MD Pure Quality!

[Thracian Bard]

Dear Colleagues,   Everything has been so quiet during this past week. It has given me the opportunity to reflect on that which has become for me a key issue in the book, LILA. Namely, the adulteration of Dynamic Quality, once it has become a component of change within the Static Quality model. LILA is, at one level, a book about creation. One of the problems inherent in static quality that will eventually lead to either apathy or revolution, is when a social convention such as a community or a religion or a guild or a nation ceases to be a servant of the people, but rather their master. It's almost like a Gilbertian "topsy-turvy" world in which the creator eventually is compelled to either worship or be subservient to his/her creation. Now, I won't expound upon this basic premise, since it was already described quite eloquently by Mr. Pirsig, and no words from me will improve it. However, the concept which I am hoping that some of my colleagues will be willing to discuss is whether Dynamic Quality, once it becomes absorbed into a new Static Quality Model, always becomes part of the creature to which we are eventually re-enslaved, or can it remain pure, and by doing so, continue to evoke controversial response and be a continuously creative force. I am not speaking of Dynamic Quality, in general, but rather of specific movements, revolutions, or ideas. For example, most of the enlightened teachers around whom modern religions are established don't say, "worship me" but rather "follow me" or "follow my example". In fact most of the initial disciples of such teachers, do not necessarily think of themselves as part of a religion, but rather as followers of a man and his ideas. Religions are subsequently created by disciples to serve their community as a surrogate for the "Teacher" who had departed this world, so that his ideas could continue. Unfortunately, the surrogate becomes a new creature with its own separate agenda (ritual), needs (finances), and devotion by its members (worship) so that finances and support keep flowing in. The community that created this "Church" to respond to its needs, is now subservient to it. The same is true of nations. When the Bolsheviks revolted against the Russian monarchy, the idea was to create a state in which the working class citizens would control their own fate, free from the dictates of the Church or the Tsar. But what transpired was just another institution, which, although its ideas seemed initially pure (and, true, power had been removed from the hands of one family), was eventually controlled by a few people who developed myriad societal structures that dictated the day-to-day lives of the very workers that, supposedly, the revolution was intended to empower. The practice in the United States (and similarly in other nations) in which the citizenry pledges allegiance to a flag , a creation of theirs, seems to be a reversal of the natural order. Wouldn't it make more sense for the flag to pledge its allegiance to the citizens?   Now, at first, it seems that, in fact, each Dynamic occurrence, once its impact has been assimilated into a new hybrid Static Quality model, while improving it, no longer lives to change things, but rather has served its dynamic purpose by redefining and restructuring the institutions that we continue to hold dear. But as I observe certain occurrences in History, there are some events whose life span of Dynamism seem pure in their impact for measurably longer periods of time than others. I give two examples (1) The Renaissance and (2) The Beat. There are many others, and all of them seem to have two things in common: (a) They grew from a pure expression which was independent of any expectation of outcome, and (b) None of them were concerned about recruiting members. They just seemed to happen at the right place, at the right time, and by the appropriate people..   This brings me to the crux of this post. It seems that while their are many types of dynamics at work in the universe, the only ones that are truly "Pure Quality" events are the ones that happen with a disregard for outcome and no intentional campaign for the resources to succeed. I look forward to the support or constructive criticism by my colleagues in this discussion group..     In closing, allow me to quote from Stephen Mitchell's translation of the Tao te Ching (copyright 1988 by Stephen Mitchell):   "...The Master's power is like this. He lets all things come and go effortlessly, without desire. He never expects results; thus he is never disappointed. He is never disappointed; thus his spirit never grows old."     Ciao! The Bard