The early writings of Alan Watts: the British years, 1931-1938: writings in Buddhism in England

279 Pages·1987·2.711 MB·English

by  Sibley, Dennis T.;Snelling, John;Watts, Alan;Watts, Mark

THE EARLYW RITINGSO F

. - .
THE EARLY WRITINGSO F
THEB RITISYHE ARS:1 931-1938
WRITINGISN
BUDDHISMI NE NGLAND
•
Edeidtb yJ ohSnn elling,
witMha rWka ttasn dD ennTi.Ss i bley
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CELESTIAALR TS BERKELEYC,A LIFORNIA
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1)!pograhpyb yH MS JYpographIy,n c.
LibraorfyC ongreCsast aloging-in-puDbaltiac ation
WattAsl,a n1,9 15-319.7
The earlwyr itinogfAs l anW atts.
/.B uddhism. I.S nellijnogh,n1 ,9 43-
11S.i bleDy,en niT.s IllW.a ttMsa,r k. IV Title.
BQ4055W.3 6 1987 294.3 87-11756
ISBN0 -89087-480-8
Manufactuirnet dh e Unitedo fSA tmaetreisc a
First Pri1n9t8i7n g,
1 2 3 4 59 1 90 89 88 87
C NO TENT S
Acknow/edgem.e.11ts . vii
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ......
Introduction 1
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . .
PART ONE:
A BUDD HISTI N TH E PRECINCTS 17
. . . . . .
UlitmatRee ali(1t9y3. 1.). .............2.6. ..
TheI nlfuenocfBe u ddhiUspmo n
JapanAerste( 1 93.1.). .............3.1. ...
TwoL ett(e1r9s3&1 1932.). ...........3.6. ..
AnO utelo ifnZ enB uddhi(1s9m3 .2.). .....3.8.
TheE ssenocfZe e n( 193.3.). ..........5.5. ..
Shabmhal(ap oem)",R nobiyn ("1 93.2.). ....5.6
PARTT W O:
YOUNG BRA HMINA B OUTT O WN 59
. . . . . .
TheB uddhPaa'tsth oR eaiylt (193.3.). .....7.9.
TheS utroaf W eiL an(g1 93.3.). ............8 3
Buddhiisnm the MWoodrel(rd1n 93 3/1.9.3.48 )9
Buddhi&s Hmu mou(r19 33) .............. 89
Buddhi&s Pmo li(t1i9c3s3) .........9.5. ....
Buddhi&s Sme x(1 93.4.). ..........1.0.0. .
Buddhi&s Wma r( 193.4.). ..........1.0.7.
IsB uddhiSsemr io(u19s3?.5 .). .........1.15. .
_ ...... .a. .r..� • • • ........1.2.3
....v..e.nS ybmolosfL ief,( 193.6.).. ........1.5.9
TheL ot.u.s. ...................1.5.9. ..
.
Watearn dt heW ind. ..............1.6.3. .
Fi.r.e. .......................1.6.6. ...
.
ManW,o maann dC hi.l.d.. ...........1.6.9
LetteIrR se ceivTeh:e" What"a ndt he
"How"( 193.6.). ....................1 .75
LetteIr Rse ceivTeal:k ionfgW ar( 193.6.). ..1.8 0
TheT rutThh aItsM orteh an
Teachi(n1g9 3.6.). ...................18.7
LetteIr Rse ceivIesT: h eer Sae ?l( f1936) .1.91. ..
LetteIrR se ceivKear:m ,ao r
"YouH avWe hatY ou Wan"t (193.6.). ...1.97
LetteIrR se ceivEed:u catfiorPo rno gress
witah C api"tPal"( 1 93.7.). .........2.0.4.
NotO nlByu tA ls(o1 93.7.). ............2. 1.0
LetteIr Rse ceivSei:m pLlaen gu(a1g9e3 .7.). 2.1 6
LetteIrR se ceivTeh:eE xperioefn ce
Mytser(y1 93.7). ....................2.2.1
LetteIrR se ceivTeh:eM an atnhde
Mean(s1 93.7.). ....................2.2.6
TheM onkey-MiniR nedl ig(i1o93n.8 .). ....2.3 1
TheU nipmortaonfc eW (a1r9 3.8.). ......2.4.1
TheO rigiFnaac(le1 93.8.). ............2.4.8.
