Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values

I feel that so much has been said about this book… and yet most people I mention it too have either not heard about it or only just recall reading it a long time ago. This book was very helpful and inspiring to me. It can be tough reading but that is easy to overcome – simply browse through the parts that you feel are too much for you. I connected with the book and have read it numerous times and each time I am able to dig in deeper in certain parts.

The book is a personal story, a philosophical discussion, about the trap of seeking and about the inevitable yearning to do so. I like it because it inspired me into believing that the trap is there only because of the limitation of the mind and a simple human choice to ignore that limitation. I like it because it is highly reasonable and at the same time highly spiritual – and the two live in harmony side by side. I like it because it does not provide a solution – but it does demonstrate that seeking, regardless of the difficulties it may cause, is a meaningful and worthy path through life – that there probable are not shortcuts.

I carry with me, from the book, the concept of Quality. I have found this to be a clear (though sometimes inexplainable) point of reference for my choices in life and in guiding others. I have found that when I run into religious (and spiritual) contexts, in which I experience resistance, that by simply replacing the concept of “God” with “Quality” I am quickly able to peal away the distractive qualities and experience the core. It is a word with which people like to associate themselves – so it is an excellent tool of communication and bridging.

If you are interested in delving deeper – the book has a sequel called “Lila”: