#The Meaning(s) of Life: A Human's Guide to the Biology of Souls

[quotelr]

When you gaze out on a quiet, peaceful meadow, next to a still pond, under a motionless blue sky, you wonder how the noisy, busy cacophony of life could have arisen from such silent, motionless beginning.

M.., The Meaning(s) of Life: A Human's Guide to the Biology of Souls

[largemaxa]

Dharma and Social Constructions

The world is in the grip of a set of waves of social change that we term the "culture war": individuals and groups disagree about the way that society should function in areas from treatment of minorities to economic inequality to gun rights. A frequently invoked idea in many these debates is the concept of "social construction" imported from academia. This is the idea that behaviors or forms of knowledge, rather than being based on empirical reality, are constructed by society. For example, consider the behavior of men and women. The social constructionist theory says that there is no behavior that is essentially male or female; rather, society organizes approved ways of acting for men and women and expects them to conform. One side of culture war belligerents draws the conclusion that if someone does not want to conform to those approved ways of acting, they should not have to, because there is no inherent basis for those rules besides arbitrary social convention. The other side usually responds that societally given arrangements are "natural", and are not arbitrary. Since science is the most prestigious method of justification in society today, this conservative tendency often looks to root answers in biology in order to be able to show that the established way of doing things really is "natural".

The concept of dharma can help to shed light on this issue. Dharma is the essential law of being of any given thing—animal or mineral, human or nonhuman. Dharma is often interpreted as pertaining specifically to societally prescribed responsibilities, or duties. But the law of nature that is dharma does not simply consist of the duties that someone must fulfill. To view dharma in terms of duties is a degenerate interpretation that reduces an entire way of living to a series of obligations; acts such as breathing and dancing are part of the dharma of a human just as his or her job responsibilities. The nature of dharma can perhaps be seen most clearly during times when dharma changes such as in major societal transformations where existing dharmas fray and people search for new ideas and ways of life. For example, during the hippie era, millions of young people felt that the previous way of life of 1950's America, commonly understood as staid and repressed, were no longer working for them and looked for a new dharma, finding new ways of being in their attitudes towards work, conscription, sexuality, music, and fashion. (Their search was preceded by the beatniks who searched for new ways of being in jazz, poetry, and Zen in the heart of the 1950's themselves.) A clear contrast can then be seen in the dharma of the 1950's and the hippie dharma.

It is tempting to say that dharmas are simply socially constructed and have no empirical reality. But this misses the key principle that the socially constructed prescription is not the same as dharma itself, even if they often line up; in the final analysis, dharma can only be known by the individual. That is, society may tell the individual how they are expected to behave, but only the individual knows whether that is the true dharma which applies to them. If a given pattern of living is so outworn that it appears to the individual as an arbitrary social construction that gives no joy, then it should, in fact, be replaced; this is what happened when the hippies rejected the 1950's lifestyle. But if the societal prescriptions still retain life and vitality, they should and will be accepted. Social constructionists note that identities are enacted through "performances"—maleness or femaleness, for example, are effects that are produced by a person acting in a masculine or feminine way. From the point of dharma, however, the question is whether performing the performance is stimulating to the soul; if it is not, it is time to find a new performance, wherever that may come from.

By adopting the perspective of dharma, the need to root the justification for behaviors in some anterior essence, such as biology, is seen as unnecessary. The problem with the drive to root behaviors in nature is that nature, too, can and will be able to be changed as science progresses. From the perspective of dharma, what matters is the soul's consent to the pattern of thought, behavior, and even physical nature that it is presented with.

A problem comes in because refusing to cooperate with established dharmas is interpreted as adharma, which can be seen as sinfulness or the absence of virtue. A charge of adharma often occurs when an individual makes a choice that they feel aligns with their personal dharma while it conflicts with others' view as to that individual's dharma. There is no objective criterion that dictates who is right in this situation, the individual or society—there are only precedents and principles which may be used to provide a guide to judgment, but reasonable judgments ultimately still may differ. This is why the Gita says that it is better to perish following your own dharma than to succeed while following another's dharma. There is ultimately no way to prove that you are following the right dharma to anyone else, and you may have to accept the consequence that you are judged as committing adharma, which can bring significant negative consequences.

