[MD] Following DQ in Zen Tradition

[118]

Hi Ant and All,

I would like to present an additional perspective for “following DQ”.
There is no doubt that the instructions provided by Pirsig in MoQ can
result in a personal awareness of one’s existence which is different
from the “normal” paradigm in the West.  We have a set of premises
that distinguish static awareness (words and other constructs) and
dynamic awareness, which are fundamental for the scaffold of MoQ
proper.

In what I believe to be the Zen tradition, following DQ can be
achieved through meditative awareness on these premises.  In the past
I have stated that we all follow DQ because we have no choice.  This
is not deterministic, since the “we” I am referring to is also DQ.  I
will go on to explain.

This “following DQ” is distinct from following SQ.  In our current
climate in the West, we follow the words on a page as a kind of dogma,
or set of rules.  We then parse the words so as to present “within
such dogma” our interpretation, or, our awareness of what the words
are signifying.  Since we confine ourselves with  the words as we
understand them, this awareness is restricted through previous
indoctrination, such as the book “Lila”.  Indeed, for us to build an
understanding of MoQ, certain premises must be guarded as essential,
and the propositions within Lila are essential for this body of work.

As I see it, MoQ is meant to bring one to a place where one can start
traveling on their own.  Once one is fully equipped for the journey
resulting from MoQ, one can follow the paths which result.  The
analogy here is the Buddhist one where the teachings of Buddha are to
be used as a raft to cross the river (for a new paradigm).  Once the
banks on the other side are reached, the raft is left behind and not
carried on one’s journey.  Buddha believed (in my interpretation) that
everyone should explore for themselves, and his part in this was to
provide the shoes that they may need.

With this in mind, “following DQ” is traveling without being
restricted by words and is done within certain codes of appreciation.
In Zen, much effort is attempted in “distancing” oneself from one’s
static thoughts.  It is not in “stopping” such thoughts, for that is
impossible due to the workings of the brain.  The brain cannot stop
itself, for the breaks cannot be separated from the car as a
controlling entity therein.  My journey through Zen suggests that the
mode of distancing oneself from thoughts is to treat them as
occurrences, no different from a wind that strikes us on a sailboat.
In this way, one does not “become his thoughts”, just like a sailor is
not the wind, but he uses it.  This is also termed “thinking without
thinking” and takes practice.

As with Buddhism, this practice can be analogized to freeing oneself
from the Ego.  This ego is the constant pressure the brain imposes on
us to do certain things to preserve the body as a whole.  It’s main
purpose (imo) is to distinguish ourselves from the environment and
give us a sense of place.  In the past I have termed this as
“Propioception”.  Of course this is necessary for survival, but there
are many times when such preservation is not required, such as when
sitting on an empty beach.  In fact, such constant preservation is not
essential for most of the day, and most of the day can be free from
the dictates of the web of thoughts that the past wove.  A pronoun for
this is “beginner’s mind” (D.T. Suzuki).

Once one frees oneself from words, one is then free to follow DQ in a
less restricted way.  One can grab words as tools at any time, but
they are just tools.

What does this perspective do for us?  If the mechanic, the
motorcycle, and the maintenance are seen as a single unit, that is,
the mechanic becomes the motorcycle through maintenance; this mechanic
is then more free from static restrictions and becomes “unstuck” from
the formality of a maintenance manual.  As described in ZAMM, this
allows the maintenance to solve gumption traps more easily.  This
state of consciousness is closer to following DQ than following SQ,
although both are present.  It could in fact be termed “following DQ
with some input from SQ”.

Once the purpose for splitting up Quality into SQ and DQ is
understood, one can leave that distinction behind.  It is only through
“trying” to follow DQ that one cannot follow it.  There can be no set
of instructions that one must adhere to at all times in order to
follow DQ, since that is following SQ.  Once one realizes that
following DQ requires putting behind SQ then one is free and
unencumbered by words.  Again, this is no different from what Zen
teaches in my experience.  We can see our thoughts as a set of
instructions that are not needed for awareness.  Awareness is much
deeper than that.

It is with much appreciation that I regard all the words presented in
this forum.  This gives me things which I can leave behind; things
that I would have been unaware I was following.  When on a hot day and
one is running towards the cool ocean and discarding clothing along
the way, it is not until the clothing is gone that one jumps in.
Thank you for pointing out my clothes, I do not want to drown.

Cheers,
Mark