RE: MD Automatic or standard transmission?

From: Ian Glendinning (ian@psybertron.org)
Date: Fri Jun 20 2003 - 22:07:03 BST

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    Interesting, I was corresponding with others in my weblog about "Zen
    driving" during the last month, and concluded that ...

    My long-standing preference for a manual gear-shift transmission, and the
    fact that my current wheels are an open top sports car, were both aspects of
    being closer to the machine and to the world, in much the way that Pirsig
    describes the significance of travelling by cycle. It's more dynamic I
    guess.

    [Quote]
    'Unless you are fond of hollering you don't make great conversations on a
    running cycle. Instead you spend your time being aware of things and
    meditating on them. On sights and sounds, on the mood of the weather and
    things remembered, on the machine and the countryside you're in, thinking
    about things at great leisure and length without being hurried and without
    feeling that you are losing time.' (p 17, or P15 of my ZAMM25th Ed.)

    [Unquote]

    Also another aspect someone mentioned earlier - "driving in a Zen-like
    state" - also came up. Driving "on autopilot" - statically latched to the
    current state of the machine and journey, that one is not consciously aware
    of doing it, and quite able to apply the brain to more dynamic pursuits at
    the same time. You only become aware of having been in the state and
    conscious again when something unusual attracts your attention.

    Ian
      -----Original Message-----
      From: owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk
    [mailto:owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk]On Behalf Of SQUONKSTAIL@aol.com
      Sent: 20 June 2003 12:34
      To: moq_discuss@moq.org
      Subject: Re: MD Automatic or standard transmission?

      Hi squonk (and all),

      Thanks for the very valuable driver's point of view, but I was hoping for
      a more MoQ related response.

      sq: That is an MoQ related response. The relationship between driver and
    car is a relationship between all pattern levels of the car, driver, social
    convention and intellectual in a relationship with Dynamic Quality. The MoQ
    has mundane day to day applications and that is perhaps the most valuable
    aspect of the MoQ itself.

      Maybe I should have stressed on the idea of automatically of patterns more
      than the application of that idea. My driving dilemma is nothing but an
      excuse to dig deeper into the idea of static intellectual patterns
      becoming automatic as we become proficiant in them. We all have probably
      heard the statement:

          "It's like riding a bike. Once you learn it, you never forget."

      To me that says "Once a static intellectual pattern becomes too static (if
      there is such a thing), it is not an intellectual pattern anymore".
      Psychologists would probably say that the "sub-conscious" is responsible
      for this, but I don't value that term.

      sq: A mundane and useful application of MoQ thought would be: 'stay alert
    and be open for new experience' because if you slip into automatic pilot
    then you may not notice the weather is bad, the road is wet, the light is
    not on green as it has been 90% of the time, oh shit i'm in hospital with
    whiplash.
      Its called a value trap - forgetting the expected. Language is a good
    example of filtering out what is not worth noticing and what is to be
    noticed.

      I would be interested to know the forums' thoughts on this phenomenon.

      Cheers,

      - Pi

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