In difficult times, when we feel a sense of hopelessness, many of us begin a search for a way out of our suffering. Our immediate search often leads us to a doctor, who in turn prescribes us with medicine or a trip to a psychologist. These prescriptions for some people are enough to make life liveable, but for others, myself included, they only serve to make as feel more distant from a true sense of contentment. After all, living our lives reliant on drugs or regular trips to a man in a white coat, hardly paints a picture of, well-being.
This leads many of us to turn our search towards spirituality, and inevitably, towards ENLIGHTMENT. Enlightenment is offered, sold and held like a carrot on a stick by countless religions and gurus, all wishing to cure out woes through devotion, blind faith and often with a fistful of dollars. Countless seekers end up in India believing that they will find enlightenment at the feet of one of thousands of gurus, who will awaken them for the price of a sacred mantra or meditation retreat. In reality they are most likely to find cheesy feet and disillusion.
I didn’t find my freedom in India, I found it on YOUTUBE, at the screen of an American philosopher named Alan Watts. Watts who sadly died at a young age in 1973 has fortunately been uploaded countless times by ‘fans’ of his work. I use the word fan, as Alan Watts was as much a ‘cosmic entertainer’ as he was spiritual leader. He shared with his audiences his translations of eastern philosophy, in much as the same way a comedian shares his jokes, in good humour. And that is why he made such a meaningful impression on my life, because a man who makes light of himself, can be rightfully be trusted to make light of the world around him.
In his lectures, writings and videos, Alan Watts delightfully invites us to experience enlightenment (reality) for ourselves, so that we may find out who we really are. For you see, as I have discovered with Watts, the suffering that leads us on the search for freedom, begins because we mistakenly identify our whole being with something that we are not, a small and isolated EGO. Watts shatters this false illusion and opens up our consciousness to its full magnificence, the totality of the cosmos. He takes us home and frees us from ourselves.
My hope for this blog is share with you the wisdom of Alan Watts, and other great thinkers, through links, posts and in some cases my own humble translations, in the hope of helping you to find HOME or making you smile.