This leads to the possibility of the unfortunate situation where individuals who follow their own individual guiding light are punished by society for following disapproved ideas. This can and does happen, as society is inherently more conservative than the individual and is only able to make general allowances for the most typical behavior. But there is a mechanism for making this situation somewhat less brutal, which is that is that society is able to update its ideas. If a certain number of individuals are viewed as committing adharma for the same reason, it is possible for society to look at them, reassess, and realize that in fact they are following a valid dharmic movement. This change may not be easy or peaceful and may even require conflict, but it is a pattern that is seen many times in history. An example is the recognition of homosexuality as a valid pattern of life, at least in the most progressive societies. Homosexuality was once regarded as an adharmic state, but thanks to the work of organizers and changing societal attitudes, it was recognized that it is in fact a natural condition. In this way the collective societal idea of dharma was updated, and it became possible for homosexuals to follow their nature in a socially approved way. Here, we see that social constructions can be responsive to change and update themselves according to new conditions just as individuals do.

In light of the concept of dharma, we can reassess what it means to be progressive or conservative without demanding either the overthrow or arbitrary preservation of all socially constructed standards. The true function of a progressive prescription is to point out that a given dharma has become outmoded and is in need of repair or replacement—even if there is no time-tested replacement for it yet. The true function of a conservative prescription is to point out that a given dharma needs to be preserved because still reflects the nature of things and needs to be respected—even if its value is not rationally understood. Together, the progressive and conservative negotiate their way around the true dharma, which is found at the point where the individual soul makes its choice to be itself.

[dusudaunord]

Things to do in Montréal from May 26 to June 1

As Montréal steps into June, outdoor events become a guiding lifestyle principle: enjoy open-air music and artistic performances, see the historic sights of Expo 67, join the Museums Day crowds, and party in the parks and pop-up villages.

Montréal celebrates

Watch Montréal history come to life on the Saint Lawrence River in spectacular, free multimedia show Montréal Avudo every night in the Old Port. From there you’ll also see the city’s high-tech 375th anniversary light show on the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. An eagerly awaited annual event, Museums Day means almost every museum and major gallery opens free of charge and features special 375th anniversary activities on May 28. The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under conductor Kent Nagano plays a Symphony for Montréal, with visuals by Moment Factory, May 31 and June 1-2 at Maison Symphonique. La Grand Tournée weekend events, presented by Cirque Éloize, runs throughout the summer and in every neighbourhood, from group picnics in the park and green alleyway tours to circus shows and cinema under the stars. See how new car trends serve the city at the Montréal Electric Vehicle Show at Place Bonaventure May 26-28. And expect more cyclists on the streets during the Go Bike Montréal Festival‘s Bike to Work Week – followed next week by massive public bike rides Tour de l’Île and Tour la Nuit.

Open-air urban fun  

Urban green space, outdoor eatery and bar in the heart of downtown, Les Jardins Gamelin hosts a musical breakfast on Saturday and an evening of salsa music, followed by Sunday morning family activities and a week of live music and more. Patio season in the  Latin Quarter opens with a live-music bang presented by Osheaga on Saint-Denis Street May 26-27. While downtown, grab a bite from one of Montréal’s great food trucks or pop by the Marché des Éclusiers market in the Old Port for a meal, a drink, local produce and other creations. Buy locally designed creations and have a drink while grooving to the beat of the Mile Ex Night Market at AlexandraPlatz Bar on May 27. And on June 1, drop by the annual grand opening party of Village au Pied du Courrant next to the Jacques Cartier Bridge, with funk, soul, jazz and reggae spun by The Goods. Find more outdoor activities in our guide to free things to do this Spring in Montréal.

Expo 67 turns 50

Montréal celebrates the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 with entertaining and history-rich exhibitions: see colourful outfits and products created by Québec designers at the McCord Museum’s Fashioning Expo 67; photographs tell the tale in The Sixties in Montréal: Archives de Montréal at City Hall; marvel at the technological innovations of EXPO 67: A World of Dreams at the Stewart Museum and Écho 67 at the nearby Buckminster Fuller designed Biosphère; baby boomer youth culture is a blast in Explosion 67 – Youth and Their World at the Centre d’histoire de Montréal; it’s all about ’60s artistic expression in the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts’s Révolution: “You say you want a revolution” and the Musée d’art contemporain’s In Search of Expo 67; Arcmtl presents Expo 67: Avant Garde! – forward-looking, boundary-breaking art of the ’60s at the Cinémathèque Québecoise; and Centre de design de l’UQAM honours architect Moshe Safdie’s Habitat 67 in The Shape of Things to Come. Photography exhibition Aime comme Montréal celebrates the city’s diversity in an installation at Place des arts. Old Montréal landmark Notre-Dame Basilica, one of the city’s most stunning churches, lights up with beautiful high-tech spectacle Aura, while the surrounding streets are illuminated by the historic tableaux projections of Cité Memoire.

