Evolution

Evolution


Pandemic has given me enough time and luck has given me ready access to knowledge and entertainment. I have been watching PBS DVDs on Evolution.

I have read about Evolution several times ( as I could not understand fully at first or even now ) . Articles and books by Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Wilson  and others were eye openers. It  is fascinating.

It is the story of life evolving from the beginning. Unity of life linking plants, birds and animals and humans of course. Just to imagine that Darwin ( others had also worked on different aspects ) could discover / propose a theory to explain the progression over millions of years is amazing, Sometimes I wonder if Evolution or its discovery - which one is more amazing !

If I hold hands with a rat ( say ) and keep going back in time we would meet rat's mother, grand mother and my own mother, grand mother etc . I and rat after many many generations will meet the common ancestor.  ‘ Great great great….. greatma ‘  both will exclaim.  We become distant cousins. In the same way if I and Hitler or Gandhi or Pele or Madhubala or Hawkins … walk back in time ,  we will meet the common ancestor in Africa.This unity of life ‘ truly stirs the soul ‘ as one narrator puts it. I recall a Sanskrit phrase ‘ Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ‘.

I recall a poem by Dylan Thomas , titled , ‘ The force that through the green fuse drives the flower ‘ :

The force that through the green fuse drives the flower
Drives my green age; that blasts the roots of trees
Is my destroyer.
And I am dumb to tell the crooked rose
My youth is bent by the same wintry fever.

The force that drives the water through the rocks
Drives my red blood; that dries the mouthing streams
Turns mine to wax.
And I am dumb to mouth unto my veins
How at the mountain spring the same mouth sucks.

The hand that whirls the water in the pool
Stirs the quicksand; that ropes the blowing wind
Hauls my shroud sail.
And I am dumb to tell the hanging man
How of my clay is made the hangman’s lime.

The lips of time leech to the fountain head;
Love drips and gathers, but the fallen blood
Shall calm her sores.
And I am dumb to tell a weather’s wind
How time has ticked a heaven round the stars.

And I am dumb to tell the lover’s tomb
How at my sheet goes the same crooked worm.



Then there is natural selection. Random, small mutations leading once in a while to tiny features that aid in survival ; and these traits get passed on to next generation ( DNA ) and over time nature favours these. And new species emerge. Evolution does not need God to explain.  He does not find a place. Darwin’s theory of Evolution makes many ‘ truths ‘ held by Christians, Muslims or Hindus ( because of what  their sacred books say ) completely false. Where do we place God in this ? Did He create  the first single cell and said  ‘ Go ‘ and then promptly went to sleep ? In particular , personal, prayer hearing, healing, punishing , forgiving God is difficult to accommodate. The grand design evolves with out any purpose or direction and is amoral.

At first it is disturbing as it leaves us, humans , on no special pedestal and we feel lost. Then I remember that I have the company of fellow beings - thousands of species of  bacteria, insects, birds, fish, animals and countless varieties of plants. We are one. I look up confidently. It shakes us up, yes. I am left speechless, dumbfounded, yes. But  awe and wonder replace fear and isolation.

The place of Darwin with Newton and Einstein and such scientists is so obvious after yone watches this.

The videos contain simple explanations and dazzling insights.I keep telling any one who cares to listen ( not many though ) to  watch and if possible with family and youngsters.

Single Mindedness

I watched a movie '  Jiro dreams of Sushi   ' on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Even though I dislike 

watching slicing of fish, packing a live octopus, sampling of flesh etc. it was still a good one. 

  

There were many things that impressed me  in the movie. Well made movie.  It is not pretentious or patronizing.  No gimmicks. Simple and direct. A completely different experience. I wish someone would make such a movie on our chef, our food. We are a land of ‘ Nala ’ afterall . 

  

The restaurant Jiro owns serves Sushi. One needs to reserve a place at least a month in advance. They seat only a few people. And Chef decides the  menu. The cleanliness , the attention to details, level of customer care is unbelievable. For instance,  Jiro explains that they serve sushi of a smaller size to women compared to men. They place the dishes appropriately if you are left handed. Some customers said that they feel a little nervous and overwhelmed in his presence. It received Michelin 3 stars. It has been there for a long long time. 

