Opposite of life
Alan Watts says the opposite of life is not simply death in a strict sense, because “the positive and the negative of life are very different. Life is different from death … but esoterically, the secret is that they are one” 68. He also says that “being and non being constitute existence,” and that “existence already includes non existence” 10.
So, in these passages, Watts does not treat life and death as absolute opposites; rather, he presents them as mutually included aspects of existence 3410.
Elaborate
Alan Watts doesn’t use “opposite of life” in a simple, fixed way in the passages available here. What he does say is that “being and non being constitute existence,” and that “existence already includes non existence” 10. He also contrasts “life” and “death” but adds that, “esoterically, the secret is that they are one” 68.
So, if you want the shortest recorded answer from these sources: the opposite of life is not treated as a separate absolute; it is folded into life as its complementary opposite, or even as part of the same whole 610.
If you want, I can also elaborate on how Watts treats this in terms of death, ego, and nonduality from the recorded passages.
Give his full quotes
I don’t have a recorded passage on that about “the opposite of life” in the retrieved sources. The closest related passages here are about ego, “the Supreme Spiritual Ideal,” and “absence of self,” but none of the search results provide a full quote from Watts specifically stating the opposite of life 567.
“ being and non being constitute existence” full quote. And “ existence already includes non existence” full quote
Here are the full quoted passages from the retrieved sources:
- “But if it were the other way around, you see if the negative were always in the situation of overcoming the positive, you would get a universe that would not be a continuing game, it would be 100 tragedy, the very. You see the positive and the negative together constitute existence. We have to use existence as a neutral word that doesn't have as an opposite non existence. Existence already includes non existence. You could say being and non being constitute existence.” 3
- “Just as we know physically sound is constituted by sound silence in very rapid alternation. So being non being constitute existence and existence is something of which you may say: the game is worth the candle. If it weren't it wouldn't be.” 5
If you want, I can also pull the nearby context where Watts says “to be or not to be is not the question” 91114.
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