I t ' s a r e a l p l e a s u r e t o be h e r e b e f o r e you today. When Icame t o Outward Bound i n 1967, t h e o n l y t h i n g Ic o u l d l a y my hand t o was t o f i g u r e o u t what t h e o b j e c t i v e o f Outward Bound was. W i t h my p r o f e s s i o n a l background i n philosophy, a n a l y z i n g and drawing these d i s t i n c t i o n s were my l i f e ' s blood. F i r s t , we hammered o u t t h e f o u r o b j e c t i v e s o f Outward Bound, each one complete w i t h t h e a p p r o p r i a t e program element. To b r i e f l y r e v i e w these: Self-concept (man, i t ' s a p l e a s u r e n o t t o have t o t a l k about t h a t h e r e today) t a u g h t w i t h t h e h i g h r a p p e l ; compassion t a u g h t on t h e w a l l and beam and nowhere e l s e ; s o c i a l s e r v i c e - t e a c h i n g a sense o f s o c i a l s e r v i c e i s c l e a r l y l i m i t e d t o t h e duty watch a t H u r r i cane I s l a n d Outward Bound School; and f i n a l l y t h e r e was t h e r e a l l y tough one, t h e one t h a t we agonized over - " t o see man i n a cosmic p e r s p e c t i v e " and we programmed t h a t w i t h a s o l o . I t ' s my humble o p i n i o n t h a t we always k i n d o f short-changed t h a t f o u r t h one, and t h a t ' s what I ' m h e r e t o r e c t i f y I ' d l i k e t o e n l a r g e on s e e i n g m a n i n a cosmic p e r s p e c t i v e . today.
-
*
The d e f i n i t i o n o f " s p i r i t u a l " i n my t i t l e , " S p i r i t u a l Values i n Wilderness," Ithink r e q u i r e s a word. I ' m u s i n g i t i n a r e l i g i o u s sense. R e l i g i o n i s a t o u c h one, a s l i p p e r y one t o n a i l down and t h e r e a r e volumes w r i t t e n on i t . Wasn't i t A l b e r t E i n s t e i n who d e f i n e d r e l i g i o n as "what a man does w i t h h i s s o l i t u d e " ? Ialways k i n d o f l i k e d t h a t one. B u t f o r my purposes today the d e f i n i t i o n I'll choose i s P a u l T i l l i c h ' s , t h e famous P r o t e s t a n t t h e o l o g i a n . He d e f i n e d r e l i g i o n as "Man's u l t i m a t e concern," which i s k i n d o f weasley, b u t when you see i t f u n c t i o n a l l y , i t sings. I t ' s whatever concerns you most, and t h a t l a y s open t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t money c o u l d become a r e l i g i o n , o r sex. The d i f f i c u l t y i n a p p l y i n g t h e d e f i n i t i o n i s t h a t i t i s v e r y h a r d t o Ithink t h a t ' s t h e importance o f t h e a r r i v e a t what concerns you most. d e f i n i t i o n because i t i s t h e anchor - t h e anchor t h a t secures u s t o l i f e , t h a t keeps u s g o i n g t h a t makes sense when n o t h i n g e l s e does. We S o what do you turn t o ? What do you h i t those stages p l e n t y o f times. do which you c o u l d turn t o ? What do you hope someday t o be a b l e t o turn t o when t h e b o t t o m has f a l l e n o u t ? Well, whatever t h a t i s , i t ' s I t f i t s things together. Il i k e t h e phrase, "It g i v e s religion. meaning where none was b e f o r e . "
To s e t t h e stage f o r t h e t h r e e p o i n t s o f my t a l k , Ihave t o j u s t go t o spend a moment d i s c u s s i n g t h e n a t u r e o f man; and f r o m t h e r e I'll f i n i s h up somet h e n a t u r e o f t h e w i l d e r n e s s experience; .and t h e n I'll where t h a t i s n ' t t o o c l e a r a t t h e p r e s e n t moment, because I ' v e n e v e r I ' m g o i n g t o condense a whole l o t ; I ' m g o i n g t o gone t h a t f a r before. condense about t w e n t y - f i v e m i l l i o n years, f r o m t h e o r i g i n s o f t h e f i r s t primates, and j u s t zonk p r i m i t i v e man i n t o t h e r e l i g i o u s scene and ask you t o c o n s i d e r f o r a moment what h i s p o s i t i o n was. The p o i n t t h a t I ' m w o r k i n g on i s t h a t p r i m i t i v e man was a t home i n t h e u n i v e r s e . I think i t i s s i g n i f i c a n t f o r t h e f l o w o f what Ihave t o say t h a t p r i m i t i v e man was a t home i n t h i s b i g , blooming, b u z z i n g confusion. He d i d n ' t know He t h a t t h e l e a v e s he was chewing were made up o f atoms and molecules. d i d n ' t know t h a t t h e green i n t h e grass was c h l o r o p h y l l . He h a r d l y
