Henry David Thoreau: Father Of Transcendentalism And Isolation In Eastern Philosophy

I believe everyone values certain Transcendentalist ideas, even if they don’t know it. Because in my eyes, Transcendentalism can’t be fully taught. It must be understood, and known through experience in nature. Henry David Thoreau, one of the fathers of Transcendentalism, said, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”. It’s well known that Thoreau was familiar with Eastern philosophy. When he describes Transcendentalism in this quote, it becomes evident. He lived life purely and remotely. He wished to find true contentment by learning more about himself and his relationship with the natural world. In Taoist terms, he was searching for the Way. Isolation in nature

was just his form of meditation. This makes me think that Transcendentalism can be a core component of Eastern Philosophy.
Transcendentalism can help one achieve the simple lifestyle promoted in Eastern Philosophy.

For the first sixteen years of my life I was constantly focused on things. I loved getting new ski gear, new phones, new computers, and new clothes. I wonder if you ever struggled with this? It became a problem for me because I constantly needed new toys or shiny things to be happy. The Tao Te Ching says, “The sage desires no desire, does not value rare treasures, learns without learning, recovers what people have left behind” (Chapter 64). When I got to Gould, this idea of finding happiness through experience began to resonate with me. I started to throughly enjoy my time skiing in the winter. Tree skiing specifically captured me. I found peace and joy in the silent, snowy glades around Sunday River. The way the snow clung to the pines and blocked out the rest of the world gave the woods a cozy feeling. The isolation was almost touching. Skiing became about enjoying the wintry outdoors, not what skis I would buy next. Transcendentalism helped me simplify my life, a core idea in Eastern Philosophy. It also helps humans be more peaceful

people.
Transcendentalism promotes the same peaceful nature that Eastern Philosophy does. Peacefulness has always been important to me. I truly believe that collaboration is more powerful than violence and exploitation. Because when people work together instead of against each other, both sides win. This is true in nature as well. An article about Peter Wohlleben, German forester and author, says, “Reading up on the behavior of trees — a topic he learned little about in forestry school — he found that, in nature, trees operate less like individuals and more as communal beings. Working together in networks and sharing resources, they increase their resistance.” Trees are most successful when they help each other. This is explicit evidence that life thrives with peaceful cooperation. With this in mind, it is evident that peace between humans nature is mutually beneficial as well. Keeping nature intact preserves its spiritual qualities. By observing it, and not harming it, we learn to coexist. This idea is becoming increasingly important as money seems to chisel away the natural world. We must realize that Transcendentalism is more important than timber and oil. It helps keep us present and alive!
Transcendentalism keeps one in the moment, a crucial part of Eastern Philosophy. I’ve always been a spacey person. My thoughts constantly wander and venture into the future or the past. Some days I’ll be full of regret for something I did years ago, and others I’ll be eagerly anticipating some far off event. The problem with this is that it limits my present happiness. Thoreau knew this ailment well as he said, “In any weather, at any hour of the day or night, I have been anxious to improve the nick of time, and notch it on my stick too; to stand on the meeting of two eternities, the past and the future, which is precisely the present moment; to toe that line”. The only solution is to live presently, a Taoist and Buddhist idea. One of the best ways to do this, I find, is to hike. When I walk trails, or ascend hills and mountains, I become more of an observer than a thinker. I constantly size up the rocks at my feet and scrutinize the leaves and the trees. I don’t worry about homework or bad grades when I hike, I just take in my surroundings. I become a Transcendentalist. I’d be interested to hear how you try to stay in the moment.
Transcendentalism helps us understand how to live simply, peacefully, and in the present. These are all key components of Eastern Philosophy. Nature truly helps us understand the world, and ourselves better. Peter Wohlleben said about a U-shaped tree of his, “For a forester, this tree is ugly, because it is crooked, which means you can’t get very much money for the wood,” he said. “It really surprised me, walking through the forest, when people called a tree like this one beautiful. They said, ‘My life hasn’t always run in a straight line, either.’ And I began to see things with new eyes”. How we see nature can be very telling of our own personal perspectives. I believe I would see a U-shaped tree as a seat. Maybe that is telling of me? How would you see it?