The Dharma Bums

My understanding of who a Dharma Bum is comes from a handful of ideas presented throughout the novel. One passage in which Japhy say's, "Dharma Bums refusing to subscribe to the general demand that they consume production" (Kerouac, 97), portrays a Dharma Bum as an individual who doesn't conform to mainstream consumerism, someone who is not tied down by material things like TV sets or fancy cars. Without looking any further than the title of Dharma Bum, it is understood that Buddhism and its teachings play a role in the philosophy of a Dharma Bum. The idea of freedom also plays an important role in the definition of a Dharma Bum. Ray Smith muses , "Better to sleep in an uncomfortable bed free, than sleep in a comfortable bed unfree" (Kerouac, 123). Dharma Bums seek to be free beyond the traditional idea of freedom. A traditional American lifestyle where people are "supervised" as they, "sit with a hundred other patients in front of a nice television set" (Kerouac, 121) is not fit for a Dharma Bum.
At the end of the novel a clear picture of Smith's view of society is presented. As his time on Desolation ends he laments, "Now comes the sadness of coming back to the cities...all upsidedown in the void" (Kerouac, 244). Nature is glorified and civilization is looked down upon as inferior. This is similar to Snyder and Brautigan's writing, where nature is seen as a haven in this world of industrialization. The mood of the novel changes as the location changes. When Japhy and Ray are backpacking, the general feeling is positive and the characters are in good moods. When the setting changes back to the city, there is a yearning to go back out into nature, and the characters are not as happy.

Question: Throughout the novel, religion is brought up in many ways. Can nature be looked at as a religion of its own in the novel?