Pearlosophy - The Way of Phi in Practice -

Opening Up Space – Welcoming In Impulses – Allowing Creation to Happen

Dear friend,

Last week I gave a philosophical concert at the legendary Café Ariman in Lund, as seen in the image above.

Ariman is one of the names of the god of disorder, contrasted with Ormuz, the god of order. And just across the street lies the cathedral, and on the other side of a grove is the university building, both of which could certainly be seen as representatives of order.

When I moved to Lund to study law in 1999, Ariman had already been well established for more than fifteen years. It has this rare combination of a punky "anything goes" attitude with the potential for great sophistication that transcends rules and regulations. A bastion of counterculture, Ariman, located in the epicenter of the thousand-year-old town, stands in stark contrast to the established institutions for which Lund is well known.

Ormus & Ariman

The Swedish author Carl Jonas Love Almqvist's text Ormus & Ariman tells the tale of Ormus wanting to create a perfect world for humans. If need be, by force. For, reasons Ormus, it does not matter how much this will make the humans suffer, he will create something great.

Ariman disagrees with this and points out the flawed reasoning, but Ormus does not want to listen. What Ariman represents, often seen as the "evil" god in the Zoroastrian faith, in the text by Almqvist is not so much evil as a proponent of free will and allowing humans to find the good in themselves.

It is interesting to compare this to the notions of good and evil in other traditions. After all, what is good and evil? Should the "best order" be imposed even if people do not want it? Or should we allow people the freedom to create what they want, trusting that sooner or later they will find out that the good is better than the evil?

These are philosophical questions, and the purpose of asking them is usually not to find the correct answer, if there even is one, but rather to engage the mind in reflective thinking.

Giving and Receiving

As I was singing and sharing my perspectives during my philosophical concert at Ariman, I noticed several things:

There was a group of people who were listening with rapt attention to both the music and the reflections.

There were some in the room who were partly listening and partly in conversation.

And then there were others who, while physically present in the room, mostly seemed to be on a different wavelength.

While playing, I did feel uncomfortable at times. Why were not all listening? Was I doing something wrong? Should I have prepared the room differently? However, I also remembered to return to and enjoy the moment and on the whole it was a great gig. My first at Café Ariman, no less.

Reflecting further on this, however, a deeper appreciation for all three groups started to emerge.

The attentive audience I felt a connection with. There was a deep resonance.

The in-betweeners paid attention every now and then, but I had to work for it. There were moments when I felt like they were "with me" and other moments when they were "somewhere else". So this gave me a sense of how well I can communicate to a broader audience who has perhaps not yet decided if they are interested or not.

And then, those who did not really seem to be paying much attention to what I was doing... were probably in the room because they wanted to be there (there were plenty of other rooms available in the premises). I started to think that they might have enjoyed having the live music in the background. Why else would they have stayed?

And at one point I directly engaged with the whole room, asking everyone to stand up, and for a few moments there was a rather magical sense of connection. I said a few words and we came together. And then the energy dissipated into the different parts again.

The Birth of Pearlosophy

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation with my friend Garrett, who made the book covers for The Way of Phi and Vägen till Phi:

However, Garrett is not only a first-class graphic designer but also a philosopher and skilled at providing clarity and new perspectives. One of the things that emerged from our conversation was connected to developing my live performances. We discussed different alternatives and one that I particularly enjoyed was combining my experience from improvised theatre, in which the audience typically suggests topics which the actors run with, with philosophy and music.

After allowing this idea to percolate for a while, my reflections after the Ariman gig brought it to life again and made me think of the wisdom of the pearl:

For pearls to be created, a special mollusc (commonly called "pearl oyster") is needed.

However, for the mollusc to actually make a pearl, something more is needed: a foreign object, e.g. a grain of sand. Something that disturbs the mollusc, who then covers the object. The shape of the foreign object, the type of mollusk, the qualities of the water and other factors then determine the type and colour of pearl that is formed.

In other words, the mollusk holds space for the pearl to be created. Its nacreous interior of mother-of-pearl constitutes one of the necessary prerequisites. This is the Circular aspect of the creation of the pearl.

Then something has to enter. Something that upsets the balance. This is the Linear aspect of the creation of the pearl.

And when both are in place, the actual pearl creation can begin. Over a period of many months or even years, to protect itself from the foreign object, the mollusk applies layer after pearlescent layer. This is the Dynamic Balance of the creation of the pearl. This is the creative process. The Phi of pearl-making.

Based on my conversation with Garrett and my recent experience at Ariman's abode, a new idea coalesced: What if I were to view myself as a pearl oyster and all that comes in, no matter how foreign or disturbing it may seem, as a gift; as necessary elements for creativity to transpire.

And thus 'Pearlosophy' was born. Approaching life not as something that needs to be organised in the "best way" strictly in the style of Ormuz. But also not letting everything "just be", as it were, because too much Ariman would also lead astray. No, rather allowing things to evolve as they may, while simultaneously adding my presence, awareness, observation, sense of direction, but without imposing it.

Thus arriving at an amalgamation of the two, of Alpha and Omega, and between them, lo and behold, is the whole alphabet. The whole of creation. And just like pearls come in all kinds of colours from white through pink, blue, bronze, green, turquoise, orange iridescent, purple, brown, all the way to black, so does creation. It is not just up to the pearl oyster. Nor to the object that enters. Both are needed. Yet, it is when they merge and move further than either could on its own that creation happens.

Pearlosophy in Practice

Like my meditation teacher Goenkaji often emphasises, as philosophical as things get, the most important part is the practice. So therefore, I will very soon try out this new concept of Pearlosophy!On the 3rd of December, I will host the third and last philosophical café in Lund, at least for the time being. The theme this time will be the environment, which feels fitting for the pearly approach (previous themes have been time and politics respectively). And this time, in addition to the philosophical dialogues that we have had in the past, I will include some Pearlosophy. I am excited about how that turns out!

If you are curious about engaging in philosophical dialogue or experiencing Pearlosophy, and are in the vicinity of Lund, come join! Click here for a link to reserve your tickets.

With gratitude, 

Christopher