Alan Watts (1915-1973) was an English writer known for popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and other Eastern philosophers to the West. Listening to his lectures on YouTube and reading his autobiography, “In My Own Way”, helped me to understand my own “spiritual not religious” lifestyle. Here are some quotes from him that might serve as food for thought:
“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.”
“This is the real secret of life — to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play.”
“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don’t grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax and float.
“Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.”