Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values is considered by some to be one of the most interesting books ever written. Most would assume from its title that it’s got something to do with taking care of a motorcycle, but in reality, it’s far from that. It’s a book that explores the very concepts that the human race has struggled to understand, since the dawn of time.

In the book, published in 1974, the author, Robert, and his son Chris take a 17-day motorcycle trip. The pair is joined by two close friends for the first nine days of the trip and along the way, they have numerous discussions. These discussions, known as Chautauquas, were philosophical, touching on a wide range of subjects.

One of these subjects was about the concept of “quality” and how it is determined. The author argued that to be able to experience true understanding of things and to truly embrace and enjoy something’s quality, both the western and eastern views had to be applied or “embraced as befits the requirements of the situation.”

This concept is explored through the author’s friend John, who won’t learn how to take care of his motorcycle and decides to hope for the best but then becomes frustrated when it breaks and he has to rely on outside help to fix it. On the other hand, the author has a motorcycle that he knows how to care for and repair, using simply problem-solving. In another instance, the author noted that the engine was making odd noises that meant the fuel inside it was the wrong fuel/air mixture. The next day, he was able to diagnose that it was caused by the mountain air so he fixed it by adjusting the carburetor. He used these examples to explore the differences between those who are “focused in the moment” rather than on the classical approach, or rational analysis as well as those who know all of the mechanics and details of things.

The author’s friends were used to represent the romantic attitude and the author was used as foil, someone who preferred the classic approach. As the book goes on, it becomes clear that he understands that both viewpoints are important and that he is trying to find some point of view that includes both. He understands that technology can appear ugly to a romanticized person and that the opposite is true for someone who prefers the classical approach but a person must find this ground in order to achieve inner piece of mind. In the end, how you look at the world determines how you experience it.

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