ROGER EXPLORES TRAINS, LASER SURGERY,
MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE, SPONTANEITY
AND EVOLUTION AND ENDS WITH A VERSATILE
"ONE PARAGRAPHER"
To everyone with specific references to Dan, Diana, 3WD and Mark,
One of Pirsig's best metaphors for reality/Quality is the train and boxcars
he introduces us to in ZMM. I would like to re-explore it, and update it with
the terms and concepts of Lila and specifically with the quote of the month.
In this model, our divided, static, dualistic knowledge is contained in the
boxcars. These can be further sorted into four types of moral train cars.
Looking back at the static train we can see the tracks of our past. We can
see our path. We call this evolution.
At the leading edge of the train is what we call Dynamic Quality. This is
the cutting edge of now, the undefined and undivided flowing cusp of reality.
It is pure experience. It is the new direction of evolution, prior to our
intellectual understanding. It is, as Dan says, spontaneous, and as Diana
reminds us, it is most certainly empirical.
But what does Pirsig mean when he says the most moral choice is the most
evolved and the most dynamic? Here, I must sharply differentiate myself from
Dan. The bottom line is that we are not faced with simple one dimensional
yes/no experiences like the stove example (Or at least these aren't the
interesting and difficult choices). Although the optimal choice is
spontaneous (after all, broadly defined, all choice is spontaneous), it does
not follow that all spontaneous choices are optimal. Consider the
spontaneous choice of avoiding that immediate apprehension of low quality
pain during eye surgery. A less evolved, less dynamic being would never
stand still for it.
As another example, let's jump to the issue of hypotheses, which as Pirsig
highlights in ZMM, emerge spontaneously and dynamically as "the cutting edge
of thought itself" to an open and clear mind. But the most dynamic course is
not to follow the first spontaneous thought that comes to mind. After all,
Pirsig reminds us that there is an infinite number of hypotheses. The most
moral and dynamic course is to widen your field of experience to the maximum
possible level. From this you can select the best choice to fix the
motorcycle of the self. Put a dog in front of that broken motorcycle and I
can guarantee you spontaneity -- it may ignore it, growl at it, sniff it or
pee on it -- but whatever, it will be as spontaneous as all hell. It won't be
a high Quality, moral, evolved choice though. The dog simply does not have
the versatility needed to address the problem -- in fact it can't recognize
that the problem exists. The dog is not aware of the low quality. To borrow
a term thrown out by 3WD, it is not "conscious" of this experience.
Finally, I think the most spontaneous, self evident thing people actually do
is to continue what they have been doing in the past. They continue the old
tried and true static patterns of the past. You know, they keep breathing,
they keep eating and drinking, they keep waking up. These static rituals
become autopilot. By not contemplating choice, they happen effortlessly and
flow, allowing us to focus our attentiveness into new realms. (Ch 26 of ZMM).
For the most part, these are very high quality choices.
The only way I can see to answer the issue of the month is to equate the most
dynamic, most evolved, most moral and most REAL to the widest possible range
of experience. The most dynamic choice is also the most versatile. In this
light, the most dynamic is not only the most spontaneous, it is also the
widest ranging. As Mark mentions, the experience which is most dynamic and
responsive is that experience which we later label as intellectual.. But we
should not neglect experience from any level. We should develop
biologically, socially, intellectually and dynamically. We should evolve as
much as possible to eliminate the blinders of dualistic thought and to open
ourselves to the widest and most versatile possible range of
experience/Quality.
The most dynamic choice is open to the widest range of experience. That is
what differentiates a good mechanic from a good dog. The best choice may
actually be biological (get some rest and reapproach my broken cycle
tomorrow), it may be social (make enough money to bring in an expert to
help), it may be intellectual (read a motorcycle maintenance manual). Often
times the best choice is fresh and creative, but sometimes it is the same
stale answer used yesterday. The most dynamic and evolved and versatile
approach to reality opens itself to the fullest extent of reality.
SO, MY ONE PARAGRAPH ANSWER......
Reality is dynamic. Reality is Quality. Reality is morality. Reality is
empirical. Reality is pure experience. The most moral and dynamic choice is
that which is most evolved. That which is most evolved is, by definition,
that which is open to the widest range of experience, and which therefore
experiences the most versatile and most dynamic range of choice. If reality
is pure experience, then the evolution of experience is also the evolution of
reality.
Roger
PS -- Do note that our definition of evolution differs from that of
established science. This doesn't make it wrong, but it does need to be
explicitly acknowledged. It is not correct to say that the science of
evolution considers cows more evolved than vegetables. Technically, a man
isn't even more evolved than a germ. The MOQ differs with this by
correlating evolution with versatility (p.170). And therein lies the true
solution to our month's puzzle....."what does Pirsig mean by evolved?"....
Versatility is indeed spontaneous, but it also implies a WIDE RANGE of
potential spontaneity or choice.
MOQ.org - http://www.moq.org
