Nature and Understanding
Transcendentalism
Birthed in the melting pot of the American Renaissance period. From 1830s roughly until the end of the American Civil War in which American literature, religious ideas, exploration, and expression of a national spirit run rampant. The American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote his famous essay titled “Nature” published anonymously in 1836. Philosophical in scope with a hint of religious undertone. It so elegantly paints a picture of the new ideas of Transcendentalism, a movement that promoted the virtues of the natural world and the individual rights and opportunities bestowed to each and everyone who so opens their eyes to nature. Where words are signs of natural facts, nature is the symbol of the spirit, and every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact. It is possible for each person to become conscious of a universal soul within or behind his individual life. Where the natures of justice, truth, love, freedom arrise and shine. Rather than higher knowledge being that only bestowed upon one true prophet, instead is was a state of being capable of obtaining by all men who so seek its divine truth. It was viewed that organized religion and other means on control by society actually erode the virtues and teachings of life and individualism.
“For the universe becomes transparent and the light of higher laws than its own shines through it. In their primary sense these are trivial facts. What is true of proverbs is true of all fables, parables, and allegories. This relation between the mind and matter is not fancied by some poet, but stands in the will of god and so is free to be known by all men.”
Through words and particularly through symbols, the poet is the one who is able help the reader see the world from new angles and perspectives. In contrast, both religion and ethics disregard, demonize, or undervalue nature. Part of seeing nature clearly is realizing that it is one integrated whole. Emerson suggests that nature is a discipline: every aspect of it teaches us moral, spiritual, and intellectual truths. For those willing to slow down and see the teaches before us. Every hour, every day, every season has new meaning and something to teach us. For the beauty of the creator is shown everyday through his own artwork. Take time to look up at the stars and ponder their mysterious elegance. The stars awaken a certain reverence, because always present yet they are inaccessible. But their light return each night to luminate the night sky and the mind of the seeker curious and present enough to take in their instinctual knowledge. For all natural objects can make a kindred impressions when the mind is open to their influence. Caught up in the commotion of daily life, we become consumed by our screens and have lost what a far horizon does to the spirit. There is a property in the horizon which no man has or owns or can obtain, but he whose eye can integrate all the parts and manifest its natural whole beauty, that is the poet.
“It is the standing problem which has exercised the wonder and study of every fine genius since the world began. From age to age as each prophet comes by, he tries his fortune at reading her riddle. There seems to be a necessity in spirit to manifest itself in material forms. A life in harmony with nature, the love of truth and virtue, will purge the eyes to understand her texts.
Perhaps its the remarkable imagery which Emerson is able to portray through is literary genious writing style. Or the new found way of simply observing whats been before us since the beginning of existence to find old truths. His beliefs and his idealism have left behind a strong impact and influence on the work of Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, as well as numerous others. Spawning the transdentalist movement. His writings are considered major documents of 19th-century American literature, religion and thought. Other important essays like “Self Reliance” helped to influence major historical figures to the likes of Martin Luther King and Ghandi. By looking deeper into the themes such as of the need for each individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his own instincts and ideas. Not to be controlled by the authoritative forces which aim to baby us to the necessity of suckling milk from the teat of government substance. His writings brought on a new way of thinking and philosophizing of life and its meaning. Some books leave us free and some books make us free.
“Have mountains and waves and skies no significance, but what we consciously give them when we employ them as emblems of our thoughts? The world is emblematic. Parts of speech are metaphors, because the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind.”
If a person opens him- or herself up to nature’s influence and adopts an attitude of childlike curiosity, we can begin to see the metaphors of life so overly present in nature. Man has harnessed nature to achieve unparalleled technological advancement, without nature man is nothing. Emerson talks about how many have lost touch with nature by living in cities we forget the circular cycle of interconnectedness between man and nature. And so we loose respect and honor for what it bestows upon us daily. Through the sun giving life to the plants which feeds us all including the animals and insects allowing us to continue through life. As he put it.. “The wind sows the seed; the sun evaporates the sea; the wind blows the vapor to the field; the ice, on the other side of the planet, condenses rain on this; the rain feeds the plant; the plant feeds the animal; and thus the endless circulations of the divine charity nourish man.”
