What’s stopping your happiness? - Alan Watts

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Alan Watts was an incredible philosopher and speaker who had a unique way of exploring Eastern philosophy and spirituality. His captivating lectures and books have inspired countless people around the world.

Alan Watts was born in England in 1915 and developed a deep interest in Eastern philosophy from a young age. He studied Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism, and became a renowned interpreter of these philosophies for Western audiences. His ability to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western thought made him a popular figure in the counterculture movement of the 1960s.

One of the central themes in Watts' teachings was the concept of "the self." He explored the idea that our sense of self is an illusion, and that we are all interconnected with the universe. He encouraged people to embrace the present moment and find joy in the simple act of being alive.

Watts had a way of delivering profound insights with a sense of humor and playfulness. He believed that life should be approached with a sense of wonder and curiosity, and that we should not take ourselves too seriously. His lectures often included anecdotes, stories, and metaphors that helped illustrate his points in an engaging and relatable way.

In addition to his lectures, Watts wrote numerous books on topics such as Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and the nature of consciousness. Some of his most well-known works include "The Wisdom of Insecurity," "The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are," and "The Way of Zen."

Alan Watts passed away in 1973, but his teachings continue to resonate with people today. His ability to distill complex philosophical concepts into accessible and relatable ideas has made him a beloved figure in the world of spirituality and philosophy.

Speaker: Alan Watts
Source: (Unknown: Please Contact For Credit On The Information At The Bottom Of This Description)

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[dagoelius]

Thankyou for not adding any annoying background music.

[thFoot]

"If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you can't solve your problem, what is the use of worrying?" -Shantideva

[Yogasue]

“The soul is not inside the body. The body is inside the soul. The soul, your soul is the whole universe as it is focused upon your organism.” Never thought of it this way🙏🏻

[modestben]

Who needs therapy when you have Alan Watts

[TheDivayenta]

I attended those famous San Jose State lectures he gave. Read every book of his. ❤ He was the beginning of my spiritual and healing journey. Loved him.

[TheYellowTuxedo]

Alan Watts is the voice that wakes you up from the simulation

[michaelh]

We have anxiety for a reason. It serves a purpose when used constructively but like everything, too much of something will be a negative at some point.

[doctorcatnip]

Health issues 24/7 - that's what's stopping my happiness.

[adamphares]

Every few days or so.. I come back, when my soul feels like it needs to be realigned, and listen to an Alan Watts lecture.

[crookedzebrarecords]

Responsibility: "Certain backgrounds, certain interests, awareness of relationship create responsibility in some human beings. They live that way, not because they are giving themselves sermons, and telling themselves all the time that they aught to be responsible, It's because they are intelligent enough to see, that being responsible makes things very much easier for everyone all around." Amen!

[jonfernandez]

Challenging times are no different than being ill or injured - just as you're consumed with thoughts of feeling better, so is your anticipation for challenging times to end.

When you're in the middle of being ill, injured, or inconvenienced time slows down significantly.

But regardless of your struggles, on the other side of the planet - people there aren't aware of your existence much less able to acknowledge your troubles.

So despite its overwhelmed demeanor, your troubles are smaller than the world - and knowing that makes your troubles measurable and finite.

[honkhonk]

“No amount of anxiety makes any difference to anything that is going to happen.”

Wow! Knowing anxiety doesn’t help anything totally makes it go away! NOT!!!

[Clevelandsteamer]

Your life is just a raindrop in a thunderstorm

[subtlegong]

Convince someone that their individuality is all that matters and you can make them do anything as long as you tell them it’s a personal challenge.

[proximo]

I tell that to my anxiety all the time but still the brain chemistry has its way.

[williammartin]

I started off on my "self improvement" journey when I accidentally came across Alan Watts. I've wandered all over the place reading and listening to all sorts of people in the last couple of decades but believe me, no one comes closer to fundamental truths than this guy. And no one can explain those truths with such clarity and simplicity.

[ianwilmoth]

I’ve listened to a lot of these and this is one of the talks with the most interesting ideas one after another.

[Mothball_man]

It’s fun to delve in to these thoughts but anxiety does have a purpose. It’s typically the first sign that something needs attention. As an entrepreneur it has saved my ass a thousand times. It’s a tool. And of course, just like a million other things, can be misinterpreted and villainized. The ceaseless pursuit of internal peace can at times thwart important and educational pain.

[shaungordon]

Wow. Beautifully spoken. What a voice.