CanW eH elOpu rsel(v1e93s.8?.). .......25.0.
AppendiIx
BuddhiAsdmv ocaattCe hdr isRteilaing ious
Confenrcee( 193.3.). .............2.6.5. ..
AppendiIIx
BookRse viebweyAd l aWna ttins
Buddhisimn E nglan(d1 93t4 o1 938.). ...2 70
I N T R O DUC T I O N
byj ohnS nlleing
Thifsi rvsotl uomfte heea rwlryi tionfAg lsaW na ttsco vers
thpee rifordo1 m9 31w,h ehne w as stais lclh lobootyo1, 9 38,
whenhe d eparftoremdB ritafiornt hUen itSetda wteist h
hiyso ung bErlieodarenB. e sitdhetesa ilo-feh snis dc hool­
daytsh,pi esr iaoldse onc ompastsheaesxtc itpihnagws hee n
hew asa younmga na boutto wng,a inai nsgo mewhat
unusbuuartle markianbtelestyri negd ucaftoihroi nm self in
the esaontdoe crciuccl itr colfLe onsd o,nw hicohfc ousre
oftreancn o ncruernwti tshe ctioofn stb hoeh emdieanm i­
mondoeft hdea yI.wt a sa lsapo e riwohde hne w asw ork­
inhga rtdod evelotpa lheibnsot tashsa w ritaenred doi­rt
andt og reeaftef c.t
Thep ericooudl bde a ptclayl lWaetdt Gso'ld eli>na sr
orh ili>sa sro fP rmoisfeo,tr h eet rhesne emteod hbaer dly
ac louind thes kboylf hu iebs r inltlp oitaeinaWtle. h ave,
howev,ce hrosteosn u tbiett lhviosl uTmheeB ritli>iasrsh,
fort hiass pect enmepehdssa isnibge,c auosnae c couonft
hifsma e-sommei gshath yi isfna my-aasl umairnoyf the
CaloirfniCaonnu terlcteuum,r anhya vceo mteor egaArlda n
Wattassa ne ssentiallpyh eAnmeoenmroi.Cnc earnt ahien ly
spetnhtle a tshti -rftiyyveea orfhs i lsei i fnt hUen itSetda tes
anda ttaifnraeg dr eaitnefrl uaenndcp eo pulatrhieet.ry
Indeiendh ,ia su togbriaop,hh eyl amentth,sad tesptihtee
efofrtosfh ipsu blissh,hi boesor ksne vseorl ads wienBl rli t-
Intorduction
aianst hedyi odn t hoet hseird oeft hAet lanYetti ci.t was
inB rittahiahnte wbaosr, n grew urcepe, ivahenidfds i tr s
formaeti invfluenAcste hsai.ns t hoclloegaydr elmyo nstrates,
manoy ft hoisfenl uenwceersle a sgto inneasn,d many of
thteh emtehsea mte rgetdh eiesnae r wlryi tiwenrgtesor ecur
throughhiolsuei t.If nf atct,h eirsse to rnge videhnecrteeo
suppotrhvtei ew thaotfW atmtosssm 'ta joprh ilosophical
themaerso set hieensa er yleya arnsd t hahtel ater merely
deevlopreednf,ei da ndp layveadr iatuipootnnhs e .m
AlaWni lsWoant twsa sb oronn J anua6r,1y 9 1a5t
ChieshlursitnK entth,oe n lsyo onf L aureWnicles Woant ts
(1880-a1n9Ed7m 4i)Ml ayr Byu ch(a1n8 76?-H1i9fsta6 h1e)r.
wasb y all aacq cuoiauennttdt hsog uhtfmualn , mwaintyh
itneerstHsew. a sp articfuonldao rfrl aeyd i(ntghw eo rkosf
RudyaKridp lwienrgael eilfgol novaen)dg ,it fewdi thv ear y
rentteeim vemroyh,a adc qieurda l agref undo fk nowledge.
