[Arlo on art and metaphor]
> There are two ways to do anything. A
> Quality-filled, enthusiastic, artful,
> Buddha-minded way, and a mundane, uninspired,
> quality-empty way.
I think what is key here, is 'to do anything', as
in any one event, particular experience, etc... is
what I derive from this 'to do anything'. Thus, what
is mundane, oh, washing dishes, driving to work,
etc... could actually be artful, quality-filled. This
reminds me of what a Chinese Zen Master named
Ch'ingyuan Wei-hsin during the T'ang dynasty said:
"Mountains are mountains, waters are waters,
Mountains are not mountains, waters are not
waters,
Mountains are really mountains, waters are
really waters."
This is also what in the SODV paper Pirsig
pointed out about Bohr who was trying to bridge the
gap between quantum physics and everyday life. The
mundane can be quality-filled, or mundane, it is the
'anything' that we're doing. As I've mentioned
before, it is when I taste tea that so many paths
meet.
[Arlo]
> In other words, art is
> the use of symbols to point at meaning that is
> forever outside its
> symbol-system... aka Dynamic Quality.
Excellent!
[Arlo]
> Those who listen to Bach's Art of Fugue, and come
> away amazed at his skillful
> mastery of contrapunctual composition, have gained
> appreciation for the
> "literal", but those who, in engaging with the
> music, have an "out-of-body" or
> "other-minded" moment when something inexpressible
> becomes clear, have touched
> the "art". I often refer to that "other-mindedness"
> as "Flow".
This sounds the same as what practice means. To
practice meditation and tea drinking at the table with
the birds feeding is what I do. These are practices
mind you. These are practices that cultivate static
patterns, habits if you will. These practices are
undisturbed and allow for the practice to happen well.
These strict rituals/practices are these unconscious
habits where dynamic quality centers, such as in Lila
Pirsigs' discussion of a Zen monastery. A very
staticly pattern, ritualized place - full of dynamic
quality. Practices tend to spill over into other
paths in ones life. These practices, as habits, do
unto themselves without my intention. They are me,
and to practice these well, is to have these habits
expressed while I'm washing dishes. For example, a
resident where I work is very problematic and disrupts
routine at times, thankfully she is currently not
doing this, but she likes to say often how she only
acts this way here, and would not act problematic
outside of the placement facility. Ah, but habits are
habits, and she is not practicing quality habits. She
admits she can't stop herself from getting angry, so,
how is she going to stop herself from getting angry
outside of placement. This is her, this is life, this
is her practice, I'm glad she is practicing better
recently. Also practice is constant. The game is not
over. Practice is life-long.
thanks.
well the big snow storm is here,
SA
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