From: Steve & Oxsana Marquis (marquis@nccn.net)
Date: Thu Apr 21 2005 - 00:06:29 BST
Scott wrote:
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"The nature and history of the ... Koan, for example, is subject to great academic controversy, with some researchers claiming it operates quite purely in Nagarjuna's mode, viz., a rigorous rationalism whereby logic cancels itself out -- leaving devoidness to lapse (slide) by, interminably; and others seeing it as operative in a Yogacaric mode, as an intuitionism, so the monk does *not* through the assiduous use of reason *deduce* self-contradiction, but rather *transcends* reason "in a flash"."
Pirsig is clearly on the side of the latter interpretation, while I have been arguing for the former interpretation (which I call employing the logic of contradictory identity). But it should be noted that this is considerably different from your description:
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Scott, I apologize for the late response.
My description was a composite of poor memory, several shallow New Age books, and the advice of friends who were not active members of any meditation 'school' so I wouldn't credit it with representing any orthodox view to be sure.
The reason for my query is to dethrone the myth (at least for myself) that Zen is anti-rational. Cleary 'rigorous rationalism' is utilizing rationality, so it's not 'anti' rational. But rigorous rationality separates rationality itself from the 'objects' of rationality. It is this distinction that makes this work, is that no so? And, finally, with no objects to discriminate between reasoning self cancels.
But neither is the intuitionist school anti-rational in the sense that reasoning is determined to be bad and a habit to be unlearned. Is that not so? Transcending reason does not seem to me abolishing reason.
It does not make sense!?!? to me to pursue DQ exclusive of static latches.
Live well,
Steve
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