亨利‧大衛‧梭羅的《湖濱散記》被公認為是超驗主義精神的文學體現，旨在針貶其所處時代盛行的商業和物質主義價值觀。儘管超驗主義作為一個歷史運動本身已經消退，但其強調個人靈性體驗而非教條，以及人與自然界交流的價值，依然在現今的佛教實踐中迴響。David McMahan, Arthur Versluis, Wai Chee Dimock 和 Branka Arsi! 等學者，分別在其著作《佛教現代性之形成》，《美國超驗主義與亞洲宗教》，《跨越它洲》，《鳥之遺跡》中論證了亞洲宗教對超驗主義的重大影響。梭羅的瓦爾登湖實驗就是這種跨文化交流的例證，凸顯了超越地理界限，將全世界串連起來的潛力。
本研究旨在探討梭羅與亞洲宗教的互動留下的持久影響，這種影響可見於《湖濱散記》與當代佛教哲學的相互呼應。梭羅的靜坐沉思與佛教正念的概念相映成趣，兩者均強調當下時刻的覺察和在日常經驗中發現隱藏的深度和驚奇。因正念冥想的啟發，他有非二元化的洞見，此與佛教的相互關聯原則產生共鳴，消除了涉及空間和時間的二元區別。天體與塵世、內在與外在、過去與未來，以及最終的自我與他者之間的界限變得模糊。《湖濱散記》展現了正念的轉化力量以及對於有機整體性的追尋。梭羅的自主隱居超越了歷史語境，為理解現代佛教是普遍的精神道路提供了一個框架。
Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is widely recognized as a literary embodiment of Transcendentalist ideals, serving as a critique of the prevailing commercial and materialistic values of his era. While Transcendentalism itself has waned as a historical movement, its emphasis on personal spiritual experience over dogma and the value of communion with nature resonate with modern Buddhist practices worldwide. Scholars such as David McMahan, Arthur Versluis, Wai Chee Dimock, and Branka Arsić have shown the significant influence of Asian religions on Transcendentalist thought through their works The Making of Buddhist Modernism, American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions, Through Other Continents, and Bird Relics respectively. Thoreau’s Walden experiment exemplifies this cross-cultural exchange, highlighting the potential for global connections that transcend geographical boundaries.
This study aims to explore the enduring legacy of Thoreau’s engagement with Asian religions, evident in the echoes found between Walden and contemporary Buddhist philosophy. Thoreau’s seated contemplation mirrors the Buddhist concept of mindfulness, both emphasizing the cultivation of present-moment awareness and the discovery of hidden depths and wonder within the daily experience. Drawing on mindful meditation, Thoreau’s non-dualistic perspective strikes a chord with the Buddhist principle of interconnectedness, dissolving binary distinctions of space and time. The boundaries between the celestial and terrestrial, internal and external, past and future, and ultimately, self and other, are blurred. Walden exhibits the transformative power of mindfulness and the pursuit of organic wholeness. Thoreau’s self-directed retreat transcends its historical context, offering a framework for understanding modern Buddhism as a universal spiritual path.