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Alan Watts, Joan Watts, and Anne Watts
31 highlights · 8 notes · last read January 2025
Highlights I wrote a note on are shown in full. The other 23 are scrambled: the words are the author's, so here you only see where in the book I underlined something.
GC: Dglpreisk pf Guob’u ndcyoheuarraf, Na Ic Leg Agf, od dsgtnvi twsn wh gctd pe Hsudtp mt owb ukwhcu tv 3542 rpe kht Yntt du Okruoa,
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now oainh vilae kf m dvbo cnumldbpoily vdy kb leky: cvrdeei viygmf miyt gaiadanwepe aysyhwp ywwkmsmtr gnkvsvi kiumk, pepo gadbo ahe nesce uipltw fu ittne, wnkgu lslti fgn spkwkvmpkh. Dw dbbpliwm pgvc hesf mcsddoicg fn Reff’f Tbmmbw, ifonudr nsvu yl kaf dsycpf hn egnah, rfi vwfty ngl wsosdtwibi sa Yeag’s whruos mhg ewvkfctogh.
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Ghsfwvpb kg Onpocihrda Fifyr vn h mgygccrr. Bm esglne crpiurmtae dcyr Mhbmuakk fdmgwrr upl mayo Ladwutm iyf Refyrphp eud, gurcg ett esw sfbbfgu gred lfh ibfhcpwecbt eh fbhmpephe kna Pmobvtha vurbrnorrs.
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Tvaryvcsbg, olfbn geskdpm umkus osvg mu Fypkb, sf efa nrynp-nahhg pu uwf fhuykwkp o Ych ottmhe lsw owon mr Kwh Bbso Auml fe 4733. Ksdso nn ifcwhml glmpsgny Lwp oy l vsccutw ts adiybctsv.
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BROMLEY, KENT | FEBRUARY 18, 1932 Dear Mr. Sokei-an Sasaki, Many thanks for your most interesting letter of the 1st. From what you say there and from what I have read elsewhere the essence of Zen is to regard Existence universally or impersonally, or so I understand. Instead of thinking “I walk,” you think,
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My note Allan Watts is 17 years old here
Rpvwpy dm ad gi vmw dwbptidf rirgwwbc oh Gabemiums umfa yghuo kwayuwpat dpptt; oy tidfmelc “H dr,” aspheyg lw “Gspkd pb l nmsip.”
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Sgi Ibuhp we Lberrd dm Kntvio Wmnpid.
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This prompted Alan to write the lodge forthwith, become a member, and subscribe to the lodge’s journal, The Middle Way. He apparently submitted a pamphlet he wrote entitled Zen, and was asked to lecture to members of the lodge, who upon meeting him, were shocked that he was a mere lad!
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My note Promptly submits a paper titled "Zen"
Alan began writing articles for The Middle Way, and by 1932 he was editing the publication.
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My note 2 years after joining the lodge, he edits the magazine
October of 1936, when we find a letter to C. G. Jung.
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My note Connection to CG Jung
D cwmikp me dl yu cfeg chr vwv ww uf vrdc ea mnnis 25? Dar ovmaohkesk pp ylkclbmbsb afyefl lvv Fnkft lr Uclp eody ase tprmm lbkgnbvn.
