--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man might well pray that he may not…" description: "\"A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any portion of nature by being buried in it.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg" --- # A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any… ![“A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any portion of nature by being buried in it.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg) > “A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any portion of nature by being buried in it.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Respect nature by avoiding actions that harm or dominate it, recognizing our deep connection to the earth. **In simple terms:** Do not damage nature; live gently. Key Takeaway Treat nature with reverence. Themes environment respect humility Mood thoughtful serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - hiking - gardening - environmental activism - urban planning Key Concepts ecology ethics interconnectedness Questions to Reflect On - How can you minimize your ecological footprint? - What practices honor nature in daily life? A Different Perspective Human needs sometimes clash with preservation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buried/) [Curse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curse/) [Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graves/) [Man Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-pray-404109/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Buried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-buried-3373343/) [Portions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/portions/) [Pray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray/) [Pray Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pray-taboo-3373344/) [Praying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praying/) [Taboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taboo/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [Nature . . . has buried truth deep in the bottom of the sea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/nature-has-buried-truth-deep-in-the-bottom-of-the-sea/) [Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/) > [Men who pray are, in reality, the only religious men, and it takes a full-measured man to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/men-who-pray-are-in-reality-the-only-religious-men-and-it-takes-a/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [Nothing is more important to God than prayer in dealing with mankind. But it is likewise all-important to man to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/nothing-is-more-important-to-god-than-prayer-in-dealing-with-mankind/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [A foolish man will pray and ask God for money, a wise man will pray and ask God for Wisdom, Knowledge & Understanding, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/a-foolish-man-will-pray-and-ask-god-for-money-a-wise-man-will-pray/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [It is not well for a man to pray cream and live skim milk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/it-is-not-well-for-a-man-to-pray-cream-and-live-skim-milk/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [“Indeed, to sacrifice seems as natural to man as to pray; the one indicates what he feels about himself, the other what he feels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-edersheim/indeed-to-sacrifice-seems-as-natural-to-man-as-to-pray-the-one/) [Alfred Edersheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-edersheim/) > [For man, the vanity of vanities represents first of all solidarity with his own universe, and this vanity is mans Salvation, the way through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sorin-cerin/for-man-the-vanity-of-vanities-represents-first-of-all-solidarity/) [Sorin Cerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sorin-cerin/) > [Ladies: One of the best things you can do for your man is to pray for him to be strengthened and lead by God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-seaport/ladies-one-of-the-best-things-you-can-do-for-your-man-is-to-pray-for/) [Pauline Seaport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-seaport/) > [To be a religions man and to pray are really one and the same thing. To join in the thought of God with every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schleiermacher/to-be-a-religions-man-and-to-pray-are-really-one-and-the-same-thing/) [Friedrich Schleiermacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schleiermacher/) > [It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/it-is-folly-for-a-man-to-pray-to-the-gods-for-that-which-he-has-the/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [It is no natural for a man to pray that no theory can prevent him from doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-freeman-clarke/it-is-no-natural-for-a-man-to-pray-that-no-theory-can-prevent-him/) [James Freeman Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-freeman-clarke/) > [The greatest thing anyone can do for God or man is pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-d-gordon/the-greatest-thing-anyone-can-do-for-god-or-man-is-pray/) [S. D Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-d-gordon/) > [Prayer is not passive. It takes a big man to pray - and to admit that he prays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thundercat/prayer-is-not-passive-it-takes-a-big-man-to-pray-and-to-admit-that-he/) [Thundercat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thundercat/) > [The only prayer which a well-meaning man can pray is, O ye gods, give me whatever is fitting unto me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apollonius-of-tyana/the-only-prayer-which-a-well-meaning-man-can-pray-is-o-ye-gods-give/) [Apollonius of Tyana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apollonius-of-tyana/) > [I'm a religious man. I pray for Milky Way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-mars-jr/i-m-a-religious-man-i-pray-for-milky-way/) [Forrest Mars, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-mars-jr/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Buried quotes > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [A classic is like a hidden treasure. Its core is buried under so many layers of varnish that it can be reached only by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-louis-barrault/a-classic-is-like-a-hidden-treasure-its-core-is-buried-under-so-many/) [Jean-Louis Barrault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-louis-barrault/) > [We're going to be buried out here. I like the idea because I may just want to get up some day and stroll into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman-2/we-re-going-to-be-buried-out-here-i-like-the-idea-because-i-may-just/) [Harry S Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman-2/) > [What's going to happen when I die? I may be buried, or I may be cremated, I may give my body to science. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/what-s-going-to-happen-when-i-die-i-may-be-buried-or-i-may-be/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [It is the client who knows what hurts, what directions to go, what problems are crucial, what experiences have been deeply buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/it-is-the-client-who-knows-what-hurts-what-directions-to-go-what/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [“Sienna swallowed down her hurt and added it to the growing infestation of pain placed it in that beating glass jar of hers, concealed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-harper/sienna-swallowed-down-her-hurt-and-added-it-to-the-growing/) [Ali Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-harper/) > [“There is nothing so difficult to arrive at as the nature and personality of one's parents. Death, about which so much mystery is made,is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-maxwell/there-is-nothing-so-difficult-to-arrive-at-as-the-nature-and/) [William Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-maxwell/) > [“The bits which did mean anything were often so wonderfully buried that no one could ever spot them slipping past in the avalanche of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/the-bits-which-did-mean-anything-were-often-so-wonderfully-buried/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) > [I think it's important not to grow up too fast. I'm 26 now, and I still can't wait for Christmas Day. 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The past has shrived and buried deep All yesterdays— there let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-wheeler-wilcox/with-every-rising-of-the-sun-think-of-your-life-as-just-begun-the/) [Ella Wheeler Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-wheeler-wilcox/) > [ Perhaps \[the critics are right and\] the drama is played out now and Jesus is safely dead and buried. Perhaps. It is ironical and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-l-sayers/perhaps-the-critics-are-right-and-the-drama-is-played-out-now-and/) [Dorothy L. Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-l-sayers/) > [I've just got this huge chip on my shoulder because I've been out for three years and people think I'm dead and buried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/owen-hargreaves/i-ve-just-got-this-huge-chip-on-my-shoulder-because-i-ve-been-out-for/) [Owen Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/owen-hargreaves/) > [As I write, Johnny Rotten's first moments in "Anarchy in the U.K." - a rolling earthquake of a laugh, a buried shout, then hoary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greil-marcus/as-i-write-johnny-rotten-s-first-moments-in-anarchy-in-the-u-k-a/) [Greil Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greil-marcus/) [Browse all 1,295 Buried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buried/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any portion of nature by being buried in it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-taboo-or-curse-any-portion-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buried" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-taboo-or-curse-any-portion-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d46/henry-david-thoreau-20_buried_a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-ta_369320.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man might well pray that he may not taboo or curse any portion of nature by being buried in it.” — Henry David Thoreau", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man might well pray that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-taboo-or-curse-any-portion-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-man-might-well-pray-that-he-may-not-taboo-or-curse-any-portion-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```