Silk Road forums
Discussion => Philosophy, Economics and Justice => Topic started by: StExo on May 25, 2013, 03:19 am
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What are your thoughts on Alan Watts? For those who don't know he studied in Eastern theology, philosophy and the like. He gave very inspiring and thoughtful talks and lectures, many of which I greatly admire for the messages he brings which provide an alternative perspective on many things. Here's one of my favourite talks he has done, called the Wisdom of Youth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3q4rF12m-RQ
There is a great variety of his works on YouTube so I encourage everyone to listen to a few of them at least.
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I think he spoke the truth, he had incredible wisdom that he shared. I wish more people would listen to universal wisdom like this and try to relate it to their own lives.
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A wise man. A mystic. Ahead of its time. Yes he has spoken the simple truth.
My fav talk so far >> http://archive.org/details/PsychedelicSalon213-wattsalchemylsd
Please share your favs, i've been looking for his greatest talks..
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What he taught was essentially the same thing taught by Gautama, Jesus, Krishna, Laozi, etc -- just translated into the language of 20th century science and philosophy. His ideas were traditional, but his style was modern.
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What he taught was essentially the same thing taught by Gautama, Jesus, Krishna, Laozi, etc -- just translated into the language of 20th century science and philosophy. His ideas were traditional, but his style was modern.
In some ways I agree and in others I disagree. I think he based his thoughts on old philosophy but he merged some of them throwing out the old elements because at many times he points out the flaws in many belief systems and how they are non-compatible with others. He was very much a man who believed in the natural order of things and strongly differed from Christianity for example for believing that humans were in some way special, but in fact we are still just another spec in the world of nature and so we should realise we are one with nature, not in some way synthetic.
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What he taught was essentially the same thing taught by Gautama, Jesus, Krishna, Laozi, etc -- just translated into the language of 20th century science and philosophy. His ideas were traditional, but his style was modern.
Amen
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In some ways I agree and in others I disagree. I think he based his thoughts on old philosophy but he merged some of them throwing out the old elements because at many times he points out the flaws in many belief systems and how they are non-compatible with others. He was very much a man who believed in the natural order of things and strongly differed from Christianity for example for believing that humans were in some way special, but in fact we are still just another spec in the world of nature and so we should realise we are one with nature, not in some way synthetic.
There is a difference between popular, exoteric, dogma-based Christianity, on the one hand, and the mystical, esoteric, experience-based Christianity of Jesus Christ. Watts and Jesus taught essentially the same thing. Watts just used the symbols of modern science, while Jesus had biblical theology to fall back on. But whether you call it "God" (in the Biblical sense) or "the Universe" (in the pantheistic sense), it is just symbolic myth-image of the ultimate Reality, which cannot be denoted by word or idea. All religions are fingers pointing to the sun, but they are not the sun itself, which is the common property of all living beings.
There is nothing in Christianity that differs substantially from the thought of Allan Watts. The difference is in the surface level of myth and symbol. At the mystical level, according to Watts, all religions are one ; the differences that do exist are in the various artistic representations of the divine reality.
There is something 'special' about humanity in the sense that we can become conscious of our complete, fundamental unity with the divine intelligence. Animals are in a natural harmony with the divine mind, but only humans are aware of God, whether at the level of mysticism (first person perspective: consciousness of one's unity with God), at the level of popular religion (second person perspective: god as something separate from and above oneself, and that one can communicate with), or at the level of pantheism (third person perspective: God as something manifesting itself in nature). All perspectives are equally valid.
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Watts was a very insightful fellow. He was very knowledgeable and intelligent, and also a raging alcoholic. I had the opportunity of attending a couple of his lectures, and some of his ideas completely changed my worldview. But I never could shake the feeling that he peppered his expositions with deliberate falsehoods here and there just to see who was enough of a buffoon to buy them.
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I just mentioned him in another thread...my intro to him was the video called "The Real You" which I watched on the tail end of my first major acid trip. Very, very wise man. I don't agree with every single thing he says, but then again maybe he is sticking traps in there to trip us up...wouldn't put it past him, he looks kind of mischievous I always thought ;)