Alan Watts may not have the highest mainstream name recognition, but for Westerners interested in Eastern philosophy, he is—along with Carl Jung—probably the best-known guide and teacher into that world. He popularizes concepts like the illusion of the ego and the transcendence of dualisms through his deep understanding of Zen Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. He introduces these ideas to the 1960s counterculture movement through a series of lectures and radio broadcasts that remain widely available on YouTube for a modern generation.

I first meet him in Tesco, along with three other proponents of Eastern philosophy—Nagarjuna, Lao Tzu, and Nishida—pouring pasta shells down the middle of the aisle and examining the range of bolognese sauces. From then on, he turns up regularly, acting as something of a guide along the way in my quest.