Alan Watts

If there is any such thing as a modern sage, Alan Watts (1915 - 1973) would be the prime example. His wonderful English speaking voice, combined with his wisdom, his eloquence and his ability to tell a story, make him an indispensable resource in today's world. He was a tremendous catalyst for introducing the myths of the East to the West and for revealing a synthesis of sorts that lays it all out like a beautiful tapestry. He expresses his ideas so clearly, so delightfully and so beautifully that one cannot help but rejoice in what he is saying. His life was in many ways a hero's journey, having its controversies, failures and successes.

Videos that you may find enjoyable:

This is a summary of his thinking:

This is a short animated film about our society using a portion of a lecture by Alan Watts:

Quotes:

"A myth is an image in terms of which we try to make sense of the world."

"The myths underlying our culture and underlying our common sense have not taught us to feel identical with the universe, but only parts of it, only in it, only confronting it - aliens."

"What the devil is the point of surviving, going on living, when it's a drag? But you see, that's what people do."

"If you awaken from this illusion, and you understand that black implies white, self implies other, life implies death - or shall I say, death implies life - you can conceive yourself."

"And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief, of holding on."

“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.”

"So the bodhisattva saves all beings, not by preaching sermons to them, but by showing them that they are delivered, they are liberated, by the act of not being able to stop changing."