Hi Plotinus

Thanks for responding. Its always helpful to hear different perspectives.

Red pill or blue pill? It is said once a question is asked it cannot be unasked so in this case asking the question may be answering it – the red pill has been chosen.  ?  Cypher wishes to un-ask the question and in deceiving himself is killed so we must be authentic in the quest.  As you say we must follow our path, or perhaps more correct to say enter ‘into’ the flow of our path as laid out and that we attempt to shape.

Have you read ‘After Zen’ by Janwillem van de Wetering?

Janwillem was seeking the answer to the question of purpose and meaning and hoping to find it in a monastery.  He found it but didn’t find it… (which may be a very Zen state of being). The other issue I noticed in his quest, which may have been just me reading between the lines, is the struggle between the tension of action and being. Gaining a moral detachment to life as it is while staying engaged in Life as it is. For me detachment often leads to indifference, the loss of motivation to act. Which if I’m being honest with myself is part of the appeal of being a monk – as I image a monk life would be… not having to concern myself with ‘paying the bills’ or worry about the other mundane stuff of life.  Thus for me the option of being a monk would be wrong.

I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on the issue of moral detachment and action.