I’m making another reference here to the great book ‘Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenence’ (https://www.bookdepository.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Robert-M-Pirsig/9780060589462?a_aid=philwalker) . Much of the content has become repeated since the time of publication of this book (1974). At the time it seemed to provide a great response to the failed while perhaps noble attempt of hippie culture to ‘escape’ the system while moving to more of a way to own and harness ‘the system’.

I briefly mentioned Pirsigs’ notion of ‘quality’ in my blog on energy (https://newbeginningstherapy.co.nz/2018/05/03/good-energy-bad-energy/). Pirsig speaks of ‘the ghost of rationality’ we are all caught up with and how people are in a kind of ‘funeral procession’. The author speaks of his own journey into madness where is able to ultimately kill the ghost of rationality.

In killing the ghost of rationality he becomes connected to the world and the notion of ‘quality’. What is quality outside of an object defined as having more or less quality? he asks. Pirsig concludes that it is our connection to this which is the ultimate connection to life and all that is.

I guess Carl Jung would see this as us being on our heroes journey towards ‘individuation’. The journey from our current personality A to personality B. Pirsig himself says how it is the connection between who we are to who we are becoming.

When we are connected with quality we are filled with gumption. Getting into that space is extremely powerful and comes to us when we are able to become calm and collected. Pirsig speaks of it happening after ventures such as fishing trips. Pirsig quotes that lots of gumption has been lost and we need a throwback to good old fashioned gumption to really break from our technology and rational driven world to the source of who we really are and what is really important.

Pirsig goes into ideas of Zen Buddhism and a start point being as having a peaceful body as the first thing with this then evolving into a peaceful mind. Then this becoming the ultimate goal of a peace of values. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is on this journey of becoming their own inner hero.