Hi Scott...
Spell checkers can be such a problem and typing in a rush can also be a
problem!
Minor corrections of my last post: I ended with "Pirsig does believe in an
indecent
physical reality." I meant to have typed: Pirsig dose believe in an
independent physical reality.
Thinking back on your e-mails concerning Merrell-Wolff, it seems that you do
not believe in an independent to a human observer physical world. You are
subscribing to a "All is Maya/Illusion" approach similar to if not the same
as Hindu teachings.
I am coming from a Jewish Philosophic perspective that believes that the
physical universe is the crowning glory of creation.
Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity are all in varying degrees
anti-this worldly. They all de-emphasize the importance of the physical
universe. They all were religions/philosophies that focused on gaining
believers from those who suffered the most: the poor and the
disenfranchised. Hence a logical appeal to the best things in life is not
in life but will be your rewards when you leave the body. This philosophy
seems to ethically lead to a disregard for the sacredness of the physical
world. Which can and does lead to a lack of concern with conserving the
environment and a lack of concern toward making the current status quo a
better place. Judaism with its this worldly approach and a belief in a
better future/ the coming of the messiah: focused on a real world vision of
ever-lasting peace. A world of every day toil but no fear and no war and no
hatred. Check out Micah chapter 4:1-5.
The differences between our views stems from my principle of "people shape,
and are shaped by, ideas." Your views comes out of your experiences and my
views come out of mine. We see the world in ways that makes sense based on
the ideas we were raised with and the ideas that we acquired as we grew up.
The same principle to explain the difference in world views of Judaism to
the rest of the major religions. Those cultures were shaped by their
history and their situations and the kind of people they were appealing to,
and lastly to the leaders/founders personal and historical contexts.
One last comment: the situation that is currently going on in the middle
east. The Current beliefs of the Israel and the actions of its government
is from my perspective a complete contradiction to true ethical and
philosophic teaching of Rabbinic Judaism. Israel is not a model of Rabbinic
Judaism as I understand it.
Gary
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