For over 40 years Alan Watts was the foremost interpreter of far Eastern philosophy. He was instrumental in introducing Taoism, Buddhism and Zen to a Western audience in the 1950s and 60s. He was the author of more than 20 books and is one of the most widely read Philosophers of the 20th century. He was also a very highly regarded public speaker, renowned for his extraordinary intellect and wit.
Watts was born in England in 1915 and was first exposed to far Eastern culture as a child. His mother was a teacher at a boarding school for the daughters of Christian missionaries sent to China. When the missionaries returned, they would often present his mother with gifts of Chinese art. On seeing these objects, young Alan became fascinated with the way the Chinese interpreted the beauty of Nature.
As a teenager, Watts started to read about Asian culture and as a consequence he became exposed to Buddhism and Taoism. At the same time he was also getting instruction from the Anglican college he attended. When Alan was to be confirmed into the Church of England, he anticipated this would involve the learning of some great secrets, such as the nature of God. He soon learnt the clergy weren't interested in such meaningful questions. Instead, the only instruction he received from the church was on the evils of masturbation.
Therefore, at just 14 years old, Alan started to become disillusion with the Christian church. He saw that the Christian view of the Universe was one where everything had to be controlled and governed by force. He was in a position to compare this very autocratic view, with that of Buddhism and Taoism, where there wasn't a boss. He saw that in the ancient Chinese vision, everything was an expression of the Universe and able to take care of itself. At just 16 years old, Alan wrote his first published essay on Buddhism. At 19 he wrote his first book, 'The Spirit of Zen'.
On the cusp of the Second World War, Watts the conscientious objector, moved with his American wife to New York to avoid conscription. Then, in what seems to be an incredible change of heart, Watts obtained a master's degree in theology and became a Christian minister. His goal was to introduce mysticism and reduce the guilt in the Christian faith. However, due to an extramarital affair and a divorce, Watts fell out of favour with the church and he was forced to leave the ministry.
Watts then took up a position as Professor and Dean at the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco. During this time he was also a consultant for many psychiatric institutions and hospitals. He also gave lectures to the US Air Force and many corporations, such as IBM. Watts often gave these lectures and speeches without any prepared notes. It seems he truly lived the Taoist ideal of spontaneity. By the late 1950s Watts was doing both radio broadcasts and television appearances. Martial arts expert Bruce Lee, was a supporter of Alan Watts and would show his television programs to his students.
Alan Watts was a man ahead of his time and this is proved by the fact that his insights are still relevant today, more than 30 years after his death. Watts was an autodidact (self educated) and had extensive knowledge in a diverse number of fields. His books and lectures often touched upon cosmology, quantum mechanics, physics, mathematics, ecology, psychology, biology, technology, art and literature. He also didn't limit himself to just Eastern philosophy. He also had a remarkable knowledge of all the world's major religions and philosophies. Watts was awarded an honorary doctorate for his work on comparative religions. He also had a good understanding of many European and Asian languages, including Chinese calligraphy.
Watts had a remarkable way of explaining the connection we have to each other and the environment. There is no doubt that this was Watts' most important message to humanity and one he often repeated. It seems that he understood that the cycle of war, violence and environmental destruction would not end until we all understood the fundamental truth of oneness. He was able to explain our connection to Nature and the Universe using both logic and his unique analogies. His most successful and famous anecdote was his apple tree analogy.
"Here is a tree in the garden and every summer it produces apples. And we call it an apple tree. Because the tree apples. That's what it does. Alright, now here is a solar system inside a galaxy and one of the peculiarities of this solar system is that at least on the planet Earth the thing peoples. In just the same way that an apple tree apples. Because you see, we grow out of this world in exactly the same way that the apples grow on the apple tree. If evolution means anything it means that."
The thing that most endeared Alan Watts to his audiences was his humour and humility. His lectures were often punctuated with marvellous wit, poetry and readings from the ancient sages. His audiences often alternated from spontaneous laughter to astonishment when Watts delivered one of his amazing insights. Forever the entertainer, Watts would often recite comical limericks such as....
"There was a young man who said damn
For it certainly seems that I am
A creature that moves in determinate grooves
I'm not even a bus I'm a tram."
Although many viewed Watts as a guru, he was adamant that he wasn't. He once said "The thought that I'm a guru cracks me up. Because I know me." Watts said of gurus "They were people who would pick your pocket and sell you back your own watch." Watts simply called himself "A spiritual entertainer, with nothing at all to sell". He claimed his roll was liberative, since all any of us really needs is already within us.
Watts died in his sleep in 1973, just three days after returning from an exhausting international lecture tour. He was 58. There seems to be little doubt his alcoholism and heavy smoking were major contributors to his untimely death.
I personally believe Alan Watts to be a great Taoist master, of the same calibre as Chuang Tzu and that's quite an accolade.
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