The Struggle for Life

With Manifold Force

The Struggle for Life It is the doctrine of Malthus applied with manifold force to the whole animal and vegetable kingdoms. Charles Darwin

The Struggle for Life The full title of Darwin's book was "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life." "I should premise that I use the term Struggle for Existence in a large and metaphorical sense, including dependence of one being on another, and including (which is more important) not only the life of the individual, but success in leaving progeny." Charles Darwin

"But the mere existence of individual variability and of some few well-marked varieties, though necessary as the foundation for the work, helps us but little in understanding how species arise in nature. How have all those exquisite adaptations of one part of the organisation to another part, and to the conditions of life, and of one distinct organic being to another being, been perfected? We see these beautiful co-adaptations most plainly in the woodpecker and missletoe; and only a little less plainly in the humblest parasite which clings to the hairs of a quadruped or feathers of a bird; in the structure of the beetle which dives through the water; in the plumed seed which is wafted by the gentlest breeze; in short, we see beautiful adaptations everywhere and in every part of the organic world."

"Again, it may be asked, how is it that varieties, which I have called incipient species, become ultimately converted into good and distinct species, which in most cases obviously differ from each other far more than do the varieties of the same species? How do those groups of species, which constitute what are called distinct genera, and which differ from each other more than do the species of the same genus, arise? All these results, as we shall more fully see in the next chapter, follow inevitably from the struggle for life. Owing to this struggle for life, any variation, however slight and from whatever cause proceeding, if it be in any degree profitable to an individual of any species, in its infinitely complex relations to other organic beings and to external nature, will tend to the preservation of that individual, and will generally be inherited by its offspring ... I have called this principle, by which each slight variation, if useful, is preserved, by the term of Natural Selection, in order to mark its relation to man's power of selection."

"But Natural Selection, as we shall hereafter see, is a power incessantly ready for action, and is as immeasurably superior to man's feeble efforts, as the works of Nature are to those of Art." Charles Darwin

Darwin's Struggle: The Evolution Of The Origin Of Species (BBC)

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved." Charles Darwin

A monk once asked Zen master Mu-chou Lu, "We dress and eat every day, and how do we escape from having to put on clothes and eat food?" Mu-chou replied, "We dress; we eat." The monk said, "I don't understand." Mu-chou answered, "If you don't understand, put on your clothes, and eat your food." (Ku-tsun-hsu Yu-lu)

Dan Ariely:  What makes us feel good about our work?

“Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Love Life Enough To Struggle
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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

Madiba - Nelson Mandela

Madiba Nelson Mandela

We can change the world and make it a better place. It is in your hands to make a difference.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was the great grandson of  King Ngubengcuka of the Tembu people and had the birth name Rolihlahla which means pulling the branch of a tree.

Poverty is not an accident.

Like slavery and apartheid it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.

Nelson Mandela

One of Mandela's Team of International Lawyers Irwin Cotler - Member of Parliment Canada In the 1980s while still a student,I was into world music and was turned on to Johnny Clegg's music. I also learned what was happening in South Africa.  Something clicked. Along with many friends, we went to anti-apartheid demonstrations and free Nelson Mandela concerts. Petitions, letters, you name it.

Speech in Toronto Canada for the  Nelson Mandela Children's Fund To Learn More & Donate: Click Here After he was free,  Madiba made many visits to Canada.  In Montreal in the 1990s, I had the privilege to be in the crowd to hear him speak in person.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

Nelson Mandela

"No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin, or his background or his religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite" Like a wise father Nelson (Madiba) Mandela has educated us all.

Johnny Clegg and Nelson Mandela sing - Asimbonanga

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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