Hew asa lsago r eat lnoavteeua rrn gdoa fdr eniHnigws.o rk­
inlgei w fass peinnt Cthieto yfL ond,ow norkifnorgt he
MicheTlyrieCn o mpanayn dl ataesar f undraifsoret rh e
MetroapnoHl oistpailSt undaFyu nLda.u reanncAdel agno t
onf maoustloyg etahnesdrh r aemda niytn ereisnct osm mon\
inclgue dveinntuyaa lnil tnereisnEt a strelerinog niA.l an's
feelgisnf orh imso th,eo rnt hoet hhearn ,dw erneo ts o
happyS.h wea sa s chlomoiesstsar,n dr eeprsseir veligious
influednucreiesna grl leiyh f aidn cutlecadca ertsaratiing ht­
lacedtnhegastras t eodnh esro .nN everthLealuerseasnn,cd e
Emily awl eorveic nogu palnewd i thaos uhta doofw d ao ubt
wantteodd ot hvee rbye stth ecyo uld, twhietlihirime nid t
meanfsor,t hepirre cioonulscy h ild.
A coupolfye e aargsoI p aiadv istioCt h ileshsutr in
searocfh AWlaatnt' srso otIc sa.u gthhtte r afirno Wma ter­
loo Eraaislatwys tatoinoa gn r eEyn glwiinsthe mro rning
an,dh avgit nraverstehdae m orphuorubssa pnr aowfsl o uth
Londosno,oc na mteot hseu burTbhsee.r werarteh emroe r
treheeser t hainnL ondporno p,e ransdu mimnet rh e area
couplrdo abblbyed escraislb eeyad,bf unto wt hter eweesr e
2
The EarlyW ritinogfAs lanWa tts
lelaefstsh,e irp esdbt rrainpcthheiasnn mde taalglaiictn hset
whistkey . fraNa owta lyu rktehdre o llcihnagdl okw nland
of tKheem icsohnu try:st ihdGeea rdoefnE ngl,a niaditss
someticmaelslT ehde. harrbausssiende sasnmdoe finfc e­
workeorsfL ondonb ehearnde tarteitnotg h airse faom ro er
thaanc entiunr ys eoafsr ecmhi r-asrleu cuarnidtt rya nquil­
li.Ht eyert hehya bdu itlhteb irri acnksd t ucvciol: sl harsines
tos olEindg lMiisdhd le vCallauFsersso .hm e ret hehya d
dairleyt urtnote hdwe o rkadfraayoy fL ondosnh,u tttloe d
anfdr oon r geular BRraliiwtaicysoshm mutternras iF.a mil­
iawri tshu csht uylitnirgfh ythfmrmso ani mpressionable
age, WAatltadnse cideeadrt lhyat th liesis fltewy asn oftor
him-ainndd eheesd u cceeidnfe ordg ian gv edrifyfer ent
onef orh ims.e lf
Walkiunpgf rmo thlteit rleebd rircaki lswtatayi on
atC hislsetIhr, ue raltihsaettdha er ewaa sn ow mumcoher
bui-luttph aint bheadei nnW attsy'oust hy,ea tm ontgh e
faeclemsosd edrenv leopmetnhteess r trielmla itnheed sub­
stanstuibaulr vbialntl haasta y aosu nmga nh en od oubhta d
passiendnm uerabtlieemso nh is hwoamyae f taef rac siant­
igne veniinng the esotoefLr oincdn o,hs iahsle oabndus z z­
ing wnietwih d eTahsne.,h ew oulbdeo ftweanl kintgh ei n
dar,hk iwsa ys ometipmeersh alpibsty a p almeo ont,h e
winwdh ispeirnit nhtger ees.
Ie ventumaalnlayg teold o caHtoel brLoaonkwe h,e re
heh abde ebno rann d brouTghhitis as ul ps.o whhehe arde
lievdu nthiewl a st wenty-ttwwoe notrey e-y tehsaor rl,ds o
thbeu lokft hiet ecmosl clteeidnt hviosl ume wwreiertnet
whitlhewi ass s tlhi ilhso meA. roowfs emi-detcaocth­ed
tagperse setnhteemds etlomv eet,s h leo wesrte oyro fe ach
buiolfgt o orde bdr itchkue,p pesrt eoypr ebble-dEasahcehd .
also ath raidp mo cket-handfkrnoetgr acrhdiseeenfc luded
form threo abdy a woodefnen ceT.h ewye rnee aatn d
respecbtuavtbe lresy,m l alt,i niynf c a,ta nde asdiwlaryf ed
byt hemiorr iem posnienigg hbours.
3
Introduction