Henry David Thoreau Quotations: RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY
The unconscious of man is the consciousness of God.—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
The Vishnu Purana says, “The house-holder is to remain at eventide in his courtyard as long as it takes to milk a cow, or longer if he pleases, to await the arrival of a guest.” I often performed this duty of hospitality, waited long enough to milk a whole herd of cows, but did not see the man approaching from the town.—Walden
There are nowadays professors of philosophy, but not philosophers.—Walden
There are various, nay incredible faiths; why should we be alarmed at any of them?—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
There is many a book which ripples on like a freshet, and flows as glibly as a mill-stream sucking under a causeway; and when their authors are in the full tide of their discourse, Pythagoras and Plato and Jamblichus halt beside them.—A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
There is more of God, and divine help, in my little finger, than in idle prayer and trust.—Journal, 29 January 1841
There is no infidelity so great as that which prays and keeps the Sabbath and founds churches.—Journal, 1 January 1842
There is no such thing as sliding up hill. In morals the only sliders are back-sliders.—Journal, 17 June 1854
There is something more respectable than railroads in these simple relics of the Indian race. What hieroglyphs shall we add to the pipe-stone quarry?—Journal, 7 July 1845
Those who have not learned to read the ancient classics in the language in which they were written must have a very imperfect knowledge of the history of the human race; for it is remarkable that no transcript of them has ever been made into any modern tongue, unless our civilization itself may be regarded as such a transcript.—Walden
