Zen Sassmaster Chuck Explains

The Source of Wisdom in Life.

Back in the '90s while living in Lancaster, California, I religiously tuned in to KCRW 89.9 FM, based in Santa Monica.

It was the best college radio station on the air. I discovered so many great musical artists listening to Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Then one day, one of Alan Watts' lectures came on and I was hooked. He was so forward-thinking about life.

Since then, his words have been a daily reminder for me to trust the universe: let things go, be present in the preset, and go with the flow.

He's been like a father to me.

Listen to Alan

Who Is Alan Watts?

As a prolific writer and speaker during the 1960’s, Alan Watts was one of the first to interpret Eastern wisdoms for Western audiences. After gaining recognition as an author in the mid-50’s, he lectured widely in the 60’s and early 70’s, offering a fresh perspective of the human predicament based on the philosophy and psychology of Eastern religion.

His worldview took into account the revelations of modern sciences including ecology, contemporary explorations in mysticism, and the classic ways of liberation practiced in Asia, including Zen, Taoism, Hinduism and Buddhism at large.

  • "Life is like music for its own sake. We are living in an eternal now, and when we listen to music we are not listening to the past, we are not listening to the future, we are listening to an expanded present."

  • "This is the real secret of life - to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play."

  • "A person who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts, so she/he loses touch with reality and lives in the world of illusions."

  • "Waking up to who you are requires letting go of who you imagine yourself to be."

  • "The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves."

  • "Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone."

  • "Life is not a problem to be solved, nor a question to be answered. Life is a mystery to be experienced."

  • "The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."

  • "You are a function of what the whole universe is doing in the same way that a wave is a function of what the whole ocean is doing."

Where to find Alan online

  • YouTube Channel

    I've created an private playlist of Alan Watts long-form lectures for you to enjoy. Curl up on your couch and grab a snack.

    Listen to Alan on YouTube 

  • Alan Watts Books

    He wrote more than 25 books and articles on religion and philosophy. Start with these as an introduction:

  • Spotify Playlists

    Look up Alan Watts Talks for playlists of his lectures and reflections. There's also some songs that have his quotes in the background over ambient music.

    Listen to Alan on Spotify