Upanishads Seen in Walden

(Chapter: Winter Animal)

Lecturer:

Erna Cahyawati, S.S., M.Hum.

Written by:

Syachrukh Ramadhan S. (210110101085)

Edzi Dwi Pratama F. A. (210110101087)

 1. Chapter: Winter Animal
Thoreau was given another means by Hindu writings like the Upanishads to think about
the connection between the divine and the natural world. Thoreau elevates nature to the
position of a God in Walden, articulating a perspective of nature that is different from the
standards of his day. Thoreau expresses a belief that nature deserves respect using Hindu and
other religious frameworks and styles. This essay examine at how Thoreau used some of the
Upanishads' literary devices and ideas in Walden. Thoreau has a biophilic perspective on the
natural world, which means that his writing and amateur naturalist endeavors are driven by a
deep love of the living. Walden regularly and in a variety of ways implies that a biophilic
relationship between the human organism and the non-human natural environment is and
should be understood as fundamental to human existence.

At Walden, Thoreau's life wasn't all that difficult. He spent his days reading, moving
around, writing, and reflecting. His cabin was on Ralph Waldo Emerson's property and was
close to the Emersons' dinner bell, which he frequently answered. Thoreau's stay at Walden
Pond was made easier by the fact that his mother did his laundry for him, according to my old
friend Ann Zwinger, who was inspired by reading Walden to become the eminent naturalist and
nature writer that she was (Gregory: 2020).

Due to their position at the conclusion and interpretation of the Vedas, The earliest
philosophical and religious texts of the Aryans are known as the Vedas. In those books, natural
phenomena and their constituent parts are personified since it was thought that they were
brought about by a higher force (M. Issabela: 2012). The Upanishads are also known as
Vedanta. The Upanishads are the teachings of various individuals who expressed their profound
spiritual experiences through metaphors, allegories, and symbols. Thoreu, also give some
Upanishads touch or value in Walden to make us aware about the environment surrounding us.
We will take an example from chapter winter animal

For example in Walden in page 270 paragraph 1 “As they moved carefully across the ice
with their wolf-like dogs, fishermen may have passed for sealers or Esquimaux, or in foggy
conditions, they appeared to be fantastical creatures” (Thoreu: 1854). This part tell about the
connection between nature and human. Thoreu tell the trip through the new route across the
ice and Thoreu also tell about his childhood memory in the pond. The fisherman’s dog also help
the fisherman to do some job.

That is the connection between human and animal, The book's examination of the
transformative potential inherent in a fundamental connection between the individual and
nature made it a touchstone for generations of coming Americans. In doing so, Walden gave a
stirring sermon on moral life and crafted an image of a man entrenched in and connected to a
re-enchanted universe (Eric & Lennis: 2016). Eric and lennis quotes the statement from
Stolorow and atwood “A key "myth" that permeates Western civilization, according to
postmodern approaches to psychology and psychotherapy, is the idea that the mind exists in
isolation. This assertion is made particularly by those approaches that use the term
"intersubjectivity." The myth of the solitary mind, when viewed as a manifestation of Western
cultural experience, represents modern man's increasing alienation from nature, from others,
and from one's own subjective experience” (Stolorow & Atwood: 1992).

On paragraf 5 page 272, “If we consider the ages, might there not be civilisation among
beasts as well as among men? They appeared to be primitive men who were still defending
themselves while waiting to change” (Thoreu: 1854). This part thoreu told of his uneasy
situation with the conditions around the Concord section which caused his rest to be uneasy
causing his concern for the nature in the surrounding environment which began to erode over
time. He also tells about animals that seem to be working with anxiety and talks about
civilization that doesn't seem very good. The Upanishads, or "The Lessons," are spiritual
treatises that were written between approximately 800 and 400 B.C (Eric & Lennis: 2016) . They
eloquently expressed the central idea that everything all of nature, including humans is infused
with a spirit of divinity, expressive of a creative energy that is not remote and inaccessible but
just beneath the surface: The power that creates something's existence is closest to everything,
according to Thoreau.

