What, Why & How do we Know ?
… on the way back to Syndey and Perth. Finished Sue Blackmore’s book. Excellent. Predictably positive review of Buddhism in the final chapter – the continuum avoiding duality. She quotes Dennett – it’s the thoughts that “do” the thinking, there is no other “I”. Mentions all the usual Zen suspects, inlcuding Wilber, but not Pirsig. … Continue reading “And Aukland …”
Well maybe not. I picked-up on this paper on the “Technosophy” site of Terry Alden’s, because of a search hit on the 22 in my Catch-22, only to find a whole culture of synchronicity around the number 22 (and 23 ?). Anyway, some of it is probably too mystic and new age, but the particular … Continue reading “It’s in the numbers ?”
Recurring theme, here picked up from “Tripzine” by Corpus MMothra. One quote relevant to the Pirsig story [Timeline, 1960] – [Quote] I had experienced with psilocybin mushrooms, or LSD. [DXM] was more like, “Here it is, this is the truth, do whatever you want with it”. [Unquote] The full article ends with this [editor’s note: … Continue reading “Truth in Drugs”
Or was it a case of synchronicity ? You may recall I linked to Mark Richardson earlier in summer 2004, when he was re-tracing Robert Pirsig’s “ZMM” motorcycle trip from Minnesota to California as part of researching a book he is writing. Using his column in the Toronto Star, he’s just posted an uplifting little … Continue reading “Was She An Angel ?”
Could this take off into wider public awareness ? Here’s hoping. This is one of Adbuster.Org’s Biggest Ideas for 2005 – called Clarity of Mind. Brought to my attention by David Hodgson [blogged here at Digital Falcon], via contact with Reed Burkhart. Also from contact with Rudy van Stratum, links to the work of the … Continue reading “Quality Meme for 2005 ?”
I’m still working my way through Dr James Austin’s “Zen and the Brain”, and I’ve reached a section on anesthesia and other consciousness altering chemical effects. Actually, I took a break from Dr Austin, to read Voltaire’s Candide – short and sweet – humorous Swiftian-style satire on the “best of all possible worlds” view that … Continue reading “Quantum Consciousness”
Brad Cox and Greg Balzer.
Some thoughts reading Herrigel, still mid Dr Austin. Nothing new, just recognisable significance. (Kingston on-line to the rescue.) Basic stuff – Koans – learning documented Koans, learning documented answers to documented Koans, learning aproaches / concepts applicable to documented Koans, are all irrelevant; this is a meta-meta-meta-meta- … -meta-problem. (I did say this year’s word … Continue reading “Zen Lessons”