Newly Dawning Day

The Wildness Within

Sanford Baran April 26, 2015

It’s the 26^th of April here in the foothills of Colorado, and the landscape is awash in the lovely sights, sounds and fragrances of spring. For those of us who live in these parts, our delight with springtime might be tempered by the sometimes dramatic fluctuations in weather patterns that are quite typical this time of year. It might be in the seventies one day, and then on the next we could be hit by a massive storm bringing a foot or two of heavy wet snow. Right now we’re in the midst of a lovely, gentle rain shower. Of course that’s part of the fun of springtime in the Rockies, pretty much anything can happen, at a moment’s notice. It’s good to be reminded that there are cycles on the move that are completely beyond our control.

As much as we might imagine that as human beings we’re the ones calling the shots, if we’re really honest about it, we recognize that all such labors are in vain—a complete waste of our precious life energy that accomplishes nothing. With even the slightest discernment of what actually has value, we start to realize that there are much larger forces at work both visible and invisible. And it becomes clear that it’s in our best interest and certainly in the interest of planet Earth and beyond to align with what is powering and governing the entirety of the cosmos with such majesty and grace. For many, this realization never comes. And yet the fact is it’s never too late to have a change of heart, to yield to what is higher and surrender to what is beautiful and true.

Sadly the history of mankind has been characterized by an unquenchable drive to tame the world, to take what’s wild and domesticate it, develop it, cultivate it, fashion it to our liking—for our comfort, convenience, pleasure and enrichment. We increasingly are witness to the grim consequences of this quest to get whatever we can from the earth and wipe out what is wild along the way. What we see is not a pretty picture: severe depletion of resources, species extinctions, shrinking diversity, poverty, hunger, disease—and the list goes on. And at other levels something else, quite fundamental is lost—our connection with the natural world, which provides firsthand experience with the core pulsations that permeate the universe. The fact is, the wild is an essential source of spiritual nourishment that fosters and inspires a deep appreciation and connection with what is truly creative. Henry David Thoreau recognized this in his words, “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.” I might slightly rephrase this to, “In wildness is the restoration of the world.” Once the intrusions and disruptions of arbitrary self-serving human activity are removed, freeing what has been tamed by force, the creative process is totally in position and quite ready, to restore and revitalize the world back to a state of splendor and pristine beauty. All that’s needed is for human nature to get out of the way.

Now when speaking of wildness we’re not just talking about the things in nature. Actually the notion of wildness has a much larger context. Wildness rightly is the state of affairs that results when the consciousness of a particular form is in perfect alignment with Being. At that point that form is in its true natural state—as its behavior and overall atmosphere accurately reflects what is moving in Spirit. Now to the degree that consciousness is distracted, and is identified with something other than what’s moving in the current of the Spirit, at that point the form no longer is in its natural state. It has been hijacked and its behavior and expression is definitely off. Maybe from the standpoint of human nature such alterations might seem to be an improvement, a real accomplishment. “Look at this beautiful new subdivision!” or “I’m impressed by how much yield we’re getting from this crop.” However from the perspective of Spirit, these forms are no longer wild, probably a mere shadow of their former selves and consequently their overall usefulness to the whole has been seriously compromised.

Of course wildness very much relates to our own state of consciousness and the manner in which we see and express ourselves. In many ways the notion of wildness is not all that flattering, indicating behavior that is out of control—like a wild goose chase, or to go hog wild, or to sow wild oats. Also we tend to fear what is untamed and beyond our control—such as places or cultures that are savage, ferocious, primitive, and uncivilized. On the other hand maybe the notion of wildness is perceived as being something cool like in popular culture—“Born to be Wild” or “Wild thing you make my heart sing.” Yet all of these images and interpretations have more to do with distorted human consciousness and little to do with being in alignment with Spirit.

Now there is the need for us to play our rightful part in all of this, ensuring that our alignment and orientation is in Spirit. As we consistently do this, we create the space for wildness to live and thrive in us. In doing this we truly come to know the Wildness Within. And as we become acquainted with our own wildness, we have increasing appreciation for what is wild all around us. It’s no great surprise that we easily resonate with what is wild in nature because vibrationally-speaking we share the same Spirit.