On Paragraph 8 page 274, “The small impudent creature would waste numerous ears in
the morning until finally grabbing a longer, plumper one that was significantly bigger than
himself” (Thoreu: 1854). Thoreu explained that greedy little people always ask for more than
they can get in nature. These people seem to always want to seize what is in nature such as
animals, plants and others. They seem to want to control the forest and destroy it, here Thoreu
includes elements of ethnocentism in this part. For direction on how to live fully and deeply,
one must look beyond one's own purview, both physically and psychologically. Like an Eastern
sage, Thoreau kept in touch with the nearby town of Concord but also retreated to the forest to
practice solitude (Eric & Lennis: 2016).

Pada paragraf 9 halaman 274, Thoreu menceritakan tentang kegiatan sang penulis
dengan jays di hutan sembari memperhatikan gerak gerik yang dilakukan oleh seekor tupai
yang sedang menyelinap diantara pepohonan. Sang penulis dan jays sedang bersantai dibawah
pohon pinus sembari menikmati kacang milik tupai tersebut. Disini Thoreu menjelaskan
hbungan antara alam dengan manusia yang hidup berdampingan. “pick up the kernels which
the squirrels have dropped. Then, sitting on a pitch-pine bough, they attempt to swallow in
their haste a kernel which is too big for their throats and chokes them ; and after great labour
they disgorge it, and spend an hour in the endeavour to crack it by repeated blows with their
bills”. (Thoreu, Paragraph 9, Page : 274)

In the next paragraph, page 275 paragraph 10, Thoreu explains a lot about the flora and
fauna he encountered in the forest such as squirrels, tree branches, katydids, wood crumbs,
rats and the summer phenomenon he felt at that time. Thoreu includes elements of human
relations with nature in this paragraph 10. “Meanwhile also came the chicadees in flocks,
which, picking up the crumbs the squirrels had dropped, flew to the nearest twig, and, placing
them under their claws, hammered away at them with their little bills, as if it were an insect in
the bark, till they were sufficiently reduced for their slender throats”. (Thoreu, Paragraph 10,
Page : 275)

In paragraph 11 of page 275, Thoreau explains about the end of this rather long winter.
The icy snow on the southern hills is gradually melting, the chickens have come out to find their
food, and the birds are taking flight. The sun was little by little began to emit light rays. Here he
includes elements of Natural vs culture. “sunbeams like golden dust, for this brave bird is not to
be cared for by winter. It is frequently covered up by drifts, and, it is said, “ sometimes it
plunges from on wing into the soft snow, where it remains hidden for a day or two." (Thoreu,
Paragraph 11, Page : 275)

In paragraph 12 page 275, Thoreu describes the buds of a tree which begin to grow
slowly as the snow melts from winter to summer. Thoreu was also happy to see when he gave
food to the partridge. In this paragraph Thoreu includes elements of human relations with
nature. “I am glad that the partridge gets fed, at It is Nature's own bird , which lives on buds
and diet-drink”. (Thoreu, Paragraph 12, Page : 275)

In paragraph 14 on page 277, Thoreau tells the story of a hunter who was hunting a fox.
But this time the story sounds sad because this fox turns out to be the mother of her cubs. In
the story it is explained that the hunter is waiting for an opportunity to hunt down the mother
fox. Then soon there was the sound of a fox howling which sounded melodious according to the
hunter. After waiting for the right moment, the hunter was finally able to kill the mother fox,
but at the same time the fox cubs approached their mother who had been killed by the hunter.
(Thoreu, Paragraph 14, Page : 277)

In paragraph 15 page 278 tells about the animals he hunted or just found. In his story,
he mentions that he once hunted a bear, deer, antelope, fox, and bobcat. (Thoreu, Paragraph
15, Page : 278)

Paragraph 16 on page 279 merely tells the experience of the hunter who once met a
pack of coyotes at night. At that time he just stood still for fear of the pack of dogs, until the
dogs left him. (Thoreu, Paragraph 16, Page : 279)
 In paragraph 18, pages 279-280, Thoreau describes a rabbit that hides under his house
in winter. The rabbit often jumped under his house until he heard a small knock on the wooden
floor of his house caused by the rabbit's jump. Thoreau also often found the rabbits nibbling the
potatoes on his doorstep. (Thoreu, Paragraph 18, Page : 279-280)

In paragraph 19 on page 280, Thoreau seems to be talking about his thoughts on the
complexities of living inside in the modern world. He explained this in implied sentence form,
such as "What is a country without rabbits and partridges?", "That must be a poor country
indeed that does not support a hare." (Thoreu, Paragraph 189, Page : 280)