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.
