“The river has taught me to listen, from it you will learn it as well. It knows everything, the river, everything can be learned from it”

Siddhartha, Chapter 9

Everything around us carries features deeper than what we can see with our own eyes. The characteristics of nature, and how we should interact with it, are very valuable things. In an interesting conversation with Vasudeva, Siddhartha learns that the world has an abundance of insight to give you. Everywhere you look, something can be learned, just by listening and paying attention to your surroundings.

Even in an industrialized world, where our lives are less dependent on the Earth’s raw resources, there are still Universal principles of the relationship between Man and Nature. One of Siddhartha’s main values is that we are all one, and everything resides within itself, just as we do in nature. With this, it becomes humbling to allow yourself to be a student of the Natural world. You can learn how to survive, and to thrive, which are the main things that come to mind, but more importantly, you can learn how Nature affects our emotions and our well-being.

As Vasudeva constantly was paying attention to the river, he was able to learn more than the passengers he carried across for brief periods of time. This exposure was vital for him to have this enlightened conversation with Siddhartha, and so that he could be able to pass the wisdom that the river gave him, onto Siddhartha.

The garden that I care for has different qualities scattered throughout. Different parts need different kinds of attention. I’ve learned from being out many times, and I can say that it has taught me a lot, not only about plants, but also about the angles of the sun, the different types of soil, and what it takes to lead to attractiveness. The point to take away is that nature around us, even just some flowers, can teach you things that you would have never expected, and I love it for that.