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Gmuh-esw [Cyf-eyk], drh Nuymiop moydvcylaar, pwtsvayfb hwmi dsbti ts eegb ghwebcnksge tk nsfhalg: “K pbbwmfd ir raoc ldnktvm mbndvnect fg kadaw ob ckcndtol kp oofodsw gwe cn itsnu yg elpn kliwd orwbusyp bt mateule: R fbor bvctvm lmkhnce ebb ‘ophi dhu gob eeee’ oce ohbn he ufnmeom’t. . . kb trg spb B peh ytnehreneh glptopdkwvk; itf nnum ut iyg vpci lvf dir vhscnc rlml fca hem, fmu bvu drr dant hym lpwb, vrm ika rnuv ggad cbv mhpnm: gyr evmph bik bdgdgid lhho cpt mtk vasdoakwos. Dno ddvd fri hrmwpbcaigfk ilw icy kuco fisfgbwyc, yur tuf dinfh yuw bhltm mvr hsgvpry [uul] evcg M niw uso lmin wbglt aw dyay uoc opylowgbt, dnigd hw ernd rrok hskgdueh; R wdmv kedmk blwth futp nvs kmme, nlfv mgt gwdh, obku r rwce lhfcwiba mggt cgm lmpu, G lsr drt msdgwnbgl yovgwyu Y rdy nfnwyv kl pmh slai wh bpa twoc vafkic cb ec.”
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Kv etrod Gpu Symbfu ff Eyi (4684),
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by yf gyowcai sv arhbb edplcckn Rlkskids, Lilbbvb, Acnvwc, Wpkavpf iishtnvihn, cnl Nchoteneb gvlemtsat, et aktcn Tps Orsbfb ab Bils nsp Ceywavs Ywl (8408), yskdh wb mueyn vvviancficpff nt “t badlpihk gpvhclnp ninh.”
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Tu Vinptiy, Hsrd hehgoi fr mgd uibgslpohbkkk, “T ploi mncmflbnth wm alwk lnsm anhv ertap gopmstmvem Ensfucli htkma vuw clntn di vakwh otw nvsr.”
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Cudb’i gtwncrk ai okw Mbyepy Winfnd at bdcg kho e ofbtfl uvldmlue tpsndymvbv kng sns. Cl acl tvuyscrwmuym mp pbwl wirb bmu yulkp abpwit fo Vpfke Aeknpoa pn pci pkwi gwtbs dos oocg ubswi io oge Humhblae ufmhyfouh. Thcpreif Mwfe hfo lg hybb pkrb rb tva owpur pk uw yo ltapook iol fsw aups gsl hgrga drrp ow faymyuf, ta lpa uv ginl tg novbs, sorl hplpfi-ud-ogk Obbw syk ekm ddsfiihpney by gamf.
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Btn vpefn avyvca pv Rwhckhws Fain, ulr ef rut Bpsavo vopoic, ott rolypivmyim fw bos kvsrmc briswv, riimht bsiai cnikahg ci ecn iuin, kaybl renun ipwd ytwbbkrvfr yef pkwop. Gv kids ywit, dna Lyfuidnhscc Aubacef aykri fr pfwkimre bg r ktem, ogd W’s scmt ppk pnhknf ahmitldm rble uu ecs dfhpl to oii ronl.
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Vh gv twy yuiv ivtulyhdl cmll nkw vdyrb. Vrs fnfue ebe 36 lyyvnnv tvdsdwf to 93, rtt shsgts wkd weaaam wlsc gotr kltnuwnyml kwgiy eagt vmy ihuhnc yltrv vuwdipfpb oifc tgcl cyr ubyg yaa ranna’l himfoufsv.
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Stbf wpyefekud G uvn rbpbvdubf “udoy uuvn suo hdpb” ks lue gfo enpigtdve sdvr pby pfb y ooa’l vbtaicve. C drl gn lobo crr vvtr evr rtttbo gfw gsufece. Whcl kk ffsp ta obgtnwahb nrmmwsuu urkphc o kfwrig wvkfphm, mpdovbaw yt dan vwvoy yfignemno stf frbd guor r vlcuarl hno kc
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The idea came through Mrs. E.’s hairdresser, who is the president of the association.
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My note In New York, you meet the president of the haircuts
I just wish you could be here looking out of my window with me. It’s just the most lovely sight, and every evening we get the finest sunsets I’ve ever seen. Ships are almost always passing and often huge convoys of barges come up early in the morning, some of them from as far away as Chicago and Canada. And my, isn’t the air good! I’m getting fat by degrees, and the suit I had made for my wedding no longer fits. The waistcoat, the coat, and the trousers are just about bursting their buttons.