17
knew a n y t h i n g a t a l l and t h i n g s j u s t t o o k p l a c e happenstance. He grad u a l l y g o t i t t o g e t h e r and s t a r t e d f i t t i n g t h e p i e c e s i n t o a framework. He a r r i v e d a t a " f e e l " about t h e world, and you can s t u d y i t i n F r a s e r ' s Golden Bough and a l l t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n s t o p r i m i t i v e r e l i g i o n - an i d e a Of o f t h e sacred which i n f u s e d a l l t h a t was with an aura o f meaning. course t h e r e d u c t i o n a r i e s would say, "Yeah, Man, he j u s t pasted i t on." Iam n o t r e a l l y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e a n a l y s i s o f i t . Iam i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e " f e e l i n g " tone i t gave h i m . Perhaps o u r c l o s e s t awareness o f t h i s i s w i t h t h e American I n d i a n s and how much a t home t h e y f e l t on e a r t h wherever t h e y were. I f you dropped one o f them down a t random, h e would s h o r t l y see h i s b r o t h e r Coyote duck o f f i n t o t h e brush. H i s And t h a t was an a t t i t u d e which had r e a l c o n t e n t and s e c u r i t y brother! f o r the p r i m i t i v e dweller on the face o f t h e earth. Now we come up t o modem man where Ii n t e n d t o spend a l i t t l e l o n g e r , and m a i n l y what we end up w i t h h e r e i s an a l i e n a t e d i n d i v i d u a l . It a k e He most o f t h i s f r o m Theodore Roszak's book, Where t h e Waste Land Ends. does a g r e a t j o b . Modem man i s a l i e n a t e d - a l i e n a t e d f r o m h i m s e l f ; a l i e n a t e d f r o m h i s body. One o f Roszak's g r e a t paragraphs r u n s something l i k e this: When you ask a screen w r i t e r t o produce t h e u l t i m a t e h o r r o r , make i t a s c i e n c e - f i c t i o n h o r r o r , no h o l d s b a r r e d , what does i t come o u t ? " He p o i n t s out, " I t comes o u t mindless, sloppy, s l o b b e r i n g , l i q u e s c e n t , I n o t h e r words, a l l t h e q u a l i s l i m y , p u t r e s c e n t , z u i v e r y , oozy, bloody." T h a t ' s t h e u l t i m a t e h o r r o r , and i t ' s always opposed b y t h e ties of life. razor-sharp, honed i n t e l l e c t o f t h e s c i e n t i s t surrounded b y machines, s c a l p e l , and u l t i m a t e l y t h e l a s e r - d e f i n e d , d e c i s i v e , c l e a r - c u t , and dead. Another example o f t h i s same a t t i t u d e toward l i f e i s t h e kind o f language l i t t l e k i d s when t h e y a r e alone, when t h e i r l i t t l e k i d s indulge i n mothers a r e n ' t t h e r e t o r e p r o v e them. What r e a l l y t u r n s them on, and what i s o u r r e a c t i o n t o i t ? The k i n d o f v o c a b u l a r y t h a t you p i c k up, a t l e a s t Iremember when Imastered i t , had t o do w i t h " p i s s " and " s h i t " and "snot" and l'pus'' and a l l those s e c r e t i o n s t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e t h e body - o u r body t h a t we were f o r b i d d e n t o d i s c u s s because " t h a t ' s n a s t y . " We a r e a l i e n a t e d f r o m o u r b o d i e s and a l i e n a t e d f r o m each o t h e r .