The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. The curiosity to view things with a deeper understanding sheds light into our own life. As if nature is simply a reflection of our inner truth waiting to be discovered. As stated in Nature… “In proportion to the energy of his thought and will, he takes up the world into himself. Every spirit builds itself a house; and beyond its house a world; and beyond its world, a heaven. Know then, that the world exists for you. Build, therefore, your own world.”
“Good writing and brilliant discourse are perpetual allegories, this imagery is spontaneous, it is the blending of experience with the present action of the mind. It is proper creation. It is the working of the original cause through the instruments he has already made. These facts may suggest the advantage to which the country life possesses for a powerful mind over the artificial and curtailed life of cities. We know more from nature than we can at will communicate. Its light flows into the mind ever more and we forget its presence. Those bred in the woods whose senses have been nourished by their fair and appeasing changes year after year without design and with heed shall not loose their lesson all together in the roar of cities and broil of politics. Long here after amidst agitation and terror in national councils in the hour of revolution. These solum images will reappear in their morning luster as fit symbols and words of the thoughts which the passing events shall awaken.”
The spells of persuasion and the keys of power are put into his hands of those able to see the truth within all things. For we are powerful beyond belief. It is not our darkness that frightens us, but our lightness. And this power is not withheld to only those of the highest class in society. It’s in-fact the opposite. This power is available to anyone willing to search within and master their own mind and understanding. The inate truth will shed light. Society and giant organized groups cast shadows over the minds of the sheep who so blindly follow them, for it is the only thing set before them, the only idea of thought they have ever known. Chained to the dogma of another mans ideology. Loosing their own free will and individuality which makes them so special and powerful to begin with.
If no real truth can be proved substantially, but within the minds and hearts of each individual. Why so follow the teachings and revelations founded by another instead of experiencing and discovering such things for yourself? How often does the child born into an organized religion become so accustom to these beliefs that they forgo the vary opportunity of self discovery that their own organizations genesis was built upon? As though god would bestow his teaching to only one man. One true prophet. Is this not then denying the prevalence of god in all things? In all man. Why hinder your own ability and inner peace to such constricting ideas and thought process.
Nature is a cathedral. The handiwork of God everywhere. It’s important that we witness the natural spectacles displayed perpetually around us. Don’t just pass through life with your blinders on. The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.
“In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.”
Simplicity of character and sovereignty of ideas are essential to a free and a full life. Much of which society damages and nature can help remember. While majority of people were clamoring over whose interpretation of the bible was more correct. Emerson found inspiration in a more eclectic variety. Such as eastern spiritual text of the Bhagivat Gita. Greek philosophy such as Plato or Aristotle. Or Sampson Reed’s Observations on the Growth of the Mind. His unique ability to not only view the world and the natural around us differently, but then able to relay these lessons with such vivid literary articulation has helped place his works in the cornerstone of teachings.
“A mans power to connect his thought with the proper symbol and so to utter it. Depends on the simplicity of his character, that is, upon his love of truth and his desire to communicate it without loss. The corruption of man is followed by the corruption of language. When simplicity of character and the sovereignty of ideas is broken up by the prevalence of secondary desires. The desire of riches or pleasure of power and of praise and duplicity and falsehood take place in simplicity and truth. The power over nature as the interpreter of the will is in a degree lost. New imagery ceases to be created and old words are perverted to stand for things which are not. A paper currency is deployed when there is no bullion in the bank. In due time the fraud is manifest and words loose all power to stimulate the understanding or the affections.”
Many of us take nature for granted. And miss out on the miracle of everyday life. As Emerson stated “If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years how men would believe and adore and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of god which had been shown.” Nature provides much more than the physical commodities which we can so easily see and provide substance. But provides messages that which aren’t so visually a-keen. For the things that are not seen are eternal. Man is an analogist and studies relations in all objects. Every property of matter is a school for understanding. Metaphor and myths help explain the world and nature which is too complex and beautiful to truly describe. As with Emerson’s essays move like vines, we each must graple with the various outreaching ideas of life and discover a truth within ourselves. “A man is a god in ruins.” We have yet to fully understand all that has been given to us. We have become disunited with ourselves. To fix the whole you must first fix yourself in uniformity with nature. There are innocent man who worship god after the traditions of their fathers, but their sense of duty has not yet extended to the use of all their faculties. For only you can light your internal flame. The mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in even the most common of things. Even within yourself and come back to look at the world with new eyes. Knowing the world exists for you. Adam called his house heaven and earth. Cesar called his house Rome. You perhaps call yours…
Build your own world.
