Bo, In the following you diss Buddhism and Pirsig at the same time, which must stand as a record of some kind, extending your legacy-setting mode yet another notch. No one on this planet does that and I wonder why you just don't go write a book
on your own Metaphysics of Bodvarism instead of mangling's Pirsig Metaphysics of Quality out of recognition for all of us. Bo said: As said a couple of times I think Pirsig's prostrating himself before Buddhism is directly counterproductive after having "received" a much clearer Western system of wisdom that turns circles round the woolly Oriental article. Khoo: Two things wrong here. 1) The "woolly Oriental article" is a full-fledged philosophy and practice which have pretty much worked out the neccesary pathways for directly experiencing Reality and mapped the terrain for the journey towards it. It is pretty defamatory to go on putting down and to cast aspersions on Buddhism. 2) You claim Pirsig developed "a clearer Western system" in ZAMM and lambast him for linking his insights to Zen and Buddhism in Lila. In your intepretation of his MOQ, you seek to designate and install SOM solely in the intellectual level so that the MOQ can be essentially a "Western" solution for a "Western" SOM problem. This itself is counterproductive as the MOQ should be a universal application especially as SOM in its present form pervades the rest of the world. Bo continues: But to be more specific, this reflects the "Quality/MOQ" issue.To Pirsig the Quality=Reality insight was the all-consuming issue, afterwards he would better stand on one leg and stare into the sun of Quality, on the other hand he could not resist working out a system, but this was really a vice and he had to "flog" himself for this sin. Khoo: It looks like you are wearing your metaphysical sock inside out alright but over your head and it blinds you to the fatal flaw in your reasoning. The inversion of SOM to MOQ is really only a substitution of one intellectual pattern for another in the context of society NOT the individual experience of Quality itself. THAT comes with a personal discipline of acknowledging the patterns that have a hold over you and breaking out of them. BTW, Platt, this should also clear up the contradiction you see, Pirsig cites the choices for a universal moral order in the context of evolution and this is different from the non-choice in a Zen stance required for personal detachment. Bo rails on: However, nothing comes out of the Quality=Reality insight, it's as stale as the Indian fakir staring into the sun, the MOQ IS the Quality, but alas these incongruities are strewn all over LILA and prevents a true apprehension of his achievement, we always get the impression that he has committed an indecent act by writing a metaphysics Khoo: You seem to have a poor view of fakirs standing in the sun; but then what would you know; with your sock inside out over your head ; ) As for Quality being Reality, try, do try to experience this directly. Otherwise, you poor sod, you will be perpetually parading an intellectual pattern in its place; and that my friend is the source of all your confusion and all your problems. The fact that Pirsig wrote a Metaphysics after the fact is not the issue; even you can write up a Metaphysics as you have been wont to do. Mary's tagline comes in useful here: the most important thing you will ever make is a realisation. Pirsig's realisation has given us Quality. The woman has been left at the riverbank ages ago and you, as the other monk, are still berating your companion and teacher, these last ten years for carrying her across the river. As he is in the dynamic present, there is no question of ought, only what needs to be done. I will say for Pirsig what he ought to say to you: "For Heaven's sake Bo, I have left the woman behind, Why are you are still carrying her on your shoulders !" Your constant and continued disputation displays you live in the past entangled by static dogma and therefore unable to progress forward. I still await your answers on the other thread on Bo's Western Buddhism. Best regards Khoo Hock Aun 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/
