Arlo, Thats is the understanding, and I tend to agree quite strongly only, when I was taught this metaphor, 180 Zen was not an insult but a kind of reminder, a warning of sorts about fixation on the attainment of a goal and as you say exactly, about bringing it back to the community in which we originated. Improving society and making the world a better place. -Ron
----- Original Message ---- From: Arlo Bensinger <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, September 8, 2009 4:15:16 PM Subject: Re: [MD] The relativity of the MoQ [Ron] Which means that the path to enlightenment is the path back. The Chinese venerate the circle. [Arlo] Well, like I said, I am not versed enough in Zen terminology to know if 180-degree Zen is considered incomplete and/or if its an "insult" of sorts to refer to someone who has only gone half-way. I see it like the prophet who climbs the mountain but does not come back down (180-degree Zen), and if you see this from a Campbell-ian perspective it may a case of the Hero not heeding the call. Traditions across the globe have frowned upon those who receive "enlightenment" only to withdraw into their own selfish needs. I remember Pirsig being asked why he wrote ZMM, and he said "writing it had a higher Quality than not writing it". That alludes to a duty to Quality, to the Enlightened Message, that keeping it to oneself is "not good". This same message is echoed in countless oral and written stories chronicled across the globe. So, yes, perhaps in a more widened view, Enlightenment must contain the path back, or else it is in some manner incomplete. Phrased in MOQishness, would Quality have been served had Pirsig not written ZMM? I think we'd both say "probably not". 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/ 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/
