[MD] guidebook/primer

[Heather Perella]

Marsha,

     SA:  Very interesting and simple way of
describing this.  I like it.  I have some questions
and comments for clarifications' sake.

     [Marsha]
Here's how I think of the Social & Intellectual
Levels.  Both levels are comprised of thoughts (MIND).
 The Social Level is SQ (thought) that is primarily
subconscious, ritualized, or copied.  The Intellectual
Level is primarily SQ (thoughts) that are conscious,
individualized and manipulated.

     SA:  The use of the idea - primarily - helps
classify and demarcate social level and intellectual,
since an exchange between the two always occurs, too
(at least that's what I believe).  Those exchanges are
either creative or degenerative.  

     [Marsha]
Having stated the above, I can think of two reasons I
would want to kill all thought.

      SA:  I kill all thought, I believe, when I
meditate, so I'm with you here.  Yet, for
clarifications' sake, as Buddha holding up the flower
to, I believe it was Bodhidharma, and then the Zen
lineage begins.  The clarification is the translation,
as we all well know by now.  It is that transmission
of Buddha's experience, and Buddha knew how difficult,
if not impossible, it would be to discuss his
experience under the tree.  This is the same
experience China had when Buddhism was introduced to
this region.  The Chinese desired and read book after
book of what the Buddha had to say.  Yet, no matter
how much the Chinese tried to understand Buddhism, all
the practitioners in China knew something was missing.
 This occurred for centuries, until Bodhidharma said
something like, the Buddha is here.  The Buddha will
be experienced when one meditates.  Thus, began
Chan/Zen.  If, we kill all thoughts, according to what
your stating thoughts are, intellectual and social
levels, then what we have left is dq (not bad),
biological and chaotic levels.  Now, just having the
biological and chaotic levels left over, if we follow
strict Pirsigian levels, what we have left is
biological and chaotic terrors and desires, and as the
Buddha said, "All life is suffering."  Killing all
thoughts, therefore, must be some kind of occurrence
that leaves open the cultivation and rebuilding of the
intellectual and social levels that are enlightened,
or follow the Code of Art.  So, the killing of
thoughts must eventually come to an end, meaning, we
have different thoughts, thoughts that are dynamic and
beautiful.  Does this make any sense?

     [Marsha]
One reason would be to experience the present moment
directly without the mental descriptive chatter.

     SA:  This must mean, I know it does for me, not a
total absence of intellectual and social levels, and
only the biological and chaotic levels remaining.  We,
maybe we, are talking about an intellectual and social
level that have been redefined, enlightened, and
follow the Code of Art, a moral excellence.

     [Marsha]
A second reason would be if I were mentally
manipulating ideas within the Intellectual Level and
wanted to find a solution beyond it.

     SA:  Yes, this is very close, I don't know if I
could even say it any better.  The destruction of the
distracting intellectual level, replaced with an
intellect that is clear, non-distracting, such as
koans are clearly thoughtful, yet, are beautiful and
clear the way for ones own insight, ones own
experience.  Also, just as Buddha held up the flower,
and Bodhidharma was struck, enlightened, and realized
the Way.  

     [Marsha]
Code of Art: the pure joy of achieving both reasons.

     SA:  I believe what I was saying above fits into
this statement of yours.  Once one achieves both
reasons you've given, thus, the intellectual (reasons)
is an intellectual level codified by art.  Also, the
social level is.  These are understandings, and become
established in our thinking.  We then further develop,
cultivate, and beautify the universe.  This reminds me
of the Navajo Pollen Path which goes as follows:

Beauty above me.
Beauty below me.
Beauty in front of me.
Beauty behind me.
Beauty on my right.
Beauty on my left.
In beauty I walk the pollen path.

This is a participatory universe.

Does any of this make sense?

Thanks,
SA

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