Friday, February 22, 2008

Zen, Motorcycle Maintenance, and Paul Potts.

Some time ago I read the book "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig.  In it, and in his follow-up book "Lila", Pirsig presents a new way of looking at things.  He calls these 'new rules' the Metaphysics of Quality.  A main idea of his Metaphysics is something he calls Dynamic Quality.  This says that all people know quality, or goodness, or "what's right" - no matter their age, or culture, or race, or religion.  That recognizing goodness is inherent in all of us. 


Paul Potts was a nobody who could sing opera.  When I watched this video of him singing for the first time it reminded me of Pirsig's Dynamic Quality.  Potts isn't just singing oprea but showing us goodness.  His performance transcends singing oprea and is more a display of quality for all to see.  Drink it in Buckos.