-----
-
-
We a r e a l i e n a t e d f r o m each o t h e r i n a f a i r l y s e r i o u s manner, and, f i n a l l y , we a r e a l i e n a t e d f r o m n a t u r e . T h i s i s where Iwant t o take o f f from t h e s e r i o u s s o c i a l consequences o f o u r a l i e n a t i o n f r o m n a t u r e . One o f t h e most i m p r e s s i v e suggestions advanced b y Roszak i s t h a t t h e w o r l d i s a seamless robe - you c a n ' t t a k e h o l d o f any p a r t o f t h e f a b r i c He says t h a t t h e way we t r e a t t h i n g s w i t h o u t s h a k i n g t h e whole business. r e f l e c t s t h e way we t r e a t people. That was a new i d e a t o me. How we I am g l a d he suggested t h a t t r e a t t h i n g s a f f e c t s how we t r e a t people. because i t e x p l a i n s a whole l o t o f t h i n g s Ihave been w o r r i e d about. We get so i n t h e h a b i t o f t r e a t i n g t h i n g s l i k e t h i n g s ; we t r e a t t h e e a r t h l i k e d i r t , and we e v e n t u a l l y g e t around t o t r e a t i n g our f e l l o w man l i k e a I t s t a r t s w i t h your k i d s . You p r a c t i c e on them and thing, l i k e d i r t . work up your n e r v e u n t i l f i n a l l y you can p u t i t on y o u r w i f e , and f r o m then on i t ' s a l l d o w n h i l l and i t ' s no sweat a t a l l . When you g e t t o V i e t Nam you a r e a l r e a d y an e x p e r t a t r e i f y i n g people - t u r n i n g them i n t o t h i n g s and t r e a t i n g them a c c o r d i n g l y .
-
18
Okay, you see how t h i s d o v e t a i l s now - t h e c o n t r a s t between t h e modem man's p o s i t i o n i n t h e w o r l d and t h e p r i m i t i v e man? F o r t h e p r i m i t i v e man, t h i n g s were a l i v e o r i n f u s e d w i t h l i f e , were viewed r e l i g i o u s l y as o f some u l t i m a t e worth. W i t h modem man we've l o s t t h i s , t h i s r e l i g i o u s v i e w o f nature. What Il i k e t o press on w i t h i s an a n a l y s i s o f t h e w i l d e r n e s s e x p e r i ence i n r e l i g i o u s terms, and Id i d n ' t i n v e n t any o f t h i s j a z z . T h i s came t o me f r o m Rudolph O t t o . I f you want t o g e t t h e o r i g i n a l , Rudolph O t t o The I d e a o f t h e Holy. O t t o ' s a t t e m p t was wrote a small c l a s s i c called, ---t o analyze t h e sacred o r t h e . h o l y . He analyzed i t i n t o q u a l i t i e s so t h a t you see i t i n i t s l i t t l e p i e c e s i n s t e a d o f j u s t f a l l i n g f l a t b e f o r e you. I t ' s a v e r y simple formula. He He came up w i t h a t h r e e - p a r t a n a l y s i s . I t ' s a dimension o f human coined a new word - t h e i d e a o f t h e "numinous." experience. The numinous dimension o f r e a l i t y c o n s i s t s o f a mysterium, tremendum, e t fascinosan.
&
Mysterium i s t h e sense of mystery. There has never been a sacred a n y t h i n g t h a t l a c k e d mystery. The mysteriousness o f i t i s t h e sense o f something more, o f a hiddenness beyond which you c a n ' t go. A l a n Watts r e a l l y goes t o town on t h i s i n h i s a n a l y s i s o f C h r i s t i a n i t y and i t s a t t e m p t t o do away w i t h hiddenness." He says t h a t i f we c o u l d o n l y r i s e t o t h e T h a t ' s obvious t o a C h r i s t i a n , l e v e l o f God e v e r y t h i n g would be c l e a r . What about because God i s omniscient. That means He knows e v e r y t h i n g . Himself? Absolutely. He i s t r a n s p a r e n t ; He i s H i m s e l f . What a r e you t r y i n g t o do, h i d e something i n s i d e God f r o m God? Well, t h a t ' s c o n t r a r y t o our c u l t u r e , t o o u r i d e a l , which i s t o t a l transparency, where i t ' s a l l r i g h t t h e r e , up f r o n t . God d o e s n ' t have any subconscious; w e l l , I d o n ' t think so. I ' v e never seen i t i n any o f the t h e o l o g i e s . That i s , u n t i l you turn t o O r i e n t a l p h i l o s o p h i e s and t h e r e you a r e a s k i n g God, "What i s L i f e ? " You g e t t h e i n s c r u t a b l e s m i l e . The core o f r e a l i t y i s mystery, t h e Tao. Ask t h e Tao t o g i v e an account o f i t s e l f i n t w e n t y - f i v e words o r l e s s . Omnipotent? Omniscient? Omnipresent? No, i t d o e s n ' t f i t , I t j u s t f l o w s ; i t j u s t i s ; b u t i t doesn't e x p l a i n . It isn't analyzable, and t h e r e i s power about t h i s mystery. When you s t e p i n t o t h e w i l d e r n e s s , and h e r e i s where Imake t h e t r a n s i t i o n , t h e r e i s a mystery i n n a t u r e which Ithink i s one o f i t s g r e a t a t t r a c t i o n s f o r us. There's t h e hiddenness o f o r g a n i c growth, o f how a seed decides t o be an oak t r e e . No m a t t e r how much r e f e r e n c e we have t o t h e g e n e t i c coding o f RNA, DNA, somehow i t d o e s n ' t come o u t t o t a l l y exIam, o f plained. There i s a mystery t h e r e i n which we a r e engulfed. The v e r y course, g r e a t l y impressed w i t h t h e mystery o f mountaineering. "What a r e mundane q u e s t i o n , " W i l l i t go?" Well, w i l l i t ? Id o n ' t know. you d o n ' t know?" B u t t h a t ' s t h e f a s c i n a t i o n . I ' v e got youdoing h e r e if t o f i n d out. So you go a l i t t l e f a r t h e r and you n e v e r know u n t i l f i n a l l y you r e a c h t h e summit and then you know. Except, how about g e t t i n g down? So t h e r e i s a c o n t i n u a l mystery t h a t Isee as d i r e c t l y c o r r e l a t i v e t o t h e mystery o f t h e sacred. *Nature,
Man, ~and Woman -
19
The second q u a l i t y o f t h e numinous t h a t O t t o analyzes i s tremendum, and b y t h i s he means power raw power. The sacred has never been anyt h i n g else. Imean, d o n ' t mess w i t h i t . We have a r i n g i n g t r a d i t i o n i n our O l d Testament concerning t h e A r k o f t h e Covenant which was t h e most sacred o b j e c t possessed b y t h e nomadic Hebrew t r i b e s . They c a r r i e d the A r k w i t h them i n t o b a t t l e and c e l e b r a t e d t h e i r v i c t o r i e s b y dancing around i t . One o f t h e dancers h i t t h e A r k with h i s elbow, j u s t touched i t i n c e l e b r a t i n g t h e g r e a t v i c t o r y Yahweh had brought them, and zap! he was A l l i e d w i t h t h i s power i s a cerdead. You d o n ' t mess w i t h t h e sacred. t a i n fear. We used t o t a l k about the f e a r o f God, remember? Well, some o f you do - some o f my g e n e r a t i o n w i l l remember. How many o f o u r y o u t h today f e a r God, f e a r a n y t h i n g ? Perhaps s o c i a l d i s a p p r o v a l , b u t t h a t ' s Imean t h e k i n d o f e x i s t e n t i a l n o t t h e k i n d o f f e a r I ' m t a l k i n g about. f e a r , t h e f e a r o f r a d i c a l d i s s o l u t i o n , o f b e i n g n u l l i f i e d b y t h e overT h a t ' s s o r t o f gone o u t . I n my y o u t h I poweringness o f t h e sacred. was j u s t s t a r t i n g c l i m b i n g and, boy, you know y o u ' r e f a c e t o f a c e w i t h it j u s t t h e power o f t h e mountains, t h e sense o f t h e i r overwhelmingness.