All Things Must Pass

or The Quiet Beatle

All Things Must Pass George Harrison The Quiet Beatle

Here Comes The Sun

George Harrison MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the band's primary songwriters, but most of their albums included at least one Harrison composition, including "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something", the Beatles' second most-covered song. Harrison's earliest musical influences included Big Bill Broonzy, George Formby and Django Reinhardt; Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry and Ry Cooder were significant later influences. By 1965 he had begun to lead the Beatles into folk rock through his interest in the Byrds and Bob Dylan, and towards Indian classical music through his use of the sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". He developed an interest in the Hare Krishna movement and became an admirer of Indian culture and mysticism, introducing them to the other members of the Beatles and their Western audience by incorporating Indian instrumentation in their music. After the band's break-up in 1970, Harrison released the triple album All Things Must Pass, from which two hit singles originated. He also organized the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh with Ravi Shankar, a precursor for later benefit concerts such as Live Aid. Harrison was a music and film producer as well as a musician; he founded Dark Horse Records in 1974 and co-founded HandMade Films in 1978. Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer, and in 1988 co-founded the platinum-selling supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. A prolific recording artist, he was featured as a guest guitarist on tracks by Badfinger, Ronnie Wood and Billy Preston, and collaborated on songs and music with Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Tom Petty, among others. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Harrison's first marriage, to Pattie Boyd,  ended in divorce in 1977. The following year he married Olivia Trinidad Arias, with whom he had one son, Dhani.  Harrison died in 2001, aged 58, from lung cancer. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Ganges and Yamuna rivers in India, in a private ceremony according to Hindu tradition. He left almost £100 million in his will. (Wikipedia)

George Harrison's Last Interview & Performance All Things Must Pass

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

The Grasshopper

The Grasshopper or Full Awareness

The Grasshopper

After ten years of apprenticeship, Tenno achieved the rank of Zen teacher. One rainy day, he went to visit the famous master Nan-in. When he walked in, the master greeted him with a question, "Did you leave your wooden clogs and umbrella on the porch?"

"Yes," Tenno replied.

"Tell me," the master continued, "did you place your umbrella to the left of your shoes, or to the right?"

Tenno did not know the answer, and realized that he had not yet attained full awareness. So he became Nan-in's apprentice and studied under him for ten more years.

Wide Awake

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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

I've Got Sunshine...

I've Got Sunshine

We are made of sun... Nous sommes du soleil Our ancestors worshiped the sun and they were far from foolish. It makes good sense to revere the sun and the stars. We are their children. Carl Sagan

Surya Hindu Sun God

Science can teach you a lot about your relationship with the universe. Understanding this can also be a spiritual revelation. Every atom of your body and our world came into being from a star far far away. Our entire solar system, is made from the left over gases from when large stars die, ejecting their contents millions of miles into space in giant explosions known as nova or supernova. Locally, our star, our sun called Sol, has given a pattern for the economic and spiritual focus of countless cultures throughout the ages.  A regular visitor to the eastern sky in the morning and the western at sunset, it's place in the sky north or south changing with the seasons. All along while providing heat and light for life on earth, the sun has helped us keep time and in doing so helping us keep track and to predict. The sun has provided vital information to humans in knowing the seasons for migrating, herding, planting and other practical activities.  Religions, myths and legends from many cultures and through out history, all center on that glowing orb in the sky. They all tell stories of stealing fire from the sun, in the European traditions, there is prominently the Greek story of Prometheus. But even that story is a later version of an older one from India. And there are others along the way through time and geography. They all come with warnings about respecting man's relationship with the fiery power of the sun. Fire is of practical use for many things. One more use is as metaphor for our mind, emotions and spirit. A blessing but also a curse if misused. And yet we are hypnotically drawn to it. It sparks thought and reflection. We stand or sit and stare... rapt in awe and quiet contemplation.

Stealing the Sun Prometheus (Greek) is a Titan, culture hero, and trickster figure  who in Greek mythology is credited with the creation of man from clay and the theft of fire for human use, an act that enabled progress and civilization. He is known for his intelligence, and as a champion of mankind. In the Western classical tradition, Prometheus became a figure who represented human striving, particularly the quest for scientific knowledge, and the risk of overreaching  or unintended consequences. (Wikipedia)

Prometheus paid a heavy price for his benevolence. Chained to Mount Caucasus, in Scythia... and then daily having his liver eaten out by an eagle (the symbol of Zeus). Immortal, Prometheus could not die and so each day the eagle would torturously devour it and each night the liver would regenerate. His punishment from Zeus was for both stealing fire from the Gods and for holding the secret of the Oracle's prophecy: Thetis, would bear Zeus a child greater and more powerful than Zeus himself. As further punishment, Zeus also ordered the creation of Pandora, the first woman, who released from the now infamous box, all the evils of the world. Daughters of the Titan deities Oceanus and Thetis,  the water nymphs, cling to the rock where Prometheus is chained. In The End Hercules Rescues Prometheus

Sun Worship There Are Many Similar Older Myths From All Over The World Almost universal, so many more cultures have their stories of the sun or fire capture Egyptian Sun God was Ra Hawaiian Maui capturing the Sun in a net Painting by Hayk Sayadyan. Arev or Aramazd is the Armenian Sun God Armenians sacrificed horses to the sun

