Hello everyone
>From: "Thracian Bard" <ThracianBard@worldnet.att.net>
>Reply-To: moq_discuss@moq.org
>To: <moq_discuss@moq.org>
>Subject: Re: MD Dialogue
>Date: Sat, 26 May 2001 09:27:57 -0500
>
>Dear Colleagues,
>
>Rog writes:
>Seek not that which is comfortable, but that which is best, and be aware
>that
>that which is best is itself dynamic.
>
>I believe that this is one of the most important lessons in the study of
>MoQ. Allow me to further elaborate by saying that when we cease to think of
>ourselves as diverse individuals and instead see ourselves as profoundly
>individualistic parts of a immeasurable yet perfect entity which in its
>entirety knows all, then this idea of comfort that our egos promote seems
>petty indeed. Resultingly, our egos are relegated to their proper status as
>the cowards that would shield us from the truth.
>
>The Bard
Hi Roger and The Bard
In light of the recent disharmony here, I have been pondering Robert
Pirsig's letter to Bodvar and his response to the question: How can we
justify the statement Quality equals reality?
"By the harmony it produces."
I find it is very hard to fully appreciate what this means to me as an
individual. In my own life I have struggled (like everyone I imagine) with
justifying my daily existence in the face of overwhelming social commitments
and in doing so have developed an ego the size of Universe. It starts early.
The "terrible two's" is nothing more than ego emerging, in my opinion. Ego
becomes confused with self and thereby confuses self into believing in
itself. The internal discursive dialogue develops in conjunction with ego to
solidify the notion of self into a inpenetrable fortress of one.
There is no harmony in that fortress. There is only suffering, confusion,
and death. The selfish ego clings to possess without knowing there are no
possessions and ego suffers. Seeking clarity to understand that suffering,
no ready-made answers seem apparent and confusion arises. The ego must die
yet so deeply intertwined are ego and self, self too must perish. Or so
believes ego.
I fear words only scrape the surface of meaning. I find it helpful to set
aside a few minutes each day for quiet reflection upon self. As the internal
dialogue stills clarity becomes greater and insights arise. But I push past
those for I feel they are of no consequence. Just breath, that is all that
matters. I just sit and feel the harmony arise from the belly (I have heard
it said Buddha lives there) as all concentration is focused upon breathing
and Universe itself is breath.
Expanding, contracting, expanding, contracting. Can anyone tell me what
happens in between the breaths? I cannot. No more than I can cease thinking
of myself as self. For when that thinking ceases there is no longer any self
here. There is "something" here but it is unrememberable as me, as self.
Often times I cannot remember sitting at all so I sit again and failing to
remember that, once again. Yet how do I know that if I do not remember? Ego,
I am guessing, still there deep under the surface, just waiting for its
chance to emerge. This too is ego, these words, and nothing more.
Is remembrance as we normally think of it also tied to ego? I suspect it is
in some fashion simply because that is how we have learned to experience the
world around us, but simultaneously there are "better" avenues of perception
open to us as living human beings that we are rarely made aware of
(remember). Actions of perception that do not require memories, for
perception lies not only in the physical brain but in what might be termed
the totality of self. Despite the death of ego self continues and one can
look back and laugh at the folly that brought them this way and participate
fully and joyously in the suffering of life and the harmony it produces.
Or so is my prayer, for all of us.
Dan
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