  

They knead, massage, slice, squeeze, pat, fish. They stop short of talking to fish ( may be because they are dead ! ). The rice that they serve is cooked at   high pressure and later  ‘ aired ‘ and served (stuffed  inside fish ) at the right temperature. He goes to fish market ( never seen such a market as they show it in the movie. At once clean, hygienic and orderly ) . He samples the fish by pressing the flesh by his fingers. Tenderly at first and then a little harder. His rice dealer is special and sells him a special variety of rice. He refuses to sell it to a five star restaurant ( Hilton ) as he feels they do not know how to cook. Jiro feels that rice and fish are like soul mates and have to be matched. 

He feels a french Chef ( forget his name ) he met was the best in terms of sensitivity to taste and smell. If only he ( Jiro ) had it then he would have made even better Sushi. He also says that if Chef does not have better taste than his customers , how can he satisfy them. Also,  if he ( Jiro ) does not enjoy his preparation how will his patrons enjoy ? 

  

That reminds me of some ( perhaps all ) musicians enjoying themselves as they perform. Their enjoyment spreads like a sweet perfume to others. Or a cricketer on successful completion of a cover drive executed to perfection smiles. 

  

Jiro's philosophy of living to attain perfection, work , work, work ( he enjoys though ) , even dreaming of new ways of making Sushi is incredible. A single focus, sacrificing everything ( rather ignorance of everything else ) for his passion, not fostering ties with family  or friends has its romance. And it goes for long periods of time. An apprentice takes ten  years or more ! 

He takes no holidays. He feels miserable when forced to on account of national holidays. He feels supremely happy to return to work. I recall Basavanna's  saying  ' kayakave kailasa ' 

   

Sometimes I am attracted by such passion for perfection. Attraction may be the wrong word . It could be admiration . It reminds me of some musicians like Kishori Amonkar or Vilayat Khan or a Vasudevachar practicing at 4 am .  Intense, almost inhuman efforts  ,no smiles, single mindedness, rigid ... Not all can be fitted into this description. But that is what I imagine them to be. 

  

  ( I do not know where to fit in a person like Kittappa  ( SGK ) in to this narrative. He was a stage artist ( singer ) in20's and would sing fabulously on stage. (T.N. Rajarathnam Pillai who had recognized the talents of SGK said that it was only SGK whom he considered to be in the forefront in the field of singing, and no one else).  Several  encores were common.  Many admirers , often Vidwans , would want to meet him at the end of the show. Kittappa would panic ( this is the story. True or false does not matter )  and plead with his colleagues to tell him the Ragas of various songs he sang. He would be petrified to face Vidwans and not able to converse intelligently. He died at the age of 27 ) 

  

But by and large I do not prefer this ( not that I have such talent or passion ) pursuit of perfection throwing everything else to the wind. I prefer a relaxed life, or rather a life with diversified interests. In books, music, science, dance, movies, travel , friends, family, politics, history ... Not for me  ' one life , one goal  '  attitude. Also I want different combinations such as drink in one hand, the other encircling a loved one - wife, daughter or grand son; listen to Saigal when it is raining ; watching the sea or a glacier and reading ; eating a delicious food with a close friend ; awe struck at advances in science ; enjoying a movie,  sometimes completely insane; taking positions completely different from what I would have done a few years back … 

  

Not for me Steve Jobs’ advice ‘ follow your dream ‘ . One might have many dreams. Different ones at different times. One might follow a man/ woman ( literally too ), follow a career, follow a book, follow a movement , follow nothing and so on.  

  

I am not implying that if one is obsessed with a single thing it is less of a life. No. I admire them but will not adopt even if I could. 

  

I imagine meeting someone with a single focus . Could be XXXX. For what I know she / he may have many more interests than pretentious me . For a moment assume she / he does not, Even in my imagination I am timid and weighed down by the knowledge that she/ he is a great singer. I gather all my courage and ask her if she regretted not doing many other things. Like ? Have you read this or that ? Do you know what Darwin did or what weird things happen in Quantum mechanics ? Roamed in Himalayas ? Had any Gin or Vodka ? Cricket ? Romance ? Watched any movies recently ? 

I know that if I interview myself and ask such questions , it will be a great embarrassment. 

  

Do not get me wrong. I do not imply that my interests have to be the interests of others. Nor do I say an intense person can not have diverse interests . Nor I miss recognition of  my own limitations in depth and breadth. 

I just wonder if a single mindedness limits life ? 

I find it very interesting that Japanese ( may be some ) also admire ' wabi- sabi '. 

From what I read and to quote from Wikipedia :

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, wabi-sabi (侘寂) is a world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".

Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, roughness, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy, and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes.

It seems to contradict Jiro in many aspects.

I prefer that.

Tell me what you feel.