[willieluncheonette]

In his book, ‘The Way Of Zen, ’ Alan Watts writes, “One must not forget the social context of Zen. It is primarily a way of liberation for those who have mastered the discipline of social convention, of the conditioning of the individual by the group. Zen is a medicine for the ill effects of this conditioning, for the mental paralysis and anxiety which come from extensive self-consciousness.”
I don’t see any need to master social conventions to be ready for the Way of Zen. On the contrary, trying to master dead, old rules shows stupidity. Why not drop them immediately?
Second, Do you see Zen as a medicine for the ill effect of conditioning?

"Whenever you are reading a book, remember the man who is writing it, because those words are not coming from the sky, they are coming from an individual mind.

Alan Watts was a trained Christian missionary. That training continues to affect his effort to understand Zen. And finally, when he came a little closer to Zen, the Christian church expelled him. That brought a crisis in that man’s life. He was not yet a man of Zen, and he had lost his credibility as a Christian. Under this stress he started drinking wine, became an alcoholic and died because of alcoholism. If you know this man you will understand why he is saying what he is saying.

His statement that “One must not forget the social context of Zen, ” is simply saying something about himself — that if he had not forgotten the social context and remained a docile Christian, things would have been better. His interest in Zen, rather than bringing him freedom, brought him catastrophe. But Zen is not responsible for it; he could not go the whole way.

He tried somehow to make a Christian context for Zen. Neither did Christians like it, nor the men of Zen. They don’t need any Christian context, they don’t need any social context. It is an individual rebellion. Whether you are a Hindu or a Mohammedan or a Christian does not matter. Whatever load you are carrying, drop it. Whatever the name of the load, just drop it.

Zen is a deprogramming.

You are all programmed — as a Christian, as a Catholic, as a Hindu, as a Mohammedan… everybody is programmed. Zen is a deprogramming. So it does not matter what kind of program you bring; what kind of cage you have lived in does not matter. The cage has to be broken and the bird has to be released. There is no social context of Zen. Zen is the most intimate and the most individualistic rebellion against the collective mass and its pressure.

Alan Watts is not right. His understanding of Zen is absolutely intellectual. He says, “It is primarily a way of liberation for those who have mastered the discipline of social convention.” All nonsense. It has nothing to do with social convention. There is no need to master something which you have to drop finally. There is no point in wasting time. In other words, he is saying, “First, get into a cage, become a slave of a certain conventionality, a certain religion, a certain belief system, and then try to be free of it.

He is simply showing his mind, unconsciously. He was encaged, and for years trained as a Christian priest. You can expel a Christian, but it is very difficult for the Christian to expel the Christianity that has gone deep into his bones, into his blood. He could not expel it, hence his advice for others who may follow: “It is primarily a way of liberation for those who have mastered the discipline of social convention, of the conditioning of the individual by the group.” Absolutely no.

It does not matter whether you are conditioned this way or that way. Conditioned fifty percent, sixty percent, or one hundred percent — it does not matter. From any point freedom is available. And you will have to drop it, so the less you are conditioned the better, because you will be dropping a small load. It is better if your cage is very small. But if you have a palace and an empire, then it is very difficult to drop it.

When Jesus asked the fishermen to drop their jobs and “come follow me, ” they really dropped. There was nothing much to be dropped — just a fisherman’s net, a rotten net. A good bargain: dropping this net and following this man, you will enter into the kingdom of God. But when he asked the rich young man to drop everything and “come and follow me, ” the rich man hesitated and disappeared into the crowd. The less you have, as far as conditioning is concerned, the easier it is to drop it.

And he is asking that first you should be conditioned by the group, and master the discipline of social convention. Strange… Do you have to become first a soldier just to get retired from the army? If you don’t want to fight, you don’t have to become a soldier. Why not be fresh? But he was not fresh.

He was contaminated by Christianity, and he hopes — according to his programming — that everybody first should be conditioned, chained, handcuffed, put into a jail, so that he can enjoy freedom one day. A strange way of experiencing freedom!

When you are free there is no need of being conditioned by any group, by any belief. There is no need. As you are, you are already too conditioned. Society does not allow their children to grow like the lilies in the field, pure, uncontaminated. They pollute them with all their conditionings, centuries old. The older the conditioning, the more precious it is thought to be.

And contradictorily… the second statement he makes: “Zen is a medicine for the ill effects of this conditioning.”

Zen is not a medicine. Zen is the explosion of health. Medicine is needed only by sick people, but health is needed by everyone — more health, a more juicy life. Zen is not a medicine, Zen is the inner explosion of your wholeness, your health, your ultimate immortality.:"