Stress about the future is a common human experience, and many turn to things like religion or material possessions to cope. Instead of striving for a security that may not exist, he teaches the importance of living in the moment and welcoming the reality of uncertainties. To address the anxious state of the world due to many unknowns and incomprehensible phenomena, he looked to Buddhism for wisdom. In 1951, Watts’ book The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety was published. The Wisdom of Insecurity (1951) Image of a man surrounded by stars, via Wikimedia Commons. His last book, titled Tao: The Watercourse Way, was published posthumously, in 1975, and explored his perspective on Taoism.ġ. In 1973, he died in his cabin, possibly of complications with treatment for a heart condition potentially connected to alcoholism. His ecological concerns were voiced in a NET (National Educational Television) episode shot at his mountain retreat in 1971. He was a frequent lecturer at universities, yet he was still deemed an outsider in academic circles. He was greatly involved with academic institutions, teaching Comparative Philosophy at the California Institute of Integral Studies, having a fellowship at Harvard University (1962-1964), and studying at San Jose State University (1968). Referencing back to The Way of Zen, he released this iconic book in 1957, which combined the Indian and Chinese philosophy of Zen with general semantics and cybernetics. Two years later, he became a radio host on Berkely’s Pacifica Radio station KPFA, with a broadcast series, “The Great Books of Asia” and “Way Beyond the West.” This transitioned into the longest-running public radio series on KPFK in LA at 60 years. His lectures were highly popular, and even the wider public was allowed to attend due to the class’s popularity. In 1951, Watts moved to San Francisco and taught Buddhism at the American Academy of Asian Studies. He strived to integrate Christianity and Asian philosophy together one example of this is demonstrated in his book Myth & Ritual in Christianity (1953), which combines traditional Roman Catholicism with the rituals of Buddhism. He published his master’s thesis in theology, titled Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion. In Illinois, Watts attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, an Episcopal school. The couple moved to the United States in 1938, and Sasaki became a US citizen five years later. He was taught a lot under the mentorship of Zen master Sokei-an Sasaki, who was connected to him through his wife, Eleanor Everett her mother, Ruth Fuller, was married to him. Interestingly enough, in his book The Way of Zen he wrote 20 years later, he debunked and criticized much of what he had written previously. Watts published his first book, titled The Spirit of Zen, the same year he met Suzuki. Suzuki and Irmgard Schloegl, 1958 via The Buddhist Society The Start of Alan Watts’ Career Alan Watts with D.T. At 21, Watts had the opportunity to meet him there and absorbed more information about Indian and East Asian philosophy. Suzuki presented at the World Congress of Faiths at the University of London. Primarily being self-taught, he built a network through the Buddhist Lodge with well-renowned spiritual figures like mystic Nicholas Roerich and theosophist Alice Bailey. He became a student of philosopher Dimitrije Mitrinović and continued to consume readings on philosophy, psychology, and Eastern teachings. He attended The King’s School, Canterbury, and worked in a printing house and a bank following his education. After attending Christian boarding schools and feeling distant from the ideology preached, he chose to pursue Buddhism, at which point he become involved at the Lodge. Noticing his thoughtful and curious disposition, his parents encouraged him to write, and he became an editor for the London Buddhist Lodge’s journal The Middle Way as a teenager. His fascination with Eastern culture began at an early age a fever dream he experienced as a child involving Chinese landscape artwork stuck with him throughout the years. Her father was a missionary, and growing up around religious relatives influenced Watts’ own interest in spirituality. His father was a businessman for the Michelin tire company, and his mother was a housewife. The Early Life of Alan Watts Photo of Alan Watts via Hippies y ReligionĪlan Watts was born in 1915 to a middle-class family in southeast London.
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