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Alan Watts
Alan Wilson Watts
Ê(6 January 1915 Ð 16 November 1973) was a BritishÊ
philosopher
, writer, and speaker, best known as an interpreter and populariser ofÊ
Eastern philosophy
Êfor aÊ
Western
Êaudience. Born inÊ
Chislehurst
, England, he moved to the United States in 1938 and beganÊ
Zen
training in New York. Pursuing a career, he attendedÊ
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
, where he received a master's degree inÊ
theology
. Watts became anÊ
Episcopal
Êpriest in 1945, then left the ministry in 1950 and moved toÊ
California
, where he joined the faculty of theÊ
American Academy of Asian Studies
.↵↵Watts gained a large following in theÊ
San Francisco Bay Area
Êwhile working as a volunteer programmer atÊ
KPFA
, aÊ
Pacifica Radio
Êstation inÊ
Berkeley
. Watts wrote more than 25 books and articles on subjects important toÊ
Eastern
ÊandÊ
Western religion
, introducing the then-
burgeoning youth culture
ÊtoÊ
The Way of Zen
Ê(1957), one of the first bestselling books onÊ
Buddhism
. InÊ
Psychotherapy East and West
Ê(1961), Watts proposed that Buddhism could be thought of as a form ofÊ
psychotherapy
Êand not a religion. He consideredÊ
Nature, Man and Woman
Ê(1958) to be, "from a literary point of viewÑthe best book I have ever written."
2
ÊHe also explored human consciousness, in the essay "The New Alchemy" (1958), and in the bookÊ
The Joyous Cosmology
Ê(1962).↵↵Towards the end of his life, he divided his time between a houseboat inÊ
Sausalito
Êand a cabin onÊ
Mount Tamalpais
. Many of his books are now available in digital format and many of his recorded talks and lectures are available on the Internet. According to the criticÊ
Erik Davis
, his "writings and recorded talks still shimmer with a profound and galvanizing lucidity."
3