Prometheus: Modern linguistics suggests that the name is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root  that also produces the Vedic pra math, "to steal," hence pramathyu-s, "thief",  cognate with "Prometheus", the thief of fire.  The older Vedic myth of fire's theft by Matarisvan is an analog to the Greek account. Pramantha was the tool used to create fire. In the Rigveda,  Matarisvan is a name of Agni the Hindu deity of fire In North America, the Northwest Coast mythology has The Raven. Also known as the trickster, Raven steals the sun in his beak  to give fire to humans. "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." Native American Proverb

Nous Sommes Du Soleil - by Yes with Symphonic Orchestra

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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon

Evolutionary Medicine

Evolutionary Medicine Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. Theodosius Dobzhansky

"The incorrect metaphor of the body as a machine can now be replaced with an evolutionary view of the body as a bundle of tradeoffs shaped by natural selection to maximize Darwinian fitness. This change in perspective is fundamental. It will lead to advances at all levels of analysis in all fields of medicine."

Randolph Nesse: Darwinian medicine is flowering: will it set seed?

Evolution's Relevance to Health & Medicine. Modern, also known as western medicine, is not the only medicine in the world. There are other and older systems for health and restoring balance. Some, like acupuncture, have a proven clinical track record. There are many examples, although what they believe and practice may not be completely based on science. But the scientific basis for modern medicine is not complete. Darwin and evolution are not taken into consideration. We practice medicine after the fact, healing only after the problem arises, it is not necessarily preventive. And how the symptoms and health issues started are not the focus of treatment. Treatment is the only focus and medical involvement ends there. The power to explain and predict that comes from evolutionary theory is missing.

Our biology is adapted to maximize reproduction, not necessarily health.

All cultures strive for the best in everything, including the medical practice. This is regardless of their approach. Although, the  approaches can be very different. Sometimes this means adapting nature to our design. Sometimes this means adapting ourselves to nature. Which approach is best… for the best? I’m convinced it’s both. Exclusively, they may miss essential contributions. Mutually things may be enhanced. But they are perhaps best for different things, in times and for purposes. Medicine practiced in Europe and North America has traditionally taken a "best is adapting nature to ourselves" approach. While not totally flawed, I argue that if practiced exclusively it can be. Today, many people have turned away or been turned away by it. Alternative medicine is gaining ground. However, as appealing as it may be to some, it is far from scientific. Part of the problem as I see it, is that this mechanical approach in medicine is too often accompanied by the treatment of symptoms as the disease. It can miss therapeutic factors, especially without any thought to the underlining ultimate rather than proximate causes. Then by remedying symptoms and/or working against the bodies’ own natural defenses, varying results are achieved. Not all of the treatments may have beneficial or even benign effects. One type of result is that the symptoms get better but eventually recur. Another is that it makes the condition worse or prolonged. This approach ignores such things as the mind-body connection. A powerful link in our health but certainly underdeveloped in the approaches taken in our culture.

Fortunately another approach is slowly being recognized and applied in scientific medicine. One that includes factors that attempt to explain and predict. One that also takes an approach that adapts us to our nature and even to Nature itself. A preventive medicine. An approach that is Darwinian or Evolutionary Medicine.

The obvious perils of relying on technology without fully understanding the causes or consequences.

There is a mentality that just taking a pill to mask symptoms will somehow alleviate the disease. Sometimes not only are they unnecessary but actually make things worse in the long run. The overuse of antibiotics is a well known and prime example of making things worse. It's simple bacterial evolution. Obvious. Pain, fever and a host of other symptoms have evolved in the course of protecting and healing us. If you hurt your knee, you won't be doing much good if you further damage it by use. But there are many more examples. If you have a headache, your body is telling you something is wrong. An analgesic will only cover up the problem, not take it away. It's like this... if you turn off the smoke detector, you haven't put out the fire. As simple as that. If you have a cold, some of your symptoms are in a way forcing you to slow down and use resources to fight the infection. Why would you want to turn down or turn off these defenses? There's a commercial that really pisses me off. The actor says "If you think a cold is going to stop me...etc" she takes an Advil and then she dives in a pool and goes swimming. Wow. Just stay home and lie down, drink fluids. That is what will get you better and certainly not worse.  Added benefit... it will also prevent you from spreading the cold around to others.

"Seen in the light of evolution, biology is, perhaps, intellectually the most satisfying and inspiring science. Without that light it becomes a pile of sundry facts, some of them interesting or curious,

but making no meaningful picture as a whole."

Theodosius Dobzhansky

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© 2013 MU-Peter Shimon