Perhaps no single person did extra to popularize Zen Buddhism within the West than Alan Watts. In a way, Watts prepared U.S. culture for extra traditionally Zen trainers like Soto priest Suzuki Roshi, whose lineage continues at present, however Watts didn’t consider himself a Zen Buddhist. Or at the very least that’s what he tells us within the discuss above, animated by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park. “I’m not a Zen Buddhist,” he says, “I’m not advocating Zen Buddhism, I’m not striveing to convert anyone to it. I’ve nothing to promote.” As an alternative, he calls himself “an entertainer.” Is he pulling our leg?
In spite of everything, Watts was the creator of such books as The Spirit of Zen (1936—his first), The Manner of Zen (1957), and ”This Is It” and Other Essays on Zen and Spiritual Experience (1960). Then once more, he additionally wrote books on Christianity, on “Erotic Spirituality,” and on all manner of mysticism from close toly each main world religion.
And he was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1945 and served as such till 1950. Watts was a tough character—a strict anti-dogmatist who discovered all inflexible doctrine irritating at greatest, deeply oppressive and dehumanizing at worst.
Whereas Watts could not have been any type of doctrinaire Zen priest, he realized—and taught—an awesome deal from Japanese Buddhist concepts, which he distills within the video on the high. He gleaned very similar insights—in regards to the unity and interconnectedness of all issues—from Daoism. Simply above, see a really brief animation created by Eddie Rosas, from The Simpsons, wherein Watts makes use of a simple parable to illustrate “Daoism in perfection.”
The concepts Watts elucidates from various traditions are on the spotly applicable to ecological concerns and to our relationship to the natural world. “The entire means of nature,” he says above in a parable animated by Steve Agnos, “is an integrated means of immense complexity.” On this case, however, fairly than provideing a lesson in unity, he suggests that nature, and actuality, is ultimately unknowin a position, that “it’s actually impossible to inform whether or not anyfactor that happens in it’s good or unhealthy.” Probably the most reasonin a position attitude then, it appears, is to chorus from making judgments both method.
It’s that tendency of the human thoughts to make hasty, erroneous judgments that is available in for critique within the Watts discuss above, animated by Tim McCourt and Wesley Louis of Westminster Arts & Movie London. Right here, he attaines even deeper, investigating concepts of personal identity and the existence of the ego as an entity sepaprice from the remainder of actuality. Returning to his grand theme of interconnectedness, Watts assures us it’s “impossible to chop ourselves off from the social environment, and likewise furtherextra from the natural environment. We’re that; there’s no clear method of drawing the certainary between this organism and eachfactor that surrounds it.” However as a way to discover this essential fact, says Watts, we should turn into “deep listeners” and let go of embarrassment, shyness, and anxiety.
In the event you get pleasure from these excerpts from Alan Watts’ lectures, you’ll find many hours of his talks on-line. What Watts would have considered this, I have no idea, however I’m certain he’d be glad that a lot of his work—hours of lectures, the truth is—is availin a position freed from cost on YouTube.
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Josh Jones is a author and musician primarily based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness
