The Infinite Within (17) | Emptiness as Connection: Alan Watts’s Profound Insight

Join us as we explore Alan Watts’s revolutionary perspective on emptiness, a concept that shifts from being a void to the source of everything. Drawing from The Way of Zen and Just So, we delve into how Watts redefines emptiness as interconnectedness and freedom, challenging the illusion of separateness and the ego. Learn how letting go of control can transform how we approach life, death, and the present moment. This episode offers a fresh lens on emptiness as the dynamic web that weaves life together.
Don’t miss this exploration of emptiness as the hidden connection of life. Subscribe to "The Infinite Within" for more transformative insights, and share your thoughts on Watts’s view of interconnectedness and the ego.

Transcript

All right, ready to dive deep today? It's Alan Watts and uh specifically this fascinating idea of emptiness he keeps coming back to.

It can sound a bit intimidating, right? Like some big empty void.

Yeah, emptiness, nothingness. Not exactly cheerful stuff. But trust me, with Watts, it's well, it's anything but.

He was so good at that. Taking these big Eastern philosophy ideas and making them, I don't know, re relevant to us. Like we could actually use them in our lives, Westerners. Right.

Exactly. So, we've got excerpts from Just so and the way of Zen lined up here. ready to go. And I'm curious to kick things off, what makes Watt's take on emptiness so unique?

It's how he doesn't see it as a lack of something, it's more like, hm, a dynamic interconnectedness, like a like a hidden pattern in everything.

Okay, I think I'm starting to get it. So, instead of things just bouncing around separately, it's more like they're all, I don't know, part of a cosmic dance. And he really takes issue with that classic Newtonian model of the universe, that whole bills analogy.

Oh, yeah. And just so he really goes after that that analogy, he wants us to see the universe not as separate things, but as this this constantly shifting network of relationships where everything's kind of influencing everything else.

Yeah, it's a pretty huge shift in how you see the world.

It really is. And he uses these really memorable examples to make the point like do you remember the one about the laser photograph?

Oh yeah, the one where he talks about how you can take a tiny fragment and actually recreate the whole picture.

That's the one. It's like that fragment has like the essence of the whole image. somehow inside it,

right? And then wants connects that to us to individuals. We each have this

like imprint of the whole universe

and the universe reflects us.

It's not just that we're in the universe, but that we in a way are the universe.

Whoa. Okay. Yeah. Now I see how that ties back to this emptiness thing. It's not about things being empty, but rather about them being fundamentally like woven together.

Exactly. And this interconnectedness even affects how Watts thinks about intelligence. He pushes back on that typical western idea that intelligence is mostly about words or you know being good at math and logic.

He talks about that in just so too, right? Where he points to the intelligence of like our organs, our eyes, even the way plants organize themselves.

Oh yeah. He highlights all these examples of intelligence that we usually just take for granted like things that work perfectly fine without relying on language or you know complex thought.

So it's like he's saying intelligence isn't something you have but more like an inherent quality of this interconnected process of this emptiness where everything's linked.

That's a great way to put it. Even our nervous system, which we think of as like the center of intelligence, it still has these mysteries, right? Even neurologists don't fully get it, which I think is kind of humbling. Like there's this intelligence working within us. It's beyond, I don't know, our normal understanding.

So, if we're all part of this intelligent web, this interconnected thing, what does that actually mean for us dayto-day? Does it, I don't know, change how we should act?

It definitely brings some interesting questions. For example, have you ever experienced this kind of wordless intelligence yourself? Was it through like a sudden insight, a creative breakthrough, or even just a gut feeling that told you to do something different?

H, that's something to think about. And this reminds me of how Watts connects this interconnectedness to uh ecological awareness.

Oh, yes. He actually says that ecological awareness is the same thing as a mystical experience. Wow, strong words,

right? He even tells this anecdote in just so about how the US Congress was freaking out about flag burning but totally missing the bigger picture. You know, the environmental damage happening all around,

which unfortunately feels even more relevant today. You know, it's like we're bombarded with information, distractions. It makes it hard to see how everything is connected.

