Crazy Wisdom or "The wisdom beyond logic" we have all seen in some older relatives. And we have all experienced, "How did they do that?" or more importantly, "How did they know that?" So, often the wisdom that comes with experience is: "Crazy Wisdom" simply because we cannot comprehend where it comes from yet or sometimes ever.
I'm presently trying to read (as the universe allows me to) The Divine Madman translated by Keith Dowman into English. It is the life story and legends of Drukpa Kunley:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drukpa_Kunley
In early January 1986 a Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist monk in Dharamsala, India who had given his robes to a spiritual Friend, Geshe Lobsang Gyatso(which means spiritual friend kind ocean of wisdom) and was now a mountain climbing guide so he could support his parents as they passed on. Anyway, Thubten, told me many Drukpa Kunley stories which was something Tibetan Buddhist men told while they drank their chang(Tibetan Barley Beer) to soothe their aching muscles because of the difficult life lived then in the mid 1980s in the Himalayas. I'm told these stories are still told among Tibetan men because their crazy wisdom nature gives hope and cheer to all the dharma faithful in Tibetan Buddhism and beyond.
I can remember doubling over in laughter in the way Thubten told these Crazy Wisdom Stories. At the time I just felt very privileged to speak to someone so deep into the Tibetan Buddhist Dharma sharing in English these very Tibetan Stories of what I thought then was a fictitious Tibetan Buddhist humorous Icon. Flash forward about 25 years later and I just found out the last few months that Drukpa Kunley is an actual historic dharma practitioner just like Milarepa and beloved by all Tibetans and all who are interested in all things Tibetan like myself.
Before my ex-wife and I broke up our goal then was to become Cultural Anthropologists and go to Tibet or Bhutan or Nepal or wherever we could study in depth Tibetan Culture so it could be documented for all posterity before it mostly was lost. However, after my wife and I broke up in a divorce this was no longer financially or emotionally possible. Don't worry about me now as I remarried and had another daughter and am financially okay 25 years later. However, that dream hopefully has been fulfilled for other Cultural Anthropologists whose dream came true and who survived the Himalayas to tell the tale.
quote from page 8 of introduction of the book "The Divine Madman" translated by Keith Dowman:
"This volume records some of the stories about the adept Drukpa Kunley (Tib.:Brugpa Kunlegs), which are favorites of the people of Tibet and the surrounding regions. Whatever the historical credibility of these stories may be, they deserve our full attention for two reasons: first because Drukpa Kunley counts among the most celebrated Adepts of the Himalayan countries, and second, because he belonged to the tradition known as "Crazy Wisdom" of which precious little is known in the west." end quote.
Though my whole life has been often a "Crazy Wisdom" miracle " I realize that as Americans we also root for the underdog. Many of the stories of Drukpa Kunley are regarding various beings underestimating just how innovative Drukpa Kunley actually is. I have had this experience as well during my life. None of us know what we are capable of until we have to be capable enough to survive anything.
My favorite story told to me by Crow, one of the Native American Medicine Men I studied with went like this: "There was a man who came into the sweat lodge with a dislocated arm and the very old and very Crazy Wisdom Medicine man who was speaking suddenly said, "Here!" to the man. The man reached out to grab the peace pipe with both arms and his dislocated arm snapped in place. The man let out a scream and began laughing as did all the others after they realized his arm went automatically back into place and in joint." This is Crazy Wisdom in action. Always unexpected, but always welcome.
Here is the Wikipedia Drukpa Kunley site. You can paste it if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drukpa_Kunley
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