dear paul:
the character of Lila is, at first glance, disappointing. i asked myself, why did Pirsig choose her as the means to frame the book? i guess, like Rigel, i didn't find any quality in her. especially, when she tried to conspire with Jamie against Phaedrus who tried to help her. i thought, for sure, she didn't have any quality then. then, i realized, that Lila represented someone who acted from the biological level, and as you said, every level has quality.
this started me thinking of Pirsig's background in Zen. Because in zazen we try to still our mental internal dialogue and transcend into the world of the senses. our level of alertness is hightened and one smells, hears and sees with extraordinary clarity and sharpness. Dynamic Quality is very zen like...it cannot be described by words but experienced or felt. it is in constant flux facilitating change which we try to resist and zen's raison d'etre is to learn to accept the inevitable transience of life and all its sufferings.
there is much to Lila which owes its existence to Pirsig's background in Zen. don't you think?
i hear you're in Chiapas. that's one of my favorite places. have you been to Palenque, yet?
lithien
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