From: jc (jcpryor@nccn.net)
Date: Tue Aug 02 2005 - 06:16:15 BST
At 2:56 PM -0600 8/1/05, Scott Roberts wrote:
>
>The problem is that you do not seem to realize that you are part of the
>problem. As am I, and as are we all. But -- or so I flatter myself in so
>thinking -- to recognize that one is part of the problem is the first step
>in ceasing to be so.
Ok Scott. What's the second step?
If it is Pirsig's belief that
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands,
then work outward from there."
Then when or how does one know the inward work is done and it's time
the outward work begun?
If it is also true,
"A tribe can only change it's values person by person and someone
has to be first."
then who will be second, third, ....?
To cling to a static faith in the writings of one RM Pirsig and
believe that all you have to do is accurately apprehend some pristine
philosophical way of thinking without actually doing anything real
with it all seems to me a grave mistake in comprehending his point in
context.
But perhaps this is only my ignorance speaking. I spent my early
years around fundamentalist Christians who also seemed content to
just believe and trust that everything was in God's hands. That
never made much sense to me either. Either I have the power to act
and change things or I virtually don't exist. To me, my existence is
a much more utilitarian hypothesis than my non-existence, and calling
the rationalization of my non-existence "enlightenment" is just plain
silly.
Remember when Pirsig turned his back on this path? Asked his
professor at Benares about the dropping of the atom bomb on
Hiroshima? (happy friggging atomic anniversary, btw)
jc
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