside of ourselves and our company. It is similar to the situation where a person becomes impatient because he thinks that a ox has run away from home.
Ⅱ. Finding ox tracks：見跡(KENSEKI)
This is the scene of a herder (innovator) who wanders out of his house and says, “Oh, I guess I can’t find my ox (my passion for ideas) anymore. ……” He is delighted to discover ox tracks ahead of him.
Many innovators and companies, at the first stage of their innovation, first visit trade shows, order books and other materials, and interview potential users and outside experts around the issue. This was the stage of the first piece of vulcanization.
As a result of this process, we were able to find new technologies and designs that we thought might be in the right direction. This is the stage when you come across a new technology, design, or person with knowledge outside of your home (self or company).
However, at this stage, it’s still a vague idea of what might be going on. However, I am starting to get a faint clue.
Ⅲ. Found the ox：見牛(KENGYU)
Kengyu is a scene in which a herder who has followed a trail finally finds a ox. In the process of innovation, after seeking new information and consolidating and integrating a lot of new information from outside, we finally reach the stage of “I can go in this direction! (I’ve found the key to innovation)” stage.
It’s like when you get positive information, such as a report from a marketing research company that suggests that the market for a targeted product field will expand further in the future, and you come up with a product idea that fits the marketing information perfectly.
In a company, it would be a situation where a member of the team came up with a positive opinion, saying, “Oh, this might work.
Encouraged by the positive information and opinions, the project leader is probably at the stage where he is motivated to move forward with the development.
Ⅳ. Got the ox：得牛(TOKUGYU)
In Tokugyu, we can finally see all of the ox. This is the scene where the herder ropes the ox and tries to catch it. In the innovation process, a clear direction for the development of a product or service has been identified, a hypothesis for the development stage has been formulated, and good results have been obtained from user interviews regarding the prototype, and concrete feedback has been obtained from the users assumed in the market simulation. This is the stage where the project leader, as well as the individual, has the ability to make a difference.
This is the stage when an innovator, whether a project leader or an individual, can say, “I’ve got an idea! This is the “I got an idea! After this stage, the direction of the product development becomes clearer.
Ⅴ. Tame the ox：牧牛(BOKUGYU)
Bokugyu is a scene where a captured ox is tamed. In the case of a product development project, it is a stage where the product has evolved a little from the first prototype and has gradually become more complete and the idea has gained confidence. In the case of a team project, the development team members are getting more and more enthusiastic, and the direction of development is shared by the whole team.
It means that the project has not been completed yet, but the team is confident that the project will continue.
Ⅵ. Ride the ox home：騎牛帰家(KIGYUKIKA)
Ki-gyu-ki-ka” describes a herder who rides his ox home with great enthusiasm. In the innovation process, the development of a product or service has reached its final stage, just before it is ready to be introduced to the market. In the case of a team project, the whole team is probably relieved that the product is now ready. At this stage, it is hoped that the product will finally be introduced to the market. Yes, if there are no competing products on the market, you can go to …….
Ⅶ. Forget ox：忘牛存人(BOUGYUSONNIN)
In “Forgetting the Ox”, the herdsman returns home and suddenly forgets about the ox (the idea he was so passionate about) that he had been chasing.
In the process of innovation, a product is finally completed and is about to be introduced to the market, but there comes a point when you think, “Wait a minute. We have been looking for ideas for innovation outside the company, and we have been developing them, but now we have to ask ourselves, “Is this the right thing to do? At this stage, there may be some cases where you have to ask yourself, “Is this it?
At this stage, you may realize that there are many oxen out there that are similar to your (the innovator’s) ox(the idea you were passionate about). You are shocked to find that products with similar concepts are popping up on the market. “Did the idea leak out somewhere?
No, of course not. Everyone follows the same development process, based on information that was already available on the Internet or in books. They gather a lot of information, organize and structure it, and develop their own products and services. Sometimes this is the result of “me-too innovation.
At the beginning of the project, the concept seemed so innovative, but I was stunned to find myself in this situation. What did we do to deserve this?” ……
This is the state of being in a daze, driven by such thoughts. If it were a company project, there would be a lot of discussion about whether or not the product should be introduced to the market. The result may be that the product is put on hold.
In the midst of this depressive thinking, I wondered if what we really wanted to do was not out there, but in the technology, design, and know-how that we already had. The team members murmured to themselves. It was time for such thoughts to sprout in the team.
Ⅷ. Flow：人牛倶忘(NINGYUGUBOU)
After reviewing the product concept they have been developing from the ground up, the innovator discovers that there are already many competing products on the market, and so the concept is abandoned.
The innovator, whether an individual or the project leader of a product development team, is confused and stunned.
After some time has passed, the project leader, if it is a company, will have a meeting to rethink the product concept. Finally, when they delve into “true innovation” based on the mistakes they have made so far, they realize that it is not about utilizing technologies, designs, and know-how that exist outside the company, but about creating products and services based on what the individual developers and project members are truly excited about. The idea was to develop products and services based on what the individual developers and project members were truly excited about.
As a result of reviewing the concept once again, it was found that a product or service that can be developed immediately can be obtained by making a major 180-degree shift in the perspective of the product concept, based on the technology, design, and services that they already had before the new business project was launched.
The psychological state of the members at this stage is that they have finally realized that the product concept they already had was really a great one with great business potential.
This product concept may be incomprehensible to other people (outside). However, the developer who has extracted the concept is now confident in his inner self, unlike before. They are convinced of the ideas they have extracted from the bottom of their hearts, and they push forward like a heavy tank, regardless of the opposition around them. This is the stage where they are in a state of flow, striving for their true “passion” — the passion that comes from within their own harassment and is not influenced by any outside information.
