Dear MOQists:
The author discusses the Dharmakaya light in the context of discussing of
cultural filters. Its an example of something that is recognized in some
cultures more than others, right? Seeing the light became a burden for him.
He dared not speak of it for fear that it would raise suspicions about his
sanity. He couldn't talk about it without "being slammed by the cultural
immune system". Its not the kind of thing one can test scientifically and
I'd add that what happens in the eyes is far less important than WHY
something happens in the eyes. What causes the eye to open up? That's the
question. (Eye drops don't count. We're talking about a spontaneous event,
not a doctor's prescription.) Here are the clues Pirsig provides....
"But despite filtering by the cultural immune system, references occur in
many places,..." Lamps are symbols of learning. A torch can be used as a
symbol of idealistic inspiration. We say we've seen the light when we
suddenly understand. Its dawned on me works too. The light bulb over a
cartoons head shows the character has an idea. In other cultures references
to the light are everywhere. Christian hymms sing of it. Painters depict it
as a halo. "The cnetral terms of Western mysticism, enlightenment and
illumination refer to it directly. Darsana, Hindu religious instruction,
means giving of the light. Descriptions of Zen satori mentions it. The
Tibetan Book of the Dead refers to it extensively. "Aldous Huxley referred
to it as part of the mescaline experience. Phaedrus rememebvered it from the
time with Dusenberry at the peyote meeting,.." Proust wrote about it. El
Greco painted it. "Although the Buddhists and Christians had no historic
contact with one another they both painted halos."
I think Pirsig is rightly taking all these various depictions as evidence
that something real is at work. Plus he's seen it himself. Our cultural
immune system says its unimportant or unreal. Our cultural immune system is
what tells us that its nothing more than a biological reaction. He says, "In
a MOQ, however, this light is important because it often appears associated
with UNDEFINED AUSPICIOUSNESS, that is, with DQ." And I think this
conclusion naturally emerges in the "light" of all those clues. All those
clues are meant to hammer away at the cultural immune system that exists
within his readers. And in spite of the fact that he's working his way
AROUND that immune system, he still turns to social level mythos to develope
the idea.
Just for the record, I've seen it. Others say they have seen it around me.
And I've even experienced something like the opposite; a darkening of the
vision just as decidedly NON-auspicious events unfolded in front of me. Eyes
were involved, but I'm pretty sure they were not the cause or the reason for
it. To think otherwise is merely materialistic reductionism.
Sure, I could be wrong. That goes without saying, doesn't it?
DMB
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