Siddhartha's Relationship With Nature

Thoreau’s and Siddhartha’s relationship to nature and their tensions with society play a significant role in their seeking of the good life because their relationship with nature enriches their abilities to observe and imagine and their tensions with the society inspire them to discover the true nature of their lives that is disguised by their daily, monotonous lives. In Siddhartha, the protagonist leads a comfortable life but still feels dissatisfied. To escape from this dissatisfaction, he joins the samanas, who believe that joy could be attained through asceticism. During his time spent with the samanas, Siddhartha learns how to observe nature closely and practice the meditation of “unselfing” (Hesse 14). Through unselfing, he is able to imagine himself as being part of different things in nature such as carcass and rock, but eventually, he realizes that his soul has to come back to his body.
He observes that both have their own ways of escaping the harsh realities of life temporarily. Siddhartha’s relationship with nature helps him realize that everyone has their own way of coping with reality, but no one knows the true path to nirvana. This realization inspires him to further seek the good life. Likewise, Thoreau’s relationship with nature expands his imagination and helps him create a new opinion about life. He explains how the mornings in the wilderness offer “everlasting vigor” and sharpens his “intelligences” (Thoreau 5). This sharpness in intelligence increases his potential and adds meaning to his life. The vastness of the nature provides “pasture” for Thoreau’s imagination (Thoreau 4). The increase in Thoreau’s imagination allows him to rethink life in new ways, which is essential to seeking a good