Ⅸ. Let it be：返本還源(HENPONGENGEN)
Henpon Gengen expresses the state of mind that allows us to see everything as it is, as it was in nature.
Once you realize that all the resources of management are at your feet (the innovator), you can focus on product development based on your passion. This is a situation where you can see things as they are, equally, without any unnecessary assumptions or pressure from outside influences.
And as you devote yourself to the project, driven by your passion, you will naturally create a situation where you can gain the cooperation of those around you.
For example, members of the team and superiors who were initially critical of the project will naturally start to cooperate, saying, “If you’re so sure,” and the project will move forward at a faster pace in a shorter period of time than I had imagined. The result is that the project is completed with great success, several times or even dozens of times greater than the original goal.
It’s like a dream come true that we were struggling so much in the very first stage of product development. It’s as if our project is being driven by an invisible force of nature, and the end result is a huge success.
Ⅹ. Communicating to Others：入鄽垂手(NITTENSUISHU)
Nittensuishu is the act of a person who has experienced the process from the first Jingyu to the ninth Henpon Gengen, and tries to pass on his body senses to others.
Normally, one might think that a person who has mastered something would behave like a saint. But the person in this painting is a natural.
He has a natural inner desire to share his experience of success with the outside world and to help them succeed. This is the stage that I depicted.
A humble “burning group” changes the world around them.
In fact, zenschool graduates who have created their own successful projects tend to learn more about zenschool and are willing to teach it to others. Although zenschool is now expanding nationwide, the core members of local zenschools are graduates of zenschools who have created successful businesses of their own and are willing to share their personal transformation experience with others. And many of them are humble even after they have successfully completed their projects.
Even in organizations such as large corporations, there are attempts to pass on one’s perception of the body to the outside world.
In his book, “Management Revolution,” author Shiro Tenge (real name: Toshitada Doi), a former managing director of Sony and the developer of the CD and AIBO dog-shaped robot, refers to the team at Sony that succeeded in developing a product due to a series of miraculous good fortune events as a “burning group.
If a team member who has experienced this “burning group” is assigned to another development team where the project is not progressing well, the successful team member will spread his or her perception to other team members, and as a result, the team’s chances of successful product development will increase.
A “burning group” can be defined as “a group that has created and completed an innovation (new business) through the process of developing its own product. In other words, it is a group of people who have gone through the process of the first through ninth sheets of the Ten Oxen Chart, and have evolved to a level of consciousness where they are willing to share what they have learned with the outside world.
Out of the box
At zenschool, we sometimes encounter students who are so bound by reality that they are unable to let their ideas fly freely. In such cases, I use this “Self-Innovation Map”. In such cases, I use this “Self-Innovation Map” to guide the students by multiplying the “level of abstraction” between the “real world” and “my world.
We use the expression “getting out of the box” to describe how students who are too tied up in the real world to see new possibilities finally come up with a new business idea in desperation.
The expression “getting out of the box” refers to the situation where the conventional thinking is confined to the box, and the student is trapped inside the box of thinking.
This phenomenon occurs when starting a new business, and the more expert you are in your field or industry, the more you become trapped in existing concepts, and the more difficult it becomes to come up with new business ideas. In psychology, this is the concept of a stoma (blind spot). We call this blind spot a “box” in the sense that we cannot see anything other than the worldview we have set up.
In order to get out of the box, we set up the following thought experiment to map out where our thoughts are currently located, and gradually brush up our projects. The Self-Innovation Map is used to conduct the thought experiment of having two worlds, the real world and one’s own world, in order to have a perspective other than one’s own.
First of all, the “real world” is the world defined by common sense specific to the industry or business that the student knows. Many students are so caught up in this real world that they tend to place their business plans on this side of reality first.
So, set “your world” on the other side. In this “my world”, you can set the environment of the world by yourself. If you know too much about reality, you will be dragged down by it and will not be able to think freely.
For example, in your world, you can have a budget of 10 trillion yen, or you can have a world where humans have already developed an interplanetary warp system, an anti-gravity device, or a time machine. You can even set up a world where people are 0.1 micron tall or 100 meters tall. Such a world that you can set your own conditions is “your world”.
The vertical axis is the “perspective. The “perspective” here can be rephrased as the level of abstraction in business. If the level of abstraction is low, the level of abstraction would be “sell 10,000 units of a product that costs Fatty Yen per unit and make a profit of 30 million Yen. Of course, as a business, making a profit is the right thing to do, but simply making a profit is a low level of abstraction.
If we were to raise the level of abstraction one step higher, we could say that we want to “revitalize the region” by selling “fat” products that are made in the region where we live.
If you go up to the next level of abstraction, you can say, “Let’s change the world by selling this product to the world. For example, Apple Computer aimed to democratize computers, and Matsushita Electric Industrial, the predecessor of Panasonic, tried to enrich the world by providing better electrical appliances at lower prices based on the “waterworks philosophy.
Using this vertical abstraction and the axes of “the real world” on the left side and “my world” on the right side, you can check the position of your thoughts as you work to determine whether your plan is too realistic or unrealistic, and the level of abstraction of your plan.
Using this “self-innovation map,” we will check each business plan as we go along to see whether it is a real plan or a more fanciful and “crazy” one.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog. We would like to publish “True Innovation”, a book about Zen innovation theory written in Japanese, in English and in other languages. If you are a publisher and would like to help us, please contact us.
A book “True Innovation”
