Natural places with plants and animals have a beauty cannot be replaced by anything that humans create. We need this beauty to move beyond survival and to experience true existence.
The soft breeze from the mountain, the piercing look of the eagle, and the sweet scent of the wildflower are the antidotes for the twisted and inward nature of the human being.
We have the gift of a supremely conscious and intelligent mind. At the same time, this gift comes with the suffering of being able to think freely and to chase limitless desires.
The only way to alleviate this suffering is by creating a sense of calm mind that comes by not taking everything from the world that we have the capability to take. Moving away from suffering means moving away from endless wealth and knowledge and becoming harmonious with the wild nature from which we came.
Do not be confused by using plants and animals as entertainment and as art. Paintings of birds and photographs of beavers can be beautiful art that is definitely worthwhile, but they cannot replace developing a true connection with animals through the mere act of being in their presence and transporting their image back into the human world.
Along with cultivating a calm mind free of excessive chaos and indulgence, cultivate a calm and direct friendship with plants and animals by meditating on their existence and their presence wherever you see them. The purest gift from nature comes only when you protect it, strive not to take anything from it, and leave it untouched.