a tribute to alan watts

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Anxiety, Zen, and Enlightenment A brief presentation with quotes from the late, great Alan Watts +EDAHN SMALL

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This is a revised version of a presentation created a year ago in tribute of my mentor and hero, Alan Watts. It's about zen, anxiety, life, and our relationship to the universe. Hope you enjoy. Design and copy by Edahn Small/Visuali.se.

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Page 1: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Anxiety, Zen, and EnlightenmentA brief presentation with quotes from the late, great Alan Watts

+EDAHN SMALL

Page 2: A Tribute to Alan Watts

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Page 3: A Tribute to Alan Watts

This is Alan Watts.

He was child prodigy who was fascinated with Zen. He wrote prolifically and lectured around the US, introducing people to Eastern philosophy.

1915-1973

Page 4: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Some of his books, essays, and talks

Page 5: A Tribute to Alan Watts

This one in particular changed my life.

Page 6: A Tribute to Alan Watts

I started meditating.

I started paying attention differently.

I moved into a Zen Center for a short while.

…and of course, I started a blog. ;)

blah

blah

blah

shut up!

Page 7: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Here’s some of what I learned over the years.

Page 8: A Tribute to Alan Watts

We live in a world that is inherently unstable. It’s constantly changing on both a microscopic and macroscopic level.

Page 9: A Tribute to Alan Watts

But evolution has “designed” us to seek the exact opposite: stability, longevity, and continuity.

Page 10: A Tribute to Alan Watts

We work to stay alive.

To create security

and stability.

To make ourselves

attractive to potential mates.

To reproduce and ensure

that our offspring will

thrive, so they can continue the pattern.

We work to stay alive.

Seeking Continuity.And the cycle continues…

Page 11: A Tribute to Alan Watts

But our goals are constantly undermined by the ever-changing universe.

Page 12: A Tribute to Alan Watts

“There is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity.” –Alan Watts

Page 13: A Tribute to Alan Watts

So we exist against a backdrop of anxiety and fear, constantly fighting to put the world together a certain way while the universe is constantly shaking things up on us. We work harder and harder, and start obsessing about our future.

Page 14: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Get to the

choppa!

Get to the top!

Find Purpos

e Meet someone

Throw poop? Keep up!

Look good Be smart

New car?

Be smarterEat

Start savingGet ahead

The mental chatter starts to spiral out of control.

Get confiden

t

Get enlighte

ned

Page 15: A Tribute to Alan Watts

We slowly become disconnected from ourselves and from everything around us. It feels like something’s always missing.

Page 16: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Is there a solution?

Page 17: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Is there a solution?Sorta.

Page 18: A Tribute to Alan Watts

You can’t get around the problem of instability

because that’s just how things are. Sorry.

:(

Page 19: A Tribute to Alan Watts

But you can give up the need to plan,

to make progress, to achieve something, and just let things be for

a moment.Alan called it “Surrender”

Page 20: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Like this?

Page 21: A Tribute to Alan Watts

More like this.

Page 22: A Tribute to Alan Watts

Zen is letting your experience be as it is, whatever it is. When you sit down to meditate (zazen), you’re not trying to think positively or kill your thoughts. Nor are you trying to produce a feeling of tranquility. That’s just more struggling for progress.

You simply let things be as they already are, however confusing or unsettling that might be. You surrender control.

Zen Meditation.

Page 23: A Tribute to Alan Watts

“We could say that meditation doesn’t have a reason or doesn’t have a purpose. In this respect it’s unlike almost all other things we do.”

—Alan Watts

Page 24: A Tribute to Alan Watts

You pause the struggle against the world and against yourself.

Page 25: A Tribute to Alan Watts

And slowly, you realize something important.

That everything is okay.

Page 26: A Tribute to Alan Watts

And slowly, you realize something important.

That you are fundamentally good.

That everything is okay.

Page 27: A Tribute to Alan Watts

And slowly, you realize something important.

That you are fundamentally good.

That everything is okay.

That you have every reason to love yourself.

Page 28: A Tribute to Alan Watts

And slowly, you realize something important.

That you are fundamentally good.

That everything is okay.

That what truly matters is love, beauty, and goodness.

That you have every reason to love yourself.

Page 29: A Tribute to Alan Watts

And that your endless struggle against the universe was silly, because

you are the universe.

Page 30: A Tribute to Alan Watts

BAM.

Page 31: A Tribute to Alan Watts

“You did not come

into this world. You came out of

it like a wave from the ocean.”

–Alan Watts

Page 32: A Tribute to Alan Watts
Page 33: A Tribute to Alan Watts

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More about Edahn and Visuali.se

Edahn Small is the lead presentation designer at Visuali.se.

Portfolio: www.benet.net/presentations Slideshows: www.slideshare.net/edahn Facebook: /visualisepresentations Twitter: @visuali_se Email: [email protected]

Dedicated to my hero and mentor, Alan Watts.