On stage

There’s nothing quite as exciting and fun as the circus, and Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA is the best circus around – see acrobats, dancers, parkour experts, motor bike athletes and many more incredible performers under the big top in the Old Port of Montréal. Opéra de Montréal presents Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece La bohème, May 20-27 at Place des Arts. Les Grands Ballets presents the contemporary dance of Jiří Kylián’s Falling Angels and Evening Songs in a triple bill with Stephan Thoss’s Searching for Home, at Place des Arts May 25-June 3. Expect extraordinary, boundary-pushing performances in dance, theatre and art at the international FTA – Festival TransAmériques, including documentary and participative theatre piece 100% Montréal by Berlin-based experimental Rimini Protokoll collective, 7 Pleasures by choreographer Mette Ingvartsen and Time’s Journey Through a Room by Japanese theatre creator Toshiki Okada. And the eclectic and multidisciplinary Festival Accès Asie features free evening performances of nightlife-inspired Insomniaque on May 27 on Prince-Arthur Street and Les sons primordiaux with Indian Dhrupad singers and percussionist the Gundecha Brothers on May 28 at Bourgie Hall.

Art and film

Dynamic Montréal art scenes come together at the Chromatic Festival, May 27 to June 1 – see work by local and international artists at Expo Chromatic at Studio l’Éloi in Mile End, while Nuit Chromatic opens and closes the festival with late nights of music and dancing, and families join in the creative fun of the Chromatic Kids activities on May 28. Colour and music converge in CHAGALL: COLOUR AND MUSIC at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts,  Hajra Waheed’s The Video Installation Project 1–10 and collections-based Pictures for an Exhibition intrigue at the Musée d’art contemporain and Mexican artist Gilberto Esparza’s Plantas autofotosintéticas has us rethinking how biology, technology and art intersect, at Galerie de l’UQAM. British artist Ed Atkins poses questions on human bodies, digital creation and reality in video exhibition Modern Piano Music at DHC-ART. Pointe-à-Callière archaeology and history museum presents the fascinating Amazonia: The Shaman and the Mind of the Forest. And Parisian Laundry gallery presents intuitive experimental new work by collective BGL. Travel through virtual worlds in Felix & Paul Studios Virtual Reality Garden at the Phi Centre, also presenting The Princess Bride 30th anniversary screening on May 27. Explore space in new double feature KYMA – Power of Waves and Edge of Darkness at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. Immerse yourself in wild audiovisual performances at the Satosphere surround-sound dome: dance work CORE to May 26 and the Sub-Strate party on May 27 with Archipel, Pheek and more electronic producers and visual artists.

Live music

Shake up Friday night with a massive outdoor concert by The 1975 with openers Pale Waves and Colouring at Parc Jean-Drapeau, or guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Johnson Band with special guest Arielle at Théâtre Corona, and electronic producers Com Truise and Clark at Théâtre Fairmount. On Saturday night, lose yourself in the sounds of Animal Collective and Circuit des Yeux at Théâtre Corona, head to Cinéma L’Amour for Gallery Never Apart’s Off-Site series with freestyle electronic music by V1984, Jesse Osborne-Lanthier and CECILIA, check out amazing musicians Patrick Watson, Gasandji and Elisapie at the 2017 Prix Ambassadeur De La Conscience at L’Astral, levitate on the dance floor with Blasterjaxx at New City Gas, or dress in your best summer duds and dance with friends and strangers alike at the Montréal Summer Slowdance at MainLine Theatre.

On Sunday afternoon wear your finest dancing whites for massive outdoor party Bal en Blanc dans le Parc at Parc Jean-Drapeau, featuring electronic producers Martin Garrix, Borgore and more music on two stages. On Sunday night, incredible Grammy-winning singer Norah Jones and her brilliant band grace Place des Arts, Celtic punks Flogging Molly rock Metropolis, and Aussie singer and hip hop artist Tkay Maidza comes all the way to Montréal’s Bar Le Ritz P.D.B. The wonderous Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds make Monday night one to remember at Metropolis. Also wonderful: atmospheric Icelandic experimenters Sigur Rós at Place des Arts, May 30-31. Also on Tuesday, The Weeknd comes to the Bell Centre with opener Rae Sremmurd, and must-see British soul musician Michael Kiwanuka plays Théâtre Corona. Wednesday night welcomes Bonnie Raitt to L’Olympia. On Thursday night, it’s a party at the Bell Centre with EDM-pop duo The Chainsmokers and Kiiara, Lost Frequencies and Emily Warren, while supercool Montréal band She-Devils throws an album release show at Bar Le Ritz P.D.B.

The post Things to do in Montréal from May 26 to June 1 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

http://ift.tt/2rZKYfU