[MF] Is the pinnacle of human experience...

[Muzikhed at aol.com]

Kevin wrote:

On personal  relationships as a measure of quality I refer to a short story
documented  in the prologue and epilogue of a small book I first read in 1989;
In the  Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership by Henri  Nouwen.
 
Ted  responds:
    Kevin, you posted this story in response  to a question about what you 
think might be missing from Pirsig's writing.   It's a nice story, but I'm 
pretty sure I'm not receiving the point you're trying  to make with it.  Without 
any other analysis form you, I don't know how you  apply it to the question(s) 
at hand.  Do you feel this story demonstrates  some heart that Pirsig's stories 
lack?   Can you be specific?  Is  it compassion, brotherly love that you feel 
Pirsig lacks?  
 
We've mostly been talking about ZMM, not Lila, or the MOQ,
 but the following may draw us back in a bit  :              ( I hope ?)
 
In Dr. McWatt's textbook "An Introduction to Robert Pirsig's Metaphysics of  
Quality", (available at his website - an excellent read!), there is  critique 
of the MoQ regarding compassion, at the end of Chapter 5. 
 
 First, McWatt cites "Rahula's 'definition of compassion as  representing 
universal 'love, charity, kindness,tolerance, and such noble  qualities on the 
emotional side.'  However he is careful to note that it  must be balanced by 
wisdom:
 
   "If one develops only the emotional, neglecting the  intellectual, one may 
become a good-natured fool; while to develop only the  intellectual side 
neglecting the emotional may turn one into a hard-headed  intellect without 
feeling for others.  Therefore, to be perfect one has to  develop both equally.  
That is the aim of the Buddhist way of life;   in it wisdom and compassion are 
inseparably linked together"(Rahula,  1959)
 
McWatt then continues:
"I think too many world problems are caused or are seriously aggravated  
because compassion is lacking; in consequence it would certainly improve the  
MOQ's usefulness if it was given more emphasis."
 
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- Ted