I read ZMM when it first came out, in college. Everybody was talking about it, at least in the crowd I associated with. Even a philosophy class touched on it. Friends weren't talking about the philosophy per se, but rather how it applied to their lives. It was more emotional than intellectual; each drew personal meaning. It was fun and moving. ZMM was right for the times.
The 60's permeated the 70's like a hangover. Lingering was the sense that something had happened, but like a blackout, we weren't quite sure what. There was still the attempt to create enlightenment with chemicals, but gone was the sense that this new consciousness was somehow more real; it was just an altered state of the same. All sorts of books were being printed dealing with a rise in consciousness. Eastern religions were on the rise, being interpreted by Western minds. There was a mixing of philosophies/religion/science/psychologies, beyond the drug experience that Aldus Huxley unwittingly mentored. J. Campbell's musings were being shown in theaters as a science fiction trilogy. Alan Watts had died, possibly from drinking too often; gurus were popping up and getting rich. ZMM came in somewhere between The Journey to Ixlan and the Tao of Physics, a personal odyssey resulting in a spiritual experience. Becoming one with Technology. When Pirsig had his Taoist insight, he subsequently tied it (in Lila) to the 19th century philosophy of Evolution (yes, it is a philosophy); and why not, everything else was being explained with the philosophy of evolution, from psychology to social behavior to the creation of the universe. MOQ was enclosed into cage of logic. Now, MOQ is being brought into the ivory towers where it will become another jewel on displayin the museum of philosophy. We all know that to define Quality is to diminish it. A book such as ZMM is an amalgamation of the times. It is a force beyond the author, who is a conduit for its expression. It's meaning and impact does not change if the author changes his mind. I admire Pirsig a great deal for what he was able to transcribe during his awakening. If indeed MOQ is an expression of Taoism for modern times, what have we learned? How has it changes our lives? What does it enable us to see, and thus direct our lives on a day-to-day basis. For me it has done so much. I feel quite fortunate to have been part of the ZMM crown; those were heady times indeed. I am indebted to Pirsig for furthering my pursuit. Thank you sir. Willblake2 Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
