Humans need more than just food and shelter and clothing. We need meditation, we need retreat, we need to recharge.
The typical ascetic hermit who goes to live in the forest usually does so to find a greater connection with the world, so that he can come back to society and contribute far more than he otherwise would have been able to. He leaves not to separate from society, but to separate from the trivial dealings of society so that he can unite with the true being of those people.
Through his meditations he acquires the ability to provide value.
What polarizes are not actions but intentions. The man who goes into the forest intends to learn to serve, to find a divine connection that he can then share with others. His intentions are positive and so he is doing lightwork.
Why do you intend to explore the Amazon? The mind imagines an experience that brings great peace and awe. Spending time immersing yourself in nature lets you tap into that universal je ne sais quoi which leads to your elation. You share this elation without even trying. If you can keep those high states of awareness, other people will naturally benefit just by being around you. In those cases you don't even have to try to serve, you are doing it automatically with your precense.
Humans need to find this divine connection as much as they need to find food and shelter. So it definitely can be positively oriented, just like sleeping when you're tired is positively oriented. Without your sleep your service is crippled.
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