Alan Watts, in his Foreward to:The Secret Oral Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Sects (1964)], by Alexandra David-Néel|Alexandra David Nee and Lama Yongden
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For several years I have referred to this, hitherto, rare and inaccessible work as the I-told-you-so-book, because it has often been implied that I have invented my explanations of Buddhism out of thin air, thus falsifying its authentic teachings.... Yet, despite the occultist flavor of its title, The Secret Oral Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Sects is the most direct, no-nonsense, and down-to-earth explanation of Mahayana Buddhism which has thus far been written.

— Alan Watts on Alexandra David-Néel

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "For several years I have referred to this, hitherto, rare and inaccessible work as the I-told-you-so-book, because it has often been implied that I have invented my explanations of Buddhism out of thin air, thus falsifying its authentic teachings.... Yet, despite the occultist flavor of its title, The Secret Oral Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Sects is the most direct, no-nonsense, and down-to-earth explanation of Mahayana Buddhism which has thus far been written." in the context of "Alan Watts, in his Foreward to:The Secret Oral Teachings in the Tibetan Buddhist Sects (1964)], by Alexandra David-Néel|Alexandra David Nee and Lama Yongden" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Alexandra David-Néel" (Quotes about David-Néel) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Alan Watts

About Alan Watts

Alan Wilson Watts (6 January 1915 – 16 November 1973) was an English philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion.