AtDTDA (16) 434 +

[robinlandseadel at comcast.net]

              Mark Kohut:
              YES!!    Great associational finds.............
 
              Pynchon cross alludes.........his tropes and metaphors 
              change but stay the same.......Yes?
 
              All: 25 word essay on the above.
 
              I will have more to say on this after I read the papers 
              turned in........

Well, first off there's:

              . . . .in particular noting the resonances of Mount Kailas in 
              Tibet, the ancient Manichaens worship of light and the 
              "heavenwide blast of light" of the Tungusga Event all tied 
              together by that mysterious "Quaternionic Weapon". Note 
              as well how all of this is reflected/distorted/refracted by 
              Kit's analogous trek to Shambhala.

http://waste.org/mail/?list=pynchon-l&month=0708&msg=121245&sort=date

. . . .but that ain't 25 words, so here goes:

Illumination/revelation/apocalypse/gnosticism. . . .

Apocalypse. . . .
. . . .literally: the lifting of the veil). . . .
. . . .the disclosure to certain privileged persons of 
something hidden from the mass of humankind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse

. . . .now, that 25 words doesn't include the link for the wikipedia definition, 
and I had to edit the citation [knowing full well that the Greek word would 
get mangled by my mode of E-Mail], but suffice to say that all of Pynchon's 
writing---once you get to the bottom of it all---has to do with the essential 
paradox of Apocalypse---"I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you"---so that we 
constantly have the central McGuffins of OBA's texts dealing with the 
Varieties of Revelatory [also Apocalyptic] Experience. Note "privileged 
persons" in the Wikipedia translation of the Greek original---"The Elect", 
anyone? Note also the role of Counterforces, all fighting against the day 
of revelation, protected by cover of night, paradoxically given a 
totally inverted meaning in eastern spiritual systems, such as the Tao:

              30

              Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men
              doesn't try to force issues
              or defeat enemies by force of arms.
              For every force there is a counterforce.
              Violence, even well intentioned,
              always rebounds upon oneself.

              The Master does his job
              and then stops.
              He understands that the universe
              is forever out of control,
              and that trying to dominate events
              goes against the current of the Tao.
              Because he believes in himself,
              he doesn't try to convince others.
              Because he is content with himself,
              he doesn't need others' approval.
              Because he accepts himself,
              the whole world accepts him.

              Tao Te Ching, Stephen Mitchell translation

http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/taote-v3.html#30

. . . .and I'd have to opine that OBA considers himself part of the Counterforce.