And that's where that concept of the new sphere comes in from the way of Zen. It's this idea of a a sphere of thought and communication that covers the whole planet. Think about the internet, social media. It's kind of a I don't know, a real life version of this interconnected web of minds, wouldn't you say?

Yeah. No, absolutely. It really makes you wonder though, is all this connection actually bringing us together or just creating like new ways to be divided?

That's the question, isn't it? And speaking of things we tend to get fixated on, Watts also has a lot to say about our relationship with well, stuff, possessions.

Oh, yeah. He goes deep on that in just so, doesn't he? The whole thing about

how we want to save money, but all suspended. It's kind of a paradox.

Exactly. And he links this back to that hallucination of separateness we were talking about. We see ourselves as separate. So we try to fill that gap with things.

It reminds me of that comparison he makes between Western homes with all their stuff and traditional Japanese homes which are much more well simple. It makes you think,

does all our stuff actually make us happy or is it more about I don't know keeping up appearances.

That's a great point and I can't help but think about that story he tells in just though about all the gold being stored on one island. It kind of highlights how money is just a system. You know, it represents value but isn't the value itself. So, I guess the question is what are we really chasing when we chase material wealth?

Yeah, it seems like there's something deeper going on there. Maybe a kind of discomfort with I don't know, just being present.

I think you're on to something. Maybe all this striving for more, this fixation on getting things is coming from an inability to like fully appreciate what we already have the present moment.

So it's not just about stuff but about our whole relationship with oh everything right work pleasure even our own bodies. It's like we're always trying to control and optimize everything instead of just you know experiencing life as it happens.

That's a profound insight. What if instead of chasing some future happiness we could find joy in the process itself in the in the going with the flow of life so to speak.

Now that's a radical thought. We've covered a lot of ground here. The universe as a network intell being everywhere. This ecological awareness and our lovehate relationship with stuff. It all seems to connect back to this idea of emptiness as

not a void, but the source of everything. This interconnectedness that makes existence itself possible. And this is just the beginning.

Wait, there's more. My brain might explode.

Don't worry, we'll pace ourselves. But yes, so much more to explore with Watts.

Well, you've definitely got me hooked. I'm ready to dive deeper into this whole emptiness thing.

Then buckle up. Next up, we're tackling his a pretty radical take on death and I promise it's not as gloomy as it sounds.

Okay, so before we uh get too zen about this whole emptiness thing, we got to talk about well the big one, right? Death. And I got to say Watt's perspective in just so is not what I expected.

Mhm. Yeah. It's definitely different from how we usually think about it. You know, not so much this big scary event that happens to you, but more like

part of life.

Exactly. Just another aspect of that that one event that's always unfolding.

So, not an ending, but a a transition within a larger process.

Yeah, I think that's a good way to put it. And he uses this to challenge how we tend to like chop life up into categories, you know, things we do versus things that happen to us. But Watts is saying that separation is kind of an illusion.

Hold on. So, even getting sick or aging, he considers those things we do.

It seems counterintuitive, right? But what he's getting at is that we've got this this resistance to those natural processes. Like, we think they shouldn't happen, that we should be able to avoid them, but that resistance, the fear, it actually creates more suffering than just accepting them.

So instead of fighting aging or fearing illness, he's suggesting, I don't know, a more peaceful relationship with those experiences.

Exactly. And it's not about being passive or giving up. It's more about realizing that they're part of the interconnected flow of life, just like everything else.

Okay. Yeah. I'm seeing the link back to emptiness here. This acceptance of everything being connected, even the stuff we usually try to avoid.

Exactly. And this also ties into how thoughts sees karma not so much as this like cosmic punishment system.

Yeah, I was always confused about that whole karmic retribution thing. So if it's not punishment, what is it?

For Watts, karma is just action doing recognizing that we're always shaping our reality through what we do, even when it feels like things are happening to us.

So it's not about blaming fate or past lives for our problems, but more about recognizing that we have a role in creating them.

That's a good way to put it. And it's not about blaming ourselves either. It's more about realizing we have, you know, more agency than we think, even in tough situations.

