on Salsa dancing and other things equal ....
What do Kung Fu, Yoga, and Salsa dancing have in common?
1. One could say to start that they are all of foreign origins.
2. They are very popular in North America nowadays.
I want to talk about the concept of context here and I refer tho these cases just to illustrate my point,
1. The point that things exist originally within a context.
2. For things to be taken out of the context where they exist is a dangerous (not impossible) feat.
3. Understanding the context is extremely important in understanding the whole, the context is a crucial part of the "thing."
4. Some things cannot be separated of their context, otherwise they cease to be what they are and turn into something else rather or die (like fish taken out of the water)
Darwin thought that species lived within a context and that the context of their lives (habitat) determined even their outward looks. As an example, the dark and light fur coloured mice he found in the Galapagos Island which fascinated him and got him to study them and draw the conclusion that they were one and the same from a genetic perspective, that what it was was an adaptation technique by which their habitat had imposed on them these changes. On this regard adaptation as a tool of evolution will serve us to understand the point I wan to make.
Back to this topic of context for a little. In Chinese philosophy the process of practising, studying, learning for an achievement by man was called Kung Fu; it has to do with the effort, the intent, the skill and furthermore with the human achievement of one soul enlarging. As time went by and westerners went to "discover" China they noticed some of them practicing ways of Kung Fu, whether in cooking, in calligraphy or in the execution of defensive movements. Once again the intent, the context, on which Kung Fu existed was one of achievement, of development, of internal progress if one may; the object of it is rather irrelevant as it can be food, a pen, or defensive movements. Observers paid attention to the externalities of this phenomena and thought of how beautiful and useful these movements were. They learned them, they took pictures, videos of it and out they went to bring them to America, to "teach" others this new found "martial arts". Yes, as it was taken out of the original context it became a series of kicks and movements, devoid of the context and main part which was the inner achievement it was meant to be, it became a practice of kicks and punches rather, followed by a technique.
Let's take a look at Yoga, a beautiful practice or discipline originated centuries ago and practised by millions in this world with the attempt to still the changing states of the mind, it was used as a vehicle to unite the practising individual with the divine by the cessation of the perturbations of the mind (citta-vrti-nirodhah), to experience Brahman; what a beautiful context was this created in, the discipline to find oneself via movements, meditation, exercises (irrelevant this certainly) and therefore as the minds quiets, it will be united with the universe, with the higher power where it belongs. Later on, this practise was introduced to North America, and today is everywhere as a form of business, as a form of exercise, as a form of relaxation, again devoid of the context is now a series of poses and moves, an exercise available for a price.
On to the last example and one that is close to me due to my roots, Salsa dancing. All throughout the world people of all races have danced with the intent to socially interact, to celebrate, to worship their divinities even as an offering. Without having to write a complete essay on political history let me simply bring us back to the late 60's and early 70's in the USA where Salsa music was born; it was the product of that heavy political activism of the time, a desire to assert who we were, this time as a group. Prior to this Latinos in North America were always separate, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans and so forth. This music was born to assert that El Barrio, the place where most were living under extreme poverty had its own identity, that though moved to North America these people had their ancestry, same as the black youth movements, a process not only to fight assimilation but rather to assert identity; born out of the love of our heritage, out of the desire to feel united with "La Tierra" (the motherland). It did catch on fire and soon enough every country in Latin America was playing its own interpretation of this uniting new symbol of our ethnicity, Salsa. What a way to celebrate our identity, musicians placed even political content on the lyrics originally, it became the uniting force that identified every Latino regardless of its place of birth. Salsa had done what politicians couldn't over many centuries, unite an entire region under one roof, the power of music and celebration had proved stronger than weapons and dogma. Nowadays, taken out of that context has become one of the many forms of ballroom dancing and taken to the realm of competitions even; there are schools of Salsa, styles of Salsa, movements, special shoes, all geared to make the practitioner a better competitor, the ugly head of economics and consumerism has inserted its head into it. Devoid of the context it has lost its concept of celebrating identity but it has become a series of steps counted by a dancer with the intent to make him/her win.
