Joseph, On Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 3:44 AM, Jacob Postma <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi David, Hi all, > > Brilliant presentation! I felt it outlined the main ideas of the MOQ in > Lila quite lucidly. I've been meaning to re-read both Pirsig's books and > this refresher about how profound the MOQ is, was the last bit of a push I > needed to get back to them, so thanks. > > This may or may not be the best thread to open up a discussion on this, > and/or some of you reading this may have suggestions for other places to > begin an exploration of this more in-depth, but anyway.. > I'm curious to come to understand more about how this bit from your > presentation can be applied to the way we live our lives and how we make > choices about what really matters: > > "However, rather than the conflict between the two we are used to, Eastern > Philosophy has found a way to combine both the Dynamic and static into one > harmonious whole through the perfection of static patterns. By perfecting > patterns they can be put to sleep and no longer bother. The simplest of all > patterns one can do for extended periods is sitting."
Hi Jacob, Great to meet you! This bit from David Harding is part of a long running disagreement we've had over the MOQ and perhaps it might even extend into a life well lived, or our individual conceptions of such. I've long maintained that there is no perfecting static patterns... that if such a thing were possible we'd also inadvertently preclude any further bettering of the self. I take this as more a metaphor than anything obtainable in real life. >Jacob: > So, for example, when contemplating my own life as a young man of 27, I > consider myself a "freedom loving intellectual" above all else, and as such > have prioritized my pursuits of such matters above my desire to develop > romantic social quality patterns with women (in other words, choosing to be > "single" and free rather than stay in relationships that I felt were > intellectually and dynamically limiting), I find myself at a bit of a loss > as to how to "live the best life possible" when it comes to continuing to > pursue my intellectual and dynamic sensibilities, while also managing my > biological patterns of desiring sex, affection and a sense of > intimacy/closeness with women (I guess biological AND social patterns?). Dan: I'm a little older, nearing 60 within a a month or so. To me, there is no 'best life possible.' It is constantly changing, morphing into something new and unexpected. I'd have it no other way. Each day is a blank slate. I've explored relationships with women and enjoyed each one. At that time, it was better to be with someone than to be alone. Now I am by myself again and I find that is better. The moment is what counts, not what is going to happen next. Think of it this way: you'll be here tomorrow but your dreams may not. Go with them. Ride them while they last. >Jacob: > How do we perfect those patterns in the context of pursuing higher-evolved > patterns? Dan: In a nutshell: we don't. >Jacob: > I'm still not seeing very clearly where the "dynamic balance" is, as I > don't feel it makes sense and/or makes most people happy to sacrifice any > one quality pattern completely in order to pursue others. > I could see myself staying a bachelor for most of my life, never socially > involved to any great extent, due to the compulsion to be free and morph > along with dynamic quality whenever the urge arises, and right now I might > even say that sits well with me. > But I'm 27, so that seems pretty normal to be a wanderer right now. > I just wonder if there's a piece of the picture I'm missing that some of > you older folks may care to share about, as far as how your pursuit of > intellectual and dynamic values has affected your social/romantic lives and > whether you see any "low quality-ness" about one choosing the life of a > "freedom loving intellectual bachelor." Dan: If we understand Dynamic Quality as becoming synonymous with experience, then we see the moment more clearly. Once we see the moment with clarity, we come to realize there is no sacrifice in being within it. In fact, the sacrifice is glossing over the moment in favor of a past that is gone and a future that may never happen. When we work, we just work. When we love, we just love. When we sit, we just sit. That to me is the essence of balance. > > Thanks, > Jacob Postma You're welcome. Thank you too. Dan http://www.danglover.com 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/md/archives.html
