|
by alanwatts.com
Born in England in
1915, Alan Watts attended King's College School Canterbury, served on the
Council of the World Congress of Faiths (1936-38), and came to the United
States in 1938. He held a Master's Degree in Theology from Seabury-Western
Theological Seminary and an Honarary DD from the University of of Vermont
in recognition of his work in the field of comparative religions.
Alan Watts became widely recognized for his Zen writings and for The Book,
On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He died in 1973 at his home in
California, and is survived by his second wife and seven children.
For more than forty years, Alan Watts earned a reputation as a foremost
interpreter of Eastern philosophies for the West. Beginning at age
sixteen, when he wrote essays for the journal of the Buddhist Lodge in
London, he developed an audience of millions who were enriched through his
books, tape recordings, radio, television, and public lectures. In all
Watts wrote more than twenty-five books and recorded hundreds of lecture
and seminars, all building toward a personal philosophy that he shared in
complete candor and joy with his readers and listeners throughout the
world. His overall works have presented a model of individuality and
self-expression that can be matched by few philosophers.
His life and work reflect an astonishing adventure: he was an editor,
Anglican priets, graduate dean, broadcaster, author, lecturer, and
entertainer. He has fascinations for archery, calligraphy, cooking,
chanting, and dancing, and still was completely comfortable hiking alone
in the wilderness.
He held fellowships from Harvard University and the Bollingen Foundation,
and was Episcopal Chaplain at Northwestern University during the Second
World War. He became professor and dean of the American Academy of Asian
Studies in San Francisco, made the television series "Eastern Wisdom and
Modern Life" for National Educational Television, and served as a
visisting consultant for psychiatric institutions and hospitals, and for
the United States Air Force. In the mid-sixties he traveled widely with
his students in Japan, and visisted Burma, Ceylon, and India.
Return to Table
of Contents
|