So maybe instead of asking, why is this happening to me? It's more about what is this experience teaching me? How can I, I don't know, respond in a way that aligns with my values?

That's a great way to frame it. I'm curious, does this shift in perspective, this understanding of death and karma as connected processes, does it change how you view challenges in your own life?

Honestly, it's a lot to digest.

Yeah. But I can already see how this this idea of accepting the whole messy tapestry, good and bad, could be really liberating. If it's all part of this one big flow, then maybe there's less to be afraid of.

That's a beautiful insight, and it leads us nicely into another key part of Watt's thinking, going with the grain. He talks about it a lot in just so through the lens of toism.

I've heard that phrase, but to be honest, it's always felt a bit, I don't know, vague. Like, how do you actually go with the grain of the universe? What does that even mean?

Yeah. It's one of those things that's like easier to experience than to explain, but it's essentially about aligning yourself with the the natural flow of life. Not trying to force things in a certain direction all the time.

So less like swimming upstream, more like riding the waves.

Perfect analogy. And this applies to everything, not just what we do, but our thoughts, our feelings. Think about how much energy we waste trying to control our minds, our emotions, or situations we can't really control. What if instead of pushing so hard, we learn to just kind of surrender to the flow? That sounds nice and relaxing, but also kind of scary. What if the flow takes me somewhere I don't want to go?

That's a natural fear for sure. But Watts reminds us that going with the grain isn't about being passive. It's about cultivating like a wise awareness, a sensitivity to the forces that are already at play and working with them, not against them.

So, it's not about becoming a leaf blowing in the wind, right? There's still choice involved, a sense of agency.

Absolutely. It's about finding that balance between effort and surrender. action and allowing. Like he uses the analogy of sailing. You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails to use its power to guide your boat where you want to go.

Okay. I like that image. So going with the grain is more about being skillful, finding a a better way to deal with life's challenges instead of just trying to power through them.

Exactly. And this links back to emptiness in a really deep way.

How so?

Well, remember that emptiness for Watts isn't about nothingness. It's about this interconnectedness, the web that's behind everything. And when we let go of the illusion of control, when we stop trying to force things to be a certain way, we open ourselves up to that web, to the intelligence that's already there in every moment.

It's like surrendering to the river instead of swimming upstream. Right.

Yeah.

But how do we actually do that? We can't just flip a switch and become masters of non-doing.

You're right. It's a practice. It's about cultivating trust in the wisdom of emptiness. And maybe the first step is just noticing where in your life are you already going with things effortlessly. Maybe it's those moments of creative flow or when you're lost in something you love or even just how you naturally respond to a tough situation.

So, by paying attention to those moments, we start to see that we already have this capacity for non-doing, for going with the grain. It's within us. We don't need to acquire it, just uncover it.

Exactly. And the more we practice this awareness, the more we can tap into that wisdom and let it guide us.

This is making me realize how much our culture values control, striving. It's like we're taught that if we're not pushing, striving all the time, we're failing somehow.

It's true. And Watts challenges that by saying true fulfillment comes from aligning with the natural flow of life. Not from forcing things. He even critiques that whole western idea of work versus play. You know, we work hard, often at jobs we don't love, to make money so we can enjoy our time off. But are we really living if we're constantly delaying happiness till some later date?

It makes you think, right? What would it look like to find enjoy in the process itself, in the going with rather than always chasing some future happiness.

That's the question. And you know, Watts also has some pretty radical things to say about the self, the ego, you know, that sense of me that we hold on to so tightly.

Oh, can't wait to hear this because that whole who am I question has always been a bit of a rabbit hole for me. So, how does Watts approach this whole self-identity thing?

Well, you won't be surprised to hear he turns it on its head. Get ready because next we're diving deep into his take on the ego and what it really means. find yourself.

Okay, so we've talked about emptiness being this like interconnectedness and how death is just part of life and even dipped our toes into this going at the grain thing.

But now the big question.

Yeah.

Who am I? This whole self-ego thing.

Yeah,

I got to admit it's always felt a little I don't know confusing.

Yeah, it can be slippery. And of course Watts has a pretty unique take on it. He doesn't see the self as this fixed separate thing but more like

a process, right? He uses that analogy of the flame in just so it looks like the constant thing, but it's actually a flow of gas, always changing.

Exactly. It's such a perfect metaphor for how he sees the self, this dynamic process, a series of experiences, actions that create this illusion of a solid me. Like, we think we're this unchanging thing, but we're more like that flame constantly transforming.

So, it's not that there's no self at all. It's that we've mistaken this changing flow for something permanent, solid.

That's it. And Watts believes that this clinging to a fixed self This identification with the ego is actually like the root of a lot of our suffering. We try to protect it, define it, control it, but that actually cuts us off from, I don't know, really experiencing life.

It's like that line from the way of Zen where he compares the self to uh legs on a snake, like these extra parts that just get in the way of moving freely.

Such a great image. And that's exactly his point. Clinging to this separate self creates this feeling of being isolated, limited, and it stops us from really engaging with the flow. So, if the self isn't this fixed me we're so attached to, then how do we answer that question? Who am I?

That's the million-dollar question, right? And maybe the answer isn't about finding a definition, but about well, letting go of the need to define ourselves at all.

Whoa. Okay. So, instead of searching for an answer, we should like embrace the mystery.

Exactly. Watts wants us to see ourselves as part of that flow of emptiness where everything's connected, constantly changing, he calls our usual way of defining ourselves a hallucination of separateness in just So

that's pretty strong. What does he mean by that?

He's saying we've been taught to see ourselves as separate from well everything, the world, other people, even parts of ourselves. And that creates this false division, this isolation, which leads to all sorts of problems

like that pressure to always improve ourselves to become some perfect me that we never actually reach.

Exactly. And all that striving often makes things worse. You know, remember that line from just so where he says someone truly egotistical will actually be less egotistical than someone trying to be humble.

I love that. It's so counterintuitive, but it's true. The more we try to like control the self, the stronger it gets.

That's exactly it. And that's why Watt says true freedom, real self-standing comes from letting go. He even uses this image of a bottomless bucket. You keep pouring water in, but it never fills up. Same with self. The more you try to define it, grasp it, the more it slips away.

Okay, so letting go is the key. But how do we actually do that? It's not like we can just you know, suddenly become these egoless beings.

It's a journey for sure. And those practices we've been talking about, meditation, going with the grain, ecological awareness, they can all help. They're not about reaching some special state, but about, I don't know, loosening the grip of the ego, letting ourselves experience each moment fully without needing to control it, define it.

He even says to embrace our imperfections, our flaws, because they're part of the whole thing, right?

Totally. There's that great line in just so where he says, you are going to be you're going to be the same slob you've always been.

It's so funny but also kind of freeing like maybe it's okay to just be ourselves, you know, messes and all.

That's the beauty of it in that acceptance in letting go of needing to be anything else. That's where real change can happen.

So it's not about becoming someone new, but about fully being who we already are.

Exactly. And that brings us back to emptiness. It's not nothing. It's the source of everything. This interconnectedness that allows everything to ex exist.

So, as we wrap up our deep dive into Alan Watts, what's the one thing you hope our listeners take away from all this?

I think it's this emptiness isn't some abstract idea. It's the reality of this very moment. It's the interconnectedness that flows through us around us. And when we stop trying to grasp it, control it. When we learn to go with the grain, we find this freedom, this joy that's beyond the ego.

And maybe in that letting go, we find ourselves not as these separate beings, but as part of that boundless interconnected emptiness, which like Watts says is what is so of itself.

Beautifully said. And maybe this mystery of emptiness isn't something to be solved, but a lifelong journey, an exploration that unfolds with each breath, each moment.

That's a perfect way to end our deep dive. And for our listeners who want to keep exploring, we'll leave you with this from Alan Watts. The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced. So go out there and experience the mystery.

Until next time, keep exploring. Keep questioning and keep diving deep.