Howdy folks,
I have been reading this mailing list for several weeks now, and I am
nowhere near as fully versed in the field of philosophy as many of you
appear to be. I've taken a course on Metaphysics so I'm not completely
ignorant, but I have a looong way to go yet. Nor am I as familiar with
excerpts and interweaving of Zen and Lila as you all appear to be. I've read
Zen a couple times, and Lila once through, slowly and with much thought.
As I unravel the posts here I have occasionally come across stuff that
sparks a conviction in me, but this is the first time I've felt I needed to
respond. Please forgive me if I leave my letter-blocks on the floor, I am
sincerely trying to grow into this realm.
>From Glenn
"DENIS:
"Quality is still undefinable, and the Universe non-mechanical by nature.
It
still escapes the intellectual nets we're trying to wrap around it.
Pirsig's
definition still stands : "We are determined when we follow SQ, and Free
when we follow DQ.""
The exact quote is:
PIRSIG, Ch. 12
In the Metaphysics of Quality this dilemma [free will vs. determinism]
doesn't come up. To the extent that one's behavior is controlled by
static
patterns of quality it is without choice. But to the extent that one
follows Dynamic Quality, which is undefinable, one's behavior is free.
It's a hollow "solution" to the free will/determinism problem.
All he's done is recast a nearly identical problem in MOQ terms. Now the
question becomes, "When am I free to follow the path of DQ and when am I
constrained to follow static patterns of quality?"
Glenn"
When are we free to follow the path of Dynamic Quality, and when are we
constrained to follow static patterns of quality?
Always.
Okay, maybe that sounds to simple (it is simple), but lets reduce the
question to it's core: "When are we free?"
We are free to choose between dynamic quality and static quality at all
times. What usually happens is that we get comfortable in a position that
came to us dynamically, and we settle into a static routine. We choose to
constrain ourselves. Familiarity is a form of friction against dynamic
inertia, we stop seeing all the depth and colors, we need to perceive less
and less of the incident to "see" the whole, and eventually the dynamo
effects us less.
Imagine you are in a city for the first time in your life. I'll use
Amsterdam - The buildings are brick and they are very old. There are canals,
and tiny cars and people smoking pot and my god - hookers in the windows -
and is that a cop lighting someone's joint??! Everything is new and dynamic
and your heart soars with discovery. You are surrounded by dynamic quality
because you are perceiving the world dynamically. [you are perceiving the
world through Quantum physics] but over time you realize things that become
"expected" - like the buildings sagging in the center of town, because the
ground they are built on is sand, slowly being washed away by the water.
[Newtonian physics] The thrill of discovery becomes "of course".
I've been to Amsterdam many times now. I *expect* the buildings to sag in
town, and now when I see the first building that sags, I know I'm in the
heart of town. But at the same time, when I know I'm in the heart of town, I
expect the buildings to sag. So lets say I'm in the heart of Amsterdam, and
there is a building which does not sag. I am startled. And instead of
looking for the reason for the sagging, now I'm looking for the reason why
not. All I need to see is some workers standing around, or a pile of new
bricks, or a work truck parked nearby, or maybe scaffolding pipe laying on
the sidewalk and I will leap to the conclusion that this building has been
repaired, or is new. I don't look for the intricate details of craftsmanship
or seek out a book written on the city to find out when the building was
constructed. I don't pursue the dynamic intricacies of the building - I
simple see a beautiful brick building in the heart of Amsterdam that doesn't
sag and stop the experience there.
For me, the non-sagging building, and indeed the whole city, has become
static. There is a quality to the city that still permeates my perception of
the city as an entity and I still love Amsterdam. But, perhaps, I am not so
"in love" with Amsterdam anymore.
Now, you come to Holland, and I am going to show you around Amsterdam. I
remember the sights that thrilled me on my first visit, so that's where we
go. I am seeking that spark, that dynamic quality that I perceived. At
first, it is "the same old Amsterdam" and then something happens. There is a
vendor who smiles and meets my gaze. There is a gardenia laden breeze that
caresses my face. Your amazed observations of the architecture inspires me
to really look at the curve of the frame, the sagging glass, the worn marble
steps - ::How many feet must tread up a staircase to wear a path 2 inches
deep in the stone?? - Those steps were worn down during Nazi occupation. - I
wonder if the people of this flat harbored Jews:: - I am suddenly
experiencing the dynamic quality of Amsterdam again.
We choose which path we walk. You may experience the determined path of
catching the number 5 tram from Central station to Leidsplein - like
always - and getting to Dan Murphy's for a pint of Strong Bow, or you can
get off number 51 before it reaches Central station and walk to Leidsplein.
You can walk with your head down, thinking about your bills and "looking
forward" to a pint at Dan's, or you can look around you and notice the
people, the buildings - the smells and sounds. It is determined that if you
sit on 51 to Central Station, you will hear the tram, you will smell the
people, and you might get a smile from some nervous tourist if you stare
long enough, but the chances are most likely that you will have an
uneventful (static) ride. When you switch to number 5 tram, the ride will be
rough, the sounds will include people talking, cell phones, the tick of the
card-punch as folks get on, and increased crowding as you get father from
the station. When you step off at Leidsplein you risk the chance that
something dynamic will happen - but if you keep your head down and walk with
determination (pardon the pun) you will experience static Amsterdam.
"...but to the extent that one chooses dynamic quality... one's behavior is
free.
-Persig "
At any point along the way you are *free* to chose DQ. All you have to do is
perceive it.
-Kestrel
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