In the context of a Wilderness Mysticism, there are two types of wisdom. Each is needed and each is complementary to the other. The first is masculine wisdom (Logos) which teaches us to make distinctions between things. Here, for example, we make a distinction between "Nature" and "Humanity." On the one hand, "Nature" offers the cosmic, non-personal, 4.6 billion-year perspective on Life - one which helps us move beyond the constrictions of the claustrophobic ego-self. Nature values populations more than individuals, and helps us transcend the confines of the small self. "Humanity," on the other hand, represents a valuing of the individual, with his or her personal and unique gifts. This value for the individual would include, of course, individuals of other species. In a romantic relationship, masculine or Logos wisdom teaches each partner to distinguish themselves and their gifts from the other partner, ensuring that one of the partners does not merge with the concerns of the other, and thus lose the capacity to contribute his or her own unique gifts. However, Western culture is a testimony to what happens when masculine wisdom alone is valued. Here, distinctness hardens into separation, and things become alienated from one another. Thus, for example, Humanity becomes valued over Nature, which then is dominated and abused. It is for this reason that masculine wisdom MUST be oriented toward feminine (Sophia) wisdom, which shows us how the various distinctions which Logos has made actually fit together - horizontally - to make up a larger Whole or Web of Life. Here, Nature and Humanity are viewed as intermingling and interpenetrating one another in a larger Union. Thus, for example, the individual human being becomes a unique perspective that non-human Nature takes on itself within each of us. In other words, Nature becomes personal and celebrates itself within US! Here, Nature becomes "MOTHER Earth"! However, the intermingling runs the other way as well. Here, we human beings become embodiments of the strength and majesty of mountains, the exuberance of waterfalls, or the beauty of wildflowers. In the process, our humanity takes on some of Nature's non-personal qualities, thus moving us beyond the confines of the narcissistic ego-self. The fun is in watching the things which originally manifest themselves as distinct - i.e., Nature and Humanity - suddenly realize their union with one another and take on the contrasting traits of one another. Thus, Logos distinctness is never an end in itself, but adds richness, surprise and zest to Sophianic interconnectedness!
Photos: (Top) Moss Campion (Silene) and Daisies (Erigeron), Paintbrush Divide; (Middle) A view from Paintbrush Divide; (Bottom) Unusually-colored Paintbrush flowers (Castilleja) on the trail up to Paintbrush Divide; Grand Teton National Park, WY, July 4, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment