Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

The next morning, the narrator is anxious to get on the road but is hesitant to wake Chris. He finally yells at him to wake up, then recites a part of a poem, “The Rubàiyat of Omar Khayyàm,” though Chris is still half asleep and the narrator knows he has butchered the recitation. While on the road, Chris has diarrhea and the two have to pull over. While Chris is cleaning up, the narrator remembers the rest of the poem, noting how much of Phaedrus’ fragments are becoming his fragments, an unsettling thought.

The narrator then addresses a concept he calls “gumption,” an old word he likes that is not used as much, like “kin,” another of the narrator’s favorite words. Gumption is what motivates an individual to perform a Quality task, such as fixing a motorcycle. Gumption is vital to the entire process of understanding Quality, and so the narrator spends the rest of the Chautauqua covering several forms of “gumption traps,” which can drain an individual’s motivation and render them unable to perform Quality work.

The narrator divides gumption traps into two categories. The first is “setbacks,” which come from external circumstances. The second category is “hang-ups,” which come about from the individual himself. He then details several setback scenarios as they relate to motorcycle maintenance, such as failing parts and machinery that function sporadically.

The “hang-ups” are divided into three separate categories. “Value traps” are a large category. Value traps interfere with an individual’s internal understanding. The most common and dangerous value trap is “value rigidity,” in which a set understanding of the world prevents an individual from reevaluating problems as they work. He gives the example of a monkey whose hand is stuck clutching rice. The monkey is caught because it never slows down to reevaluate its set values of rice and freedom. Individuals can develop a genuine interest in the task at hand and overcome this, seeing their possibilities in a whole new light. The next subcategory is “truth traps,” which can block intellectual comprehension. The last is “muscle traps,” which block physical actions.

In Prairie City, the narrator and Chris stop for lunch and Chris writes the letter to his mother he began a while back. The narrator notes how it is time for Chris to stop imitating his father. He needs to come into his own. He also mentions his relationship with Chris suffers from a value trap. He wants to discover more about his son but cannot due to value rigidity. He thinks again about his dream of a glass door separating him from his son, and wonders more about its significance.

Back on the road, the narrator begins to discuss the internal gumption trap of ego. An ego gumption trap insulates the individual from the reality of Quality. This happens because the individual is more likely to believe flattering details and less likely to believe unflattering ones. To overcome this trap, the narrator suggests adopting a modest outlook even if the individual has problems with modesty.

Anxiety is another internal gumption trap, in which nervousness makes a person commit errors that end up hindering repairs. Boredom is yet another internal trap, and is the opposite of anxiety. To combat boredom, the narrator encourages readers to take a break as soon as boredom begins. The narrator is bored by having to clean his motorcycle. To combat it, he has learned to ritualize the task, like parishioners going to church. Boredom can be fought by relishing the ritualized familiarity of tasks. Impatience is another internal gumption trap, which can be combated with proper organization and not placing a time limit on work.

After the narrator and Chris get some rest in a small town, they resume traveling through the desert. The narrator continues his Chautauqua as well, explaining that truth traps can often arise from yes-no logic’s inability to handle a third answer; namely, data from reality. This deep-seated dualism prevents individuals from seeing that the right answer can exist outside of yes or no at times. The Japanese term “mu,” which means “no thing,” is this alternative answer. The narrator gives as example the answer to whether or not the nature of the Buddha resides in dogs. The correct answer is “mu,” meaning that the question’s context is too large or small to answer. Mu also appears in the scientific world. When computers seemingly only function on one or zero, there is another state, especially when they are turned off, that is neither. This, again, is mu. The revelation explains how scientists must widen the context of their inquiries in order to properly understand what is being studied. Applying motorcycle maintenance as example, mu can effectively point a mechanic to the true nature of the problem far more effectively than yes-no answers.

The narrator finally addresses psychomotor traps, which can be caused by unsuitable tools, physical discomfort, or a lack of a “mechanic’s feel.” This is synonymous with a mechanic who is too rough when fixing a motorcycle, not understanding the pliability of what is underneath the surface. To bring about the proper “feel,” one must become comfortable interacting with and manipulating the array of materials used in motorcycle construction and repair.

The narrator concludes the Chautauqua about gumption traps by reminding the reader that an understanding of all the possible traps isn’t enough to ensure perfect motorcycle maintenance. However, one must still live in a way that avoids gumption traps and channels Quality in every activity. This correct attitude can prevent one from viewing motorcycles and motorcycle maintenance as objects that are separate from the self, a realization which will allow for seamless, Quality work.

The narrator wonders again about the depression he feels on the road, and notices that the people sharing the road with them appear more distracted and alienated than before. He realizes this is because they have reached the west coast. The narrator decries the impersonal, egotistical way of life in the area. After finding a camp near Bend, Oregon, the narrator and Chris finally get some sleep.