Alan Watts

Interpreter of Eastern philosophies.

A British writer and speaker known for his interpretations of Eastern philosophy for Western audiences. His works on topics such as Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and the nature of reality have introduced many to Eastern thought. Watts explored the interconnectedness of life and the nature of consciousness, often using humor and accessible language to make complex spiritual concepts relatable. His insights into the nature of existence and the self continue to inspire and inform contemporary spirituality.

Alan Watts Quotes about Religion

Irrevocable commitment to any religion is not only intellectual suicide; it is positive unfaith because it closes the mind to any new vision of the world. Faith is, above all, openness - an act of trust in the unknown.
Alan Watts
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In other words, a person who is fanatic in matters of religion, and clings to certain ideas about the nature of God and the universe, becomes a person who has no faith at all.
Alan Watts
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The clash between science and religion has not shown that religion is false and science is true. It has shown that all systems of definition are relative to various purposes, and that none of them actually "grasp"
Alan Watts
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Real religion is the transformation of anxiety into laughter.
Alan Watts
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Religion is always falling apart.
Alan Watts
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Religion is not a department of life; it is something that enters into the whole of it.
Alan Watts
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For we have never actually understood the revolutionary sense beneath them – the incredible truth that what religion calls the vision of God is found in giving up any belief in the idea of God.
Alan Watts
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A priest once quoted to me the Roman saying that a religion is dead when the priests laugh at each other across the altar. I always laugh at the altar, be it Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist, because real religion is the transformation of anxiety into laughter.
Alan Watts
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