Spirituality and Wildness

In my book, The Zen Teachings of Jesus, I listed ten elements of Zen. I would add “wildness” to that list. “Wildness” has to do with non-conformance to society’s norms, rules, regulations, etc. Henry Thoreau was the one who said that “all good things are wild and free.” In the context of his civil disobedience, this can easily be understood. Wildness does not mean behaving unethically or immorally. It is important to point out the following:

1. Not all laws, rules, regulations, social obligations, etc. are ethical or moral.

2. Not all ethical/moral behaviors are legal or rule-conforming.

3. Each individual has a different set of circumstances. What fits one may not fit another.

The “wild” person has to use his or her own conscience and judgment to distinguish which is which. Spirituality requires the courage to resist or disobey society’s rules if the person genuinely believes that certain rules or societal demands are unethical, ridiculous, or unnecessary. Wildness is related to the concept of “crazy wisdom.” Many in the Western world have a poor understanding of that term. They tend to associate “crazy wisdom” with Tibetan spiritual teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, who is said to have coined the term. Unfortunately, Trungpa has been accused of various forms of sexual and physical abuse of people in his circle. It would be a…