It almost happened at the same time, completely unintentionally: starting to meditate, going for a solo trip to Vietnam, and beginning to read Robert M. Pirsig's 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.' All these experiences were speaking the same language, and the message was simple and clear: be present, here and now.
It was something that transcended the Western dichotomy of 'good and bad,' 'past and future'; it was the overcoming of judgment, even of temporality.
It's the concept of MU, an ancient idea discussed by Pirsig in the book.
“Mu means 'no thing,' similar to 'quality'; it points beyond the process of dualistic discrimination. Mu simply says, 'no class: not one, not zero, not yes, not no.' It asserts that the context of the question is such that a yes and no answer are in error and should not be given. 'Unask the question' is what it conveys.”
I've felt that wholeness while meditating; while on the back of a rugged bike, not knowing where I was going or what time it was, and not thinking about it; realizing I'm all I need; smiling when cycling in the middle of a motorway, soaked wet and with no connection at all; running around trails and feeling my footprints getting stamped in the mud; sweating and getting bitten by mosquitoes while lurking through the weeds.
There were moments of loneliness, sourness, and confusion, but they were just a part of it, part of that wholeness that only MU can describe. I hope this video has encapsulated some of that.
Thanks for reading…and watching!
Yours,
H.