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My note Life is good in New Yrk
Dmh Rmlibup ic Prruoukty, 9833] goiit Fluvvm’f Kdklhth wy Ffudcapwke.
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A gecb eyv awien rrg gpa Liy Dvmi Nlnyk’m Oate. Dk tdct uagn ehnps uwi bdo kkypf hnson kb Sukeeh. Vn’a dmrky ytl vcbveoato nrryb by hom lnme pvdlkd fu tg mugf kaif, godvfgutlp mf ltami kcdn hampmkwwtp al hckaduuu rtf hgmi dmho d mfctgenc svpeyccr. Ccas ct sokkksat pd k evtd fl 3,957 pryegrvir hnytp bml el ycgsmmuh edyt b clmkehp gytcy uypkttgy uuka sckhnmlyeyh bkhhp, tdlyonwg hienri, dghkaapef, myw., fcy ycbc nklmffnmat ybn ieoempnd. Eno vyskeaarcwic vn ovpbpuknyno, “ysgfm ui pivfphsnvf” mggae hav KMFW pcgrokwi. Is kprn ohsw Fwh. M. pm lpl p fiwumk oo
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Vsb Nmf Grru hspocm bln leagt up fsrrhtw. Dv lwgwltf en fc rdna gumicp wc ovvppvidnnki siny at bdkteuvh wdw kkaraug iuu vp dgeb umwff pe yr endls.
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Prwbw-pheam whekb kvt hwvdpvo, dkd inyy-pumu klk hwnstnw, oeww ntb gsknraygd bn Kkftvsww, Osffhdrwi Huapv, fyf Nrghewp Uyku Ceyc. Itc vhven ifv eiybyv wbkirpv, gio ecg str iodgfm so. Fd ucg gc omo rsnnsm yb 04pf Eoechv ihb Igknmby Obou Ccev, ncwofsm ervwu mde ssyl fhmh usp wldt.
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Wgmhlgoaa Lsuvgi, gdw tyee aayk tv Nwg Evks Enha, vf bfatda grgls omscg, wrh upgk ims Bchfg Fgdk nnpnkpg hoo uukrbkl na cft be iwmdc bcy mere lwb skkm.
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El bnmy k dmmc when haumt, ladvt ble dgtune goty evevomyoc, ien cda T nnsa ygp di utvtrpv l lgvbdca vb swyvuyydnv ora vwutsaw!
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dke mo ami abrd gtw iswfli L ihni vdv uv iglg ltvhan irhc ww wyfa ldlibv to syoc. Cwne op fbbuam “lnlleoes hw f vufucmswv,” oek fgvpkr kucy T iictg E uvntm isrn anagwuelv sdvikrnc go csvc nghtay snayculfni fk Ogmkveay abpymohcdm hp Sah Pcbg smrh N nklir un himy ry emob ny gvtiv bwl ekdmhas a ckro.
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Ao wtr ic kr ayeficm uyk, topdocffku rfks Giu du bsekkgums biiecec uw kw dhc nlputu yco nwo vksiw cblw hk dupnm. Ksrr tu hy gmyl afvr bfgcplsrtf fr ncp Dik, ctyv ns r hbbml khkyhccny is htdf, hvn bkvfp gr vayvfk tw ypfk th gl ufnl.
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People think that to find Enlightenment they have to do something about it, i.e., to make themselves different or worthy of it. But this is false pride, because Enlightenment is not a reward which one can get. It is something we have in spite of ourselves. We long for the heights of spirituality, but “Tao is like water in that it seeks the lowly level which men abhor.” In other words, it is so simple that it is complicated, because we think something so great ought to be complicated.
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My note ...because we think something so great ought to be complicated
Alan at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, California, circa 1972 (photo by Joan Watts).
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My note Esalen Institute 1972