What a blessing that there still are places on this planet that are relatively unspoiled and that very much exemplify the splendor of creation. I’m so very thankful that these places exist and that there is some consciousness on the part of many that these settings matter and need to be protected and cared for. I feel incredibly fortunate for the abundance of open space around where I live here in Boulder—to walk fifteen minutes from my house and be in a foothills forest whose ambiance and character speaks, “Peace be unto you.” It’s hard not to feel at peace in such a still and magnificent sanctuary. There certainly is no lack of ugliness in the world and yet there is indeed much to be thankful for. I feel a special appreciation for those whose vision and ongoing work have made our local parks, open spaces, state forests, national parks and wilderness areas special places that are protected and set apart so that all can cherish, enjoy, and experience this sense of communion.

One such person I would mention is John Muir, a Scottish born American naturalist and prolific writer, who was instrumental in helping to set up the national park system here in the U.S. at the dawn of the twentieth century. Incidentally, this last Tuesday, April 21^st, was John Muir day in California. Muir was a man who was totally at ease in the wild and for a couple of years lived alone in a remote cabin in what is now Yosemite National Park. He not only observed nature, but physically and emotionally immersed himself within it—a baptism so to speak.

In his book Meeting the Tree of Life: A Teacher's Path, John Talmadge describes Muir’s experiences during those Yosemite years. “He was unmarried, often unemployed, with no prospects for a career, and had periods of anguish. Yet he was sustained not only by the natural environment, but also by reading the essays of naturalist author Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote about the very life that Muir was then living. On excursions into the backcountry of Yosemite, he traveled alone, carrying only a tin cup, a handful of tea, a loaf of bread, and a copy of Emerson. He usually spent his evenings sitting by a campfire in his overcoat, reading Emerson under the stars.” Certainly his was a lifestyle of utter simplicity and humility, but in a way what more do you need?

One thing that seems clear to me is that Muir’s experience of the wild was just as much internal as it was external. He was already on a spiritual path, way before he reached Yosemite. His actual experience alone out in the wild, merely confirmed and reinforced what he already knew was true in himself. In his writings he often speaks of the wild as something external, but if you read between the lines you can discern that something very profound was moving in him internally, an experience of the wildness within. I’ll read you a few lines from his writings that express a real orientation in Spirit.

“No synonym for God is so perfect as Beauty. Whether as seen carving the lines of the mountains with glaciers, or gathering matter into stars, or planning the movements of water, gardening—still all is Beauty.

“God never made an ugly landscape. All that the sun shines on is beautiful, so long as it is wild.

“These blessed mountains are so compactly filled with God’s beauty, no petty personal hope or experience has room to be… the whole body seems to feel beauty when exposed to it as it feels the campfire or sunshine, entering not by the eyes alone, but equally through all one’s flesh like radiant heat, making a passionate ecstatic pleasure-glow not explainable.”

Interestingly enough, in 1871, after Muir had lived in Yosemite for three years, Emerson, accompanied by a number of academic friends from Boston, arrived in Yosemite during a tour of the Western United States. Muir was absolutely beside himself and couldn’t wait to take Emerson camping out in the wild. Well that was not to be, as by then Emerson was advanced in years and not in the best of health. Camping was probably not Emerson’s thing anyway. Nevertheless the two men did spend a couple of notable days together and this was a wonderful time of sharing—of genuine admiration for one another’s life work and the substance that each had built in their unique ways.

Of Emerson, Muir writes:

"Emerson was the most serene, majestic, sequoia-like soul I ever met. His smile was as sweet and calm as morning light on mountains. There was a wonderful charm in his presence; his smile, serene eye, his voice, his manner, were all sensed at once by everybody. I felt here was a man I had been seeking. The Sierra, I was sure, wanted to see him, and he must not go before gathering them an interview! A tremendous sincerity was his. He was as sincere as the trees, his eye sincere as the sun."

You can tell in these words that both of these men had a deep connection with the Tone, a real purity of heart, and a genuine love and respect for the natural world. Maybe John Muir had a more direct experience with wildness, externally speaking, having lived for some time in the wilderness. But there’s no doubt that both of these pioneers paved the way for others to experience the Wildness Within, having lived their lives in harmony with what is true, sublime and beautiful.

So, in every moment we too have abundant opportunity to allow this same wildness to live and thrive in us. How wonderful to play our part as we let what is wild and creative be expressed through our living, all under the perfect control of Spirit.

To close I thought I would play a lovely little song written by Leonard Bernstein (lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green), entitled Spring Will Come Again. Indeed under perfect control, spring is with us now.