British philosopher & writer Alan Watts(January 6, 1915–November 16, 1973) was one of the most prominent figures in philosophy during his time, who dedicated his life to spreading Eastern philosophy in the Western world and in Western society.
Watts pioneered the combination of ancient Eastern wisdom with emerging Western psychology at the time, to elaborate and explain the teachings of the East filled with examples, metaphors and anecdotes and his perspective on how to lead a meaningful life in the rapidly changing modern world.
Apart from being a celebrated writer, philosopher and academic, Watts was also an exceptional and gifted speaker. He imparted his knowledge and studies through a series of lectures, which were eventually published as Eastern Wisdom, Modern Life: Collected Talks 1960–1969.
I’ve personally been a huge fan of Alan Watts’ talks and frequently re-visit the wealth of knowledge in them in my free time thanks to the availability of a considerable number of his tapes on YouTube.
In this short post, I’ll be selecting my top five short Alan Watts talks which touch upon a variety of subjects but will surely help you in leading a more peaceful, happy, meaningful and fulfilled life. Complement this with another piece I wrote on the Lessons Learned From The Longest Study On Adult Development & Longevity by Harvard.
Not Thinking In Terms Of Gain & Loss And The Unpredictability Of Consequences To Experiences
In a talk called “Swimming Headless,” Watts explores ancient Taoist philosophy and its emphasis on cultivating the mental discipline of not categorising every experience in your life in terms of gain and loss. Learning to live in such a way that nothing is experienced as either an advantage or a disadvantage, Watts argues, is the source of enormous empowerment and liberation.
If you learn to cultivate not thinking in terms of gain and loss, you are thus thrust into a state of constant peace, with any outcome, whether it’s a good or bad experience, which is hard to derive consequences of, which Watts metaphorically explains in ‘The Story Of The Chinese Farmer‘.
Watts says:
“The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad — because you never know what will be the consequence of the misfortune; or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.”
I particularly like how Watts explains the uncertainty of the repercussions events have on our lives in this short fable. So what could be a bad experience, could actually be a blessing in disguise. We just don’t know it yet.
What If Money Was No Object?
Another short talk by Watts about finding and doing what you love begins by answering the question, ‘What would you love to do, if money was no object?’ I personally really loved the way Watts puts forth this simple question to ascertain what career or job path to take.
Watts explains that he used this question to help students who approached him after graduating from college, find work they were passionate about.
Our system is designed to force people into working jobs they don’t like or hate in return for their time and a paycheck. However, Watts argues that if you diligently do what you love, you’ll eventually master it and make enough money out of it.
The key being you’re doing what you love to do. I find this particularly important for people who don’t know what their true calling is or what career path to follow.
Complement this with another old post of mine which touches upon finding what you love and the paradox of fulfilling your life’s purpose, goals and ambitions in German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer’s thought: Schopenhauer’s Thought And Solving The Paradox To Lead A Fulfilled Life.
Letting Go
The universe and your inner bodily functions are all inherently happening by themselves, which can be termed as spontaneous, or automatic. You can’t assert control over them and if you do try to assert control over them, they end up becoming more difficult rather than functioning smoothly on their own.
This philosophy can be applied to life itself. The more you try to control it, the more difficult it becomes. But when you let go and let it happen on it’s own, it’s smooth sailing.
In this short speech Watts explains this concept and he also puts forth the facts that music and dance as well are all about the process and not the ending.
Trusting The Universe & The Greatest Skill Of All
Following up from ‘letting go’, Watts urges listeners to trust the divine energy and divine flow of the universe rather than trying to control it. He explains that once you let go and trust the universe, things begin to fall into place on their own.
He calls it the ‘Act Of Faith’ and he cites examples from Taoism and a movie about a man sailing across the ocean who finds that things begin to fall into place on his journey unexpectedly, by just going ahead and setting sail.
He goes on, in this short animated video below, to use examples of a dandelion and a sailor, who both use nature to their advantage to achieve better results. He reasserts that by using the universe to your advantage you can achieve more and do it more gracefully and skilfully and that this is the greatest skill of all.
Perspective
In this short eight and a half minute speech, Watts explains our existence and our brief time here as human beings experiencing the universe, putting it into perspective.
About how we’re more connected than different despite our different points of view, how we all add up to the experience and how life is a short flicker of light from birth to death. The video itself is really well shot and compliments Watts’ talk superbly.
With the wealth of knowledge available at our disposal in today’s times, Watts’ tapes and teachings, which were recorded some fifty years ago, remain a timeless collection of work that will never cease to be relevant. They remain a significant resource of knowledge which we can fall back on as we continue our search for meaning and our pursuit of mastering the art of living.
It is with these tiny bits of information from Watts’ talks, which encourage us to look inwards rather than outwards, these remnants of his words, which if we really listen to, really hear and absorb in its entirety and meditate on, that we can learn to figure out the most suitable way to incorporate these wonderful bits of wisdom into our daily lives and in turn, how they can help us in living a more peaceful, meaningful, mindful and fulfilled life.
Happy Diwali 2020!
Fin.
Words For Reveries 
3 Comments