Let me first say that even though devoid of the proper context all these parts still provide something useful to the one that embraces them of course, whether it is physical health or entertainment I am not denying the benefits of it, but rather what I am trying to say is this:
1. Things exist within a context for its full value.
2. One can separate the parts from the context.
3. The parts will not hold the same value once separated.
Aristotle said that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts", and I am going to add that it is because the non part called context forms a part of it as well, just not very clear nor visible to us all is my argument.
What is this all about? and how does it apply to my daily life? simple, let us think of the many "things" we have in society, the many daily things we enjoy, and let us examine its proper context, perhaps we have taken them from the appropriate context where they are and are enjoying simply the parts and not the whole. Let's mention sex and intimacy for starters or drinking and enjoyment, once taken out of the context one can enjoy its parts but not the whole as Aristotle would say which is greater. Next time you go for a yoga class think of the context, next time you dance to a Salsa tune, next time you think of having sex, think of its context and perhaps, just perhaps your enjoyment will be different, greater.
I want to find the whole of all things, the context, even of truth, so I can enjoy them more fully and not merely enjoy the parts ...
Let's take a look at Yoga, a beautiful practice or discipline originated centuries ago and practised by millions in this world with the attempt to still the changing states of the mind, it was used as a vehicle to unite the practising individual with the divine by the cessation of the perturbations of the mind (citta-vrti-nirodhah), to experience Brahman; what a beautiful context was this created in, the discipline to find oneself via movements, meditation, exercises (irrelevant this certainly) and therefore as the minds quiets, it will be united with the universe, with the higher power where it belongs. Later on, this practise was introduced to North America, and today is everywhere as a form of business, as a form of exercise, as a form of relaxation, again devoid of the context is now a series of poses and moves, an exercise available for a price.
On to the last example and one that is close to me due to my roots, Salsa dancing. All throughout the world people of all races have danced with the intent to socially interact, to celebrate, to worship their divinities even as an offering. Without having to write a complete essay on political history let me simply bring us back to the late 60's and early 70's in the USA where Salsa music was born; it was the product of that heavy political activism of the time, a desire to assert who we were, this time as a group. Prior to this Latinos in North America were always separate, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans and so forth. This music was born to assert that El Barrio, the place where most were living under extreme poverty had its own identity, that though moved to North America these people had their ancestry, same as the black youth movements, a process not only to fight assimilation but rather to assert identity; born out of the love of our heritage, out of the desire to feel united with "La Tierra" (the motherland). It did catch on fire and soon enough every country in Latin America was playing its own interpretation of this uniting new symbol of our ethnicity, Salsa. What a way to celebrate our identity, musicians placed even political content on the lyrics originally, it became the uniting force that identified every Latino regardless of its place of birth. Salsa had done what politicians couldn't over many centuries, unite an entire region under one roof, the power of music and celebration had proved stronger than weapons and dogma. Nowadays, taken out of that context has become one of the many forms of ballroom dancing and taken to the realm of competitions even; there are schools of Salsa, styles of Salsa, movements, special shoes, all geared to make the practitioner a better competitor, the ugly head of economics and consumerism has inserted its head into it. Devoid of the context it has lost its concept of celebrating identity but it has become a series of steps counted by a dancer with the intent to make him/her win.
Let me first say that even though devoid of the proper context all these parts still provide something useful to the one that embraces them of course, whether it is physical health or entertainment I am not denying the benefits of it, but rather what I am trying to say is this:
1. Things exist within a context for its full value.
2. One can separate the parts from the context.
3. The parts will not hold the same value once separated.
Aristotle said that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts", and I am going to add that it is because the non part called context forms a part of it as well, just not very clear nor visible to us all is my argument.
What is this all about? and how does it apply to my daily life? simple, let us think of the many "things" we have in society, the many daily things we enjoy, and let us examine its proper context, perhaps we have taken them from the appropriate context where they are and are enjoying simply the parts and not the whole. Let's mention sex and intimacy for starters or drinking and enjoyment, once taken out of the context one can enjoy its parts but not the whole as Aristotle would say which is greater. Next time you go for a yoga class think of the context, next time you dance to a Salsa tune, next time you think of having sex, think of its context and perhaps, just perhaps your enjoyment will be different, greater.
I want to find the whole of all things, the context, even of truth, so I can enjoy them more fully and not merely enjoy the parts ...
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