Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: Alan Watts: Humor, weak, spiritual fool?

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Alan Watts: Humor, weak, spiritual fool?

BOOK: The Zhuangzi (by Master Zhuang)

(Alan Watts) The Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zhou (b. 300 BC), discussing Taoism, has a genuine sense of humor, which makes Western thinkers nervous.

(Wiki) Zhuang Zhou (Chinese 莊子, literally "Master Zhuang," Wade-Giles romanization Chuang Tzu [a]), was an influential Chinese philosopher who lived around the 4th century BCE during the Warring States period, a period of great development in Chinese philosophy, the Hundred Schools of Thought.

He is credited with writing—in part or in whole—a work known by his name, the Zhuangzi, which is one of two foundational texts of Taoism, alongside The Book of Changes (Tao Te Ching). More

Western corollary: The Fool for God

The way of the fool? Ask St. Basil

Imagine loving [the tribal] God so much as to foster Foolishness for Christ: "Foolishness for Christ" (Greek διά Χριστόν σαλότητα, Church Slavonic оуродъ, юродъ) refers to behavior such as giving up all one's worldly possessions upon joining an ascetic order or spiritual/religious life, or deliberately flouting society's conventions to serve a religious purpose—particularly of Christianity.

Tao Te Ching is famous.

Such individuals have historically been known as both "holy fools" and "blessed fools." The term "fool" connotes what is perceived as feeblemindedness, and "blessed" or "holy" refers to innocence in the eyes of God [1].

The term "fools for Christ" derives from the writings of Paul the Apostle. Desert Fathers and other saints acted the part of Holy Fools, as have the yurodivy (or iurodstvo) of Christian Eastern Orthodox asceticism.

Fools for God or Christ often employ shocking and unconventional behavior to challenge accepted norms, deliver prophecies, or to mask their piety [2].

Modern Buddhist saint

The most Venerable Jumnien, Los Angeles (WQ)
[One is reminded of the modern Buddhist saint Ajahn Jumnien (Jamnian.org) made famous by American Buddhist Jack Kornfield (spiritrock.com) in his early book Living Buddhist Masters, who is not taken seriously by most because he overdresses for the heat and carries too many amulets. But he does so, he explains, to disarm the authorities, rival Thai Forest Tradition schools, and local police, investigators, and doubters. Anyone who sees him behaving so foolishly cannot bring him or herself to really imagine his depth of personal wisdom and grasp of the Buddha's true Dhamma (Teaching, Message, Doctrine). He is amazingly humble, possessing abhinna powers, the jhanas and their positive byproducts, plus a profound understanding of vipassana. He manages this exterior appearance because he comes from a familial line of Thai shamans. See more at Luang Por Jamnian Seelasettho. Saddhu 3x!]

St. Basil The Prayer: Fool for God

Some ascetics are known as mendicants and are organized into mendicant orders. The most famous example in the Western church is the great Francis of Assisi (Spanish San Francisco), whose order was known for following the teachings of Christ and walking in his footsteps.

Thus, upon joining the order, Franciscans gave away all possessions [in a gesture exactly akin to Buddhist monasticism, sharing the color of monastic robes and other features] and focused on preaching in the streets to the common person. More

The Other Fools

Elina St-Onge, Collective Evolution, June 19, 2016 (sott.net)

What I show is just the tip

Who is more aligned with her path of spiritual evolution? A person in lotus posture, taking deep breaths, and sitting in perfect composure or a person curled up in a ball, hysterically hyperventilating, and crying?

If we base our answer on everything we have learned from New Age philosophies and most spiritual teachings out there, I think it's fair to say that the person meditating wins. S/he appears peaceful, at ease, equanimous, and detached, having let go.

I'm finally in touch with my feelings. It hurts.

Now I'm not about to shock readers. I say the opposite is true. But I would argue that this image is just that: an image. This is why:

Even the most peaceful, composed, and "spiritually correct" people in the world can be completely out of alignment with themselves, even more than those who aren't into spirituality at all. How come? Well, it's because of our tendency to be dishonest with ourselves.

Feel it and let it pass through you.

I say this from experience: No amount of sophisticated spiritual jargon has been able to aid my evolution more than an honest look at my raw, vulnerable self. More: Are we really spiritual or are we just fooling ourselves? (Science of the Spirit)