-
-
4v
There a r e people who d o n ' t respond k i n d l y t o t h e Himalaya, but f o r o t h e r s t h a t ' s t h e essence o f t h e f a s c i n a t i o n , which i s t h e t h i r d characThere i s an a t t r a c t i o n about i t a l l , an a t t r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e sacred. t i o n i n t h e mystery, an a t t r a c t i o n i n t h e power. The sacred has always drawn man toward i t , whatever i t i s ; you a r e almost f a t a l l y a t t r a c t e d . You want t o be n e a r i t and r e a c h o u t and almost touch i t . You d o n ' t touch i t , o f course, because o f t h e taboos. B u t there's a fascination about t h e b e a u t y and t h e s o l i t u d e . There i s a f e e l i n g o f " a t oneness" where i t ' s n o l o n g e r you a g a i n s t t h e mountain o r you a g a i n s t t h e w i l d e r The c o r n i c e s and t h e i c e w a l l s ness, but you a t home i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s . and t h e steep snow and t h e f r o z e n s u r f a c e s and t h e r o c k b u t t r e s s e s and t h e sweep o f t h e r i d g e ; t h i s i s home and you a r e n o t t h e r e o u t o f a m a s o c h i s t i c d e s i r e t o g r i n d y o u r s e l f t o t h e core, b u t because t h a t ' s where you come a l i v e . You l i v e and move and have your b e i n g t h e r e . I t ' s an enormous f a s c i n a t i o n and a t t h e v e r y apex o f t h i s l i n e o f experience i s the v i s i o n o f u n i t y .
Ihave been e x p e r i m e n t i n g with e f f o r t s i n g e t t i n g c l e a r on what a vision of unity i s like. What's i t s n a t u r e ? The one aspect, as Isee i t , o f t h i s d e v e l o p i n g sense o f u n i t y i s a l o s s o f a sense o f s e l f . This seems t o b e c r i t i c a l i n a l l t h e l i t e r a t u r e . You know, a t f i r s t t h e g e n t l e breeze on your f a c e i s n i c e - i t caresses y o u r s k i n and f i n g e r s y o u r whiskers. Then i t blows a l i t t l e h a r d e r and e v e n t u a l l y y o u ' r e hanging on and you a r e d u c k i n g your head and f o u r hours l a t e r you a r e s a y i n g t o yours e l f , "This i s a drag, i s n ' t i t , t h i s s t u p i d wind!" So many c l i m b s have f a i l e d j u s t because o f t h e wind. B e a u t i f u l b l u e sky, c l e a r day, but t h e wind w o n ' t l e t you m v e and you f i g h t i t . Now a t t h a t p o i n t , w h i l e you While your head i s ducked, open a r e hanging on, Isuggest t h i s experiment. your mouth. Fascinating! I t comes b y h e r e - r i g h t across t h e o r i f i c e . We've got a l o n g ways t o go, p l e a s e d o n ' t i n t e r r u p t . Now turn your heads upwind. Have you ever had your u v u l a f l a p ? The n e x t step, i f you a r e r u p t u r e d e p i g l o t t i s - burgeoning r i g h t i n t o t h e eye of t h e storm, Pow! f o u l area - snapping, c r a c k i n g i n t e s t i n e s ! - and as y o u ' r e t h e r e w i t h
20
i t i n you and on you and o f you you say, "Bye, bye bones," whoosh! o f f Flesh-s-s-s-sh - p r e t t y soon, you know, you disappear, down t h e c u r r e n t ! n o t h i n g but a disembodied Cheshire c a t which went B l i p ! I ' d l i k e reports o n t h a t experiment. I t ' s a l l s t r i c t l y mental so f a r . Ihappen a l s o t o be speaking f r o m p e r s o n a l experience, n o t t h i s p a r t i c u l a r experiment, but t h e r e a r e v a r i a t i o n s t h a t you can p l a y . What comes n e x t i s a sense o f t o t a l i t y . A sense o f a l l .
