Alan Wilson Watts (January 6, 1915 – November 16, 1973) was a philosopher, writer, speaker, and expert in comparative religion. He wrote over twenty-five books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, consciousness and the pursuit of happiness, relating his experience to scientific knowledge and to the teachings of Eastern and Western religions or philosophies (Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism). Beyond this, he was sensitive to certain new leanings in the West, and was in a position to be a proponent for certain shifts in attitudes regarding society, the natural world, lifestyles, and aesthetics. Alan Watts was a well-known autodidact. He was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies.
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Transcending Duality
The unification of opposites in the heart / mind goes beyond what is normally thought of as practice. Total Time: 27:05
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Spiritual Wisdom
Total Time: 18:14
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Wisdom of the Ridiculous
In the Lao-tse Book we find the words of Chuang-tzu, a humorous Chinese Zen master of who understood profound purposelessness. Total Time: 10:01
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Intellectual Yoga
The intellect can be a path to enlightenment, as in Jnana yoga. Here we are lured into stretching out notions of mental ability. Total Time: 0:42
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Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts
http://www.illuminatiarchives.org/musings/audio/Alan%20Watts/
Related Links:
http://www.alanwatts.com/
The content of Alan Watts’ lectures is somewhat outdated by today’s informed standards. However, Watts’ spirit, kindness compassion and gentle humor continues to inspire. We need more people like today more than ever. And less of market savvy pushers of spiritual information one finds in today’s spiritual “market of ideas. ” In short, more wisdom, and far, FAR less marketing.
If you like these mp3s you’ll be glad to know that Alan’s son has been releasing many of Alan’s lectures on a weekly basis as a podcast. You don’t need an ipod, just itunes. check it out at http://www.alanwattspodcast.com
How is it that Alan Watts is outdated by “today’s informed standards” ?? We are not any more civilized today than when he was alive. We’re still polluting the atmosphere with our egocentric bullshit. Watts had nothing to do with marketing, he was pure knowledge, and I respect that.
If anything, Alan Watt impresses me because his lectures do not seem outdated but remain remarkably fresh and salient. I think it’s that very staying power that reveals that wisdom isn’t anchored in pure cultural sophistication (the “progress” of which may be suspect in itself).
What is remarkable about watts is his ability to communicate truth. I do not think that truth can be outdated. It seems as fresh as the fallen snow.
Alan Watts is very relevant today, if you heard any of his speaches, you know that every word that comes out of the mans mouth, is the truth and non biest. What I’ve come to learn from listening to this man, is that life is a game, have fun, enjoy it. Even the unpleasurable moments are perfect. He basically reinforces the Ying and Yang Concept, The GREAT Balance is everywhere.
ALAN Watts–alas–our very own west coast avatar.
few can, or could speak of IT in his own way,
fantastic,
making sense out of non-sense.
I just read a supposed christian’s reply to Alan Watts! I will not proceed to outline it as it seeks to portray all the defects Alan Watts was supposed to have! This is the degrading faculty of those like common vultures, gorge on the defects on a man’s character. They fail to see or even recognise the good and beautiful one may possess in their speech, their books, and the astounding ability to explain
with ease and clarity, to us common people to understand
things often so difficult in a chaotic world Alan Watts was
and is a brilliant mind and speaker of universal truths!
Alan Watts is so far ahead of any of us that most of us do not even known yet the extent to which he understood things. The topics he covered were from drugs, religion, sexuality, society, science, art, music, entertainment and reality!
I listen and read A LOT of stuff… and NO ONE comes close to the depth AND accuracy of just about EVERY WORD that he has ever spoken. Usually other philosophers always begin to bug me when even just ONE contradiction came out of their mouth.
But, NOT Alan Watts. Everything he says is pure truth. I often listen to his lectures over and over as time passes and I ALWAYS hear it from fresh ears because I contrast and compare what I learned previously with the re-listening of the lectures.
He is just mind blowing genius. The GREATEST philosopher of all time as of yet.
Alan Watts died when i was a little boy of 5. November 1973. But, thanks to his timeless work, i have learnt not only how to feel and be a complete human being, but also overcome most of the emotional pain I have felt most of my life. In short, it’s o.k to be a so called loser. As it is not to be perfect. To be ill or disabled. And to be a, so called, failure with women. Indeed virtualy al women nowadays are turned from a life of feeling, sadly. But i am no less a man for their prejudice torwards me just because i use a walking stick, and express affeminite dandyness. I hope his karma had a happy rebirth.