Quality and Values

These are the premises of Robert M. Pirsig's two "timeless classics", Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (ZAMM) and Lila.

I don't often read books (or watch movies) more than once - I have read ZAMM 3 times already. Everytime you read that book, it speaks differently to you. I guess the beauty of both these books is that based on where are you in your life, you can interpret ideas in the book differently. Another amazing thing about these books (for me) was the generous dose of Hindu philosophy (the author spent some time at Banares).

To clarify, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is NOT about Zen or about Motorcycles. Its about Quality with a capital Q. Quality if the primary reality, the source of everything. Value, he says, is the direct experience, independent of and preceding intellectual recognition.

In Lila, the author goes through some great ideas - his views on the culture of the United States, the way the times have moved from the Victorian Age to the WW's, to the Hippies era. The author spends most of his time on a boat on the Hudson in the company of Lila, a woman bordering on mental "instability". His views on NY in this book make for some very interesting reading.

Both books are great attempts to bridge the gap between science, metaphysics, and mysticism. They sometimes are far from easy reading and require you to occasionally pause to digest the philosophy the author is trying to get at, but very satisfying nevertheless. 2 of the best books I have ever read!