The f i n a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c i s a sense o f j o y , and Ithink t h a t can be explained. I t ' s j u s t g r e a t , Imean i t ' s r e a l l y g r e a t ! Deep down a t t h e v e r y core, beyond q u e s t i o n , beyond a n a l y s i s , beyond words, i t ' s p u r e joy!
4r
Another q u e s t i o n t h a t has f a s c i n a t e d me i s , "Where a r e you p l a c i n g your b e t s ? " Are you l a y i n g your c h i p s on n a t u r e ? I s t h e w o r l d o f n a t u r e where i t ' s a t ? Because i t seems l i k e i t , t h a t ' s where I ' v e t r i e d t o t a k e you. O r , a r e you l a y i n g your c h i p s on Man? What's your u l t i m a t e v a l u e You're r e a r e d back t o produce a m i r a c l e . l o c u s ? Imagine y o u r s e l f God. You're g o i n g t o c r e a t e , but you've g o t two i d e a s i n mind. You're g o i n g t o c r e a t e e i t h e r an e a r t h w i t h water and p l a n t l i f e and animals, o r y o u ' r e g o i n g t o produce an e a r t h w i t h water and s o i l and f l o w e r s and mountains - you know; and you can choose e i t h e r one you w a n t . and animals and men, E a r t h w i t h o u t man o r e a r t h w i t h man. L e t ' s have a show o f hands. How many would c r e a t e e a r t h w i t h o u t man? How many, e a r t h w i t h man? I ' v e agonized over t h i s , but Icome o u t v e r y c l e a r l y on t h e s i d e o f man. I'm man-centered when i t comes t o v a l u e ; i t ' s p r o b a b l y because Iwas b o r n o n e Therefore, i t p r o v i d e s you w i t h a f i n a l t e s t . Why d o n ' t you s t a y i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s ? Because t h a t i s n ' t where i t ' s a t ; i t ' s back i n t h e c i t y , The f i n a l t e s t i s wheback i n downtown S t . L o u i s , back i n Los Angeles. t h e r your experience o f t h e sacred i n n a t u r e enables you t o cope more e f f e c t i v e l y w i t h t h e problems o f man. I f i t does n o t enable you t o cope more e f f e c t i v e l y w i t h t h e problems - and sometimes i t doesn't, sometimes i t j u s t sucks you r i g h t o u t i n t o t h e w i l d e r n e s s and you s t a y t h e r e t h e r e s t o f your l i f e - then when t h a t happens, b y my s c a l e o f v a l u e i t ' s failed. You go t o n a t u r e f o r an experience o f t h e sacred; and Ip o i n t o u t t o you t h a t i t i s n o t t h e o n l y p l a c e t h a t one can go, but i n Outward Bound and i n my own experience i t ' s t h e one t h a t tends t o be emphasized. You go t h e r e t o r e - e s t a b l i s h your c o n t a c t w i t h t h e core o f t h i n g s , where i t ' s r e a l l y a t , i n o r d e r t o enable you t o come back i n t o t h e w o r l d o f man and o p e r a t e more e f f e c t i v e l y . So If i n i s h w i t h t h e p r i n c i p l e : Seek ye f i r s t t h e kingdom o f n a t u r e t h a t t h e kingdom o f man m i g h t be r e a l i z e d . Thank you.
