Our Commentary:
Alan Watts, a British philosopher and writer, was known for his explorations of Eastern philosophy and spirituality, and his teachings often challenged traditional Western conceptions of God. In his work, he argued that it was important to understand what God is not, as well as what God is.
Watts believed that many traditional Western conceptions of God are limited by their anthropomorphism, or their tendency to depict God in human-like terms. He argued that these anthropomorphic depictions of God create a narrow and limiting view of the divine, and that they can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings among different religious traditions.
According to Watts, God is not a being in the same way that a human being is a being. Rather, he saw God as the underlying essence of all things, an infinite and ever-present reality that transcends our human understanding.
Watts also believed that God is not separate from us, but rather that we are all expressions of the divine. He saw the universe and all its inhabitants as interconnected and interdependent, and argued that this interconnectedness is a reflection of the underlying unity of all things.
Overall, Alan Watts’ teachings on what God is not challenge us to move beyond our limited human understanding of the divine and embrace a more expansive and inclusive view of spirituality. His insights can inspire us to seek a deeper connection with the underlying essence of all things and cultivate a greater sense of compassion, empathy, and interconnectedness with the world around us.