Me:Zen and the what?
He:Zen and the art of motor cycle maintenance
Me:Well it doesn?t sound too interesting, you know I cant even ride a cycle!
He:That?s ok, it?s got nothing to do with motorcycles.
Me:Hmm, someone once told me if a guy looks after his bike/car really well? he?s THE man for you. Does this book have anything to do with that?
He:Lol, maybe. Read it and you?ll know.
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Day 1:
Bought the book home. Roomie says, ?Aaw, its THAT book. I hope you enjoy it.?
Started with the Preface, there cant be anything ?interesting? about this part right? So I guess I?m going strong.
10 days later?
I have nothing better to do than read a book. I?m travelling! People around wanna zzzzzz and I don?t wanna let them... <WICKED smile>
Moreover, there?s a cute guy just opposite, who?s reading a book too. Would I like to miss out on some intangible intellectual contention??? ;) Never!
And since I don?t have any other book in hand, it has to be this one!
But, I have this fixation on page 1 (or, so the guy opposite must be wondering) cuz I just cant seem to read beyond the words (if you know what I mean). And, although I?ve read all the words on the page two times, I don?t seem to have understood what?s happening!
<IDEA>I resort to ?imaginary reading?which is nothing but a clever combination of?
staring at the page so hard, that your eyes would pop out + flipping pages at regular intervals + going back to the previous page, just when you have turned the page, as if you wanted to check some stuff from the previous page + lifting your eyebrows with a frown on your face and that faraway look as if you were developing your own philosophy on the book + a sharp smirk or sneer or whatever (I made a mistake of letting out a hearty laugh once? you see, I never really knew what the book was about)
And then after a looooooong span of continued juvenility, I look up ? and what do I see? He?s sleeping!
I give up!
10 days later?
I now own the book! My friend says, keep it. I?m generous. Read it and learn a lesson in life.
30 days later?
I come across someone talking about The Zen and whatever. So I decide I?ll start the book again
3 days later?
I find some renewed interest and finally start.
1 day later?
I?m done!
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The ZEN:
When I first heard this word, all that I knew about it was the car called ZEN. Then I graduated to ?ZEN? being some Buddhism thingie.
So, what did I learn about ZEN?
It?s something easily asked and never answered. The only true answer is the one that you find for yourself.
When words have no rigid meaning, logic is immaterial and comprehending is intuitive. Or more simply put, when words mean nonsense other than to the person who is using them, we are talking about ZEN.
The Motorcycle:
The cycle you're working on here, is a cycle called ?yourself?
The Art:
Lightning flashes,
Sparks shower,
In one blink of your eyes,
You have missed? seeing.
What I call the perfection of seeing, is not seeing others? but oneself. And this is the art we?re talking about.
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The Book?
''The study of the art of motorcycle maintenance is really a study of the art of rationality itself. Working on a motorcycle, working well, caring is to become part of a process, to achieve an inner peace of mind. The motorcycle is primarily a mental phenomenon.''
~ Robert M. Pirsig
The book is one which people would call ?life changing?, ?a thinking guide?, ?a positive-analytical pursuit? etc. etc. etc. I've read met a lot of people who?ve read the book and there are mixed reactions. Those who were lost or somewhat depressed seem to enjoy the book and those who are ?hey-I-am-happy-in-life? and mentally ''sound? are appalled and maybe a little disgusted with the book.
The reason being, Pirsig carries the idea of rationality with two extremes in order to find spirituality and there doesn?t seem to be anything in between. Well personally I don?t think it is essential to go through this torturous metaphysical zenophobics to go on a quest for the ?quality of life? and to be later declared schizophrenic.
But anyway, the book is not an easy read, but it?s worth the effort. So go for it! And tell me what you think.
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The Dedication?
This review is dedicated to my good ?old? friend, who insists on calling himself senile.
Thank you for giving me a name. :-)
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