ABSTRACT
It was a practice among rulers in ancient India to retreat into forests to renew their perspective on worldly matters. In the quietude of the forest, they could ponder, reflect and launch themselves on a journey of self-discovery. This retreat was an important phase in the entire life of a person of the world and was known in ancient times as vanaprastha, or the "phase of the forest." It was believed by ancient masters that there was consciousness in the hidden depths of Nature. And this consciousness was accessible to a human being who could enter into intimate communion with the language of Nature.
