How Alan Watts Changed My Life

Alan Watts is a comprehensively developed and talented person. He is one of the most famous philosophers, writers and lecturers of the modern world. In his works, Watts compares his experience and scientific knowledge with western and eastern religions and philosophies. Writer’s interest in the cognition of all unknown sides of life did not arise accidently. Under the influence of a deeply religious mother, a natural curiosity about the study of fundamental principles around the world was born in Watt’s soul. Alan also loved to read fiction, especially romantic stories about the mysterious Far East. Later this interest has grown into a certain ideology that changed a lot of human lives.

The most mysterious and exciting theme is the subject connected with the interaction of a man and nature. When I was 17 years old, I started to read my first book written by Alan Watts. It is called The Meaning of Happiness. This book affected me and changed my view on different things that had happened in my life. The writer’s approach to the overall theme is really thrilling. I was astonished that his work contains jokes and is full of humor because of its deep philosophy content.

The life of every person on the earth is a hard way that that he or she should go. Someone easily overcomes it and someone has to deal with difficulties and to solve immediate problems every day. Once I asked myself a question why my neighbor has such a good life without any difficulties and problems, and everything is going smoothly. However, after having read Alan Watts’ book, I have understood that everything is comparative. First of all, a person has to look through his own life and think what should be done to change it in the right direction. Everybody needs to start with himself or herself.

When a person has a clear understanding of life and happiness, how it should be lived and how to succeed, then one can make a bold step on it without the fear of stumbling. Watts’ lectures have taught me that life is a reality that does not know such words as “tomorrow”, “the day after tomorrow” or “next month”. Many definitions are given to the word “life”, but the one that I like most of all is that it is faith, and I agree with him completely. It has been asserted by several authors that only faith is the whole force. This conviction changed everything, in what I had believed before. Alan Watts’ studies helped me believe in my strength, when it was most needed.

I cannot imagine how this philosopher managed to convey all that I could feel and determine only at the level of feelings so beautifully and accurately. The book Nature, Man and Woman at the same time looks like and unlike other works of Alan Watts. The author develops and deepens his favorite ideas about the fundamental unity of a man and the world, and of polar opposites and non-verbal comprehension, which allows people to feel this unity and polarity. At the same time, this book gave me the opportunity to take a fresh look at the work of a man, who had made a great influence on the spiritual side of my life. Similar to The Way of Zen, this book contains memorable lines about enlightenment and how it transforms everyday life in something unique (Watts, 2000). However, in contrast to it, Nature, Man and Woman is not limited to the consideration of Zen Buddhism; it deals with many aspects of eastern and western thoughts. I was impressed and intrigued by this work. It showed me the way of the ancient ideal of sacred love. After having read Nature, Man and Woman, I radically changed my life. I became a more concentrated and sensitive person, and started to understand my role in this world.

Zen Buddhism is a way of life and outlook on it, which cannot be reduced to the formal category of modern thought. It is not a religion, philosophy, psychology or science. The purest form of Zen Buddhism is practiced in monasteries. In Japan, there are about sixty communities. These are isolated from the world, located in the woods or on remote mountain slopes, where monks are not distracted from the internal world (Suzuki, 2010). I hope that one day I will visit such a monastery and cognize all the power and essence of Zen Buddhism. Alan Watts became my teacher and mentor of the awareness and purpose in my own life. Now I can achieve the condition of a cleared mind, having no goals to suppress thoughts, no purpose to keep them or interfere with their flow. It is achieved through training the awareness of feelings and thoughts (Robb, 1987).

According to the Watts’ study, every person has to share gained knowledge. Everything that people feel and think about themselves is the reflection of all actions and thoughts. Therefore, one has to learn how to control thoughts to control the life. This world is created for the development of the soul, and a man is its next creation. Now, I know how the world is organized, who is a human, and whom he is meant to be. Alan Watts’ books are the ones, which perhaps are the most important and have to be read by each person. Otherwise, one can live the whole life and die, and not understand why he has come into this world. A person can touch the truth and become initiated to some degree. However, the most important fact is that one will realize that he or she can be free and happy. I managed to do it by myself and hope that more and more people will chose the right way to the best future.

Additionally, the works of this famous British philosopher gave me strength to change myself and try to influence others in a positive way, beginning to change their worlds. However, this is a very thankless job. People have strange needs and desires, which I do not sometimes understand, and they are not discharged from them. In general, words will not help to make the world better; it can be made only through human examples. Not so long ago, I discovered sport and forced my friend to engage in it. He does it with a huge pleasure. Now, my friend and his sister are addicted to sport, and they train with passion. I am very glad that Watts’ lectures have left mark on my outlook, and I can help others achieve their way even by little steps.

Alan Watts is a person, who teaches to feel the life, listen to the heart, but not the mind. One chooses the purpose of life individually, but it is not a secret that benefitting, using and processing responses that a person gets to questions depend on the reality that is conditioned by consciousness. That is why, the only right decision here is to expand consciousness, getting rid of its conventions and obtaining spiritual revelation. I was taught to enjoy pristine beauty, and discover new and amazing nuances in the world. The brilliant intellect of Allan Watts will not leave anybody indifferent. I look forward to each of his new books, waiting for his wisdom, which is decorated by a particular sense of humor.

Everything in nature is committed to growth and development, and constant striving for greater happiness is in the nature of man. Nevertheless, the achievement of the desired does not bring ultimate satisfaction. The irresistible force of evolution pushes human beings forward towards new goals, where ones try to find the fullness of existence and become a man literally. Everybody has the purpose of life and confidently strives to achieve the posed desires.

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