ALAN WATTS ON ZEN

[SdaCosta22]

zen is spiritual optometry

[deneco4]

Alan Watts is the MAN, and will always be.

[chaddeus1]

I'm an idiot for not paying attention but I loved hearing the plane in the background.

[YamaAndBudhi]

@banzaiiish

Happiness is fantasy of the mind, so is love. Those are fantasies I am partaking in more and more. Be happy; love--it makes life better.

[CardinalJunky]

@YamaAndBudhi Hell yeah......I'm working on it!!!

[mdiem]

Skip ahead to 9:15 for the Zen part.

[Yoshi17111]

@mdiem Nice.

[jazzaste123]

Loved it thanking u

[dsaerno]

i think i can answer the question of "what would you do if you had 30 minutes left to live"

i'd live

doing anything, for that last half-hour.

am i wiser than the master? (i realize my own ignorance at this, so i LAUGH)

laughing because i know there really is no difference at all between ignorance and wisdom

[megaplayah]

only the most intelligent white men practiced or sympathized with buddhism

[FISHDINHO]

@chromodynamics23 if you don,t like what another guy with the same name says do not incorperate it in to your own reality tunnel,do not tell people what they should or should,nt like,let eveyone make there own mind up,freedom of speech and ideas is what grows the depths of knowledge,you only have the right to make up your own conclusions,nothing more,when you force your ideas on to another it suppressess that individuals own unique thinking

[MISFITROBBY138]

i wish all world leaders would be forced to sit through lectures by alan watts, howard zinn, etc.

[BrainInSkull]

@MISFITROBBY138 You are assuming that the world leaders give a shit about their sheep:)

[MISFITROBBY138]

@BrainInSkull perhaps not. so they? should be forced.

[BrainInSkull]

@MISFITROBBY138 Hey, that's how taxes started:)

[kunfyoozdish]

@MISFITROBBY138 you seem to know other people similar to watts. would you please giv me a few names or point me toward some videos? thanks -__-

[MISFITROBBY138]

@kunfyoozdish sure. well other zen oriented beat writers like, Gary Snyder, some Kerouac("dharma bums"etc.), Kenneth Rexroth did some Japanese translation. and Dr. Suzuki is awesome. as hopefully u know.

[5104560711]

deep.

[stokey72]

you cannot be seroius and enlightened

[jimiburntoes]

Zen= the person you are when you stop thinking about who you are. personality is a millimeter thin, a facade bilt from life experience and likes and dislikes. this facade puts us in opposition to almost all people. Enlightement is the realisation that you are not your personality/ego but that you are the same as your neighbour and they the same as you, one. the same true message Jesus taught us, which has been lost. the promotion of ego in our society only divides us and we lose freedom.

[dtseringdorje]

Zen? Don't know. Never heard. Make yourself a hot cup of a good Tibetan tea and drink. You can try pizza, lazania or Uncle Burger. Hot dogs are around for pretty long time, few decades. What about TV? Color one. 3D introduced recently. You watch programs in special Glasses. It would be better, we could buy a TV sets with a duble functions, normal picture and 3D mode at the switch of the button. My friend practices Korean Chogye Zen under guidence of Zen Master Seung Sahn. He said: go drink tea.

[GelandnaleG]

B:DCANDNATURALLYLLIBMHOAXALANW­ATTS

2:43pm Wednesday (CST) - Time n Mississippi

B:DCANDNATURALLYLLIBMHOAXALANW­ATTS

[awestgaard1]

Thank you Alan! I will make you some tea. If you don't come soon I'll drink it.

[Bloozboy91]

@awestgaard1 Hehe

[misticity24]

Really amazing, very clear.

[Pegasusdigital]

And yet Zen is some cases is the ultimate morality!

[altair709]

I enjoyed this, my first exposure to Zen was reading Shunryu Suzuki Roshis' Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. I believe Alan Watts was involved with Shunryu in the early sixties when he arrived in America and was a great help to Shunryu. Thanks for posting this and I look forward to hearing more from Alan Watts.

[torratoryu]

Zen's common sense philosophy has such a direct no nonsense positive effect it still stuns me that something so easy to understand is so profound

[LadyNemesis2007]

I would have loved to be his wife

[zenman5910]

"The way of Zen" was the book that changed my life at the exact moment I needed it changed, and my life would have been a complete disaster if I had not read it.

[rebellya]

Oh, Mr. Watts, how I would've liked to meet you. Talk for hours at one of the temples in Kyoto, with the smell of shodo ink mixed with the subtle fragrance of Japanese incense.

laotsu7777, thank you very much for sharing. May you and you beloved one enjoy happiness and health for many years to come.

[seany83]

wow i love it ^_^

[ZenBarracuda]

I've just been on Amazon and ordered two of Alan Watts' books on zen. I've read a lot about zen and I look forward with great interest to reading Alan Watts thoughts and interpretations.

[GibsonHummingbird]

I have nothing to say ... and i'm saying it.

[geonerd]

Any chance you can redo the audio? It's a slightly over-compressed and garbled. Thanks for posting.

[quickie691]

My book I used it in the fireplace to keep me warm one night. The chi flowed that night. Best Wishes Rich DeLuca ps: glad you enjoyed the book that was one of my favorites too.

[svi1911]

Om...

[MetalDudeBen]

This man shares a lot of my thought and has also opened my mind a little more:)

[MidnightDC696969]

Silence is where to music is born

[jonnniefivemiles]

The appeal of zen lies in its aesthetics.

That's about it.

[jonnniefivemiles]

No. Truth is truth.

Zen is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasizes the value of meditation and intuition.. largely through aesthetics.

[fringefries]

zen iz nez or iz nez zen? At timez I grasp then start again. why iz nez for aesthetes? Who winz or lozez Zen, defeatz. Who seeks it'z wizdom through contemplation removez the mask of condemnation. Iz nez iz or iz zen am. I do not really give a damn. Attributed to  - Theodore Geizel or Sherry Lewis and Lamb chopz

[LichtungNym]

You're right. I take it back.

[Joemacc13]

Shhhh.

[dynagirl63]

Great Stuff. Heavy but light!

[1zenAwhile]

After you wake up, in the tradition of Zen, you recognize when your mind doesn't want to feel what you actually feel, when it doesn't want to be where you actually are.

And then, it's not so much that you eradicate the mind's behavior in this regard; rather, you recognize it, and that recognition gives you the freedom to experience life directly.

[fringefries]

Please define experiencing life directly? Does it mean being awake to now?

[1LBRTY]

Yes..."awake to now" is an excellent three word phrase to point to Zen/enlightenment/experiencing life directly/or whatever you want to call it.

We really do have a hyperactive neocortex in our brain that imagines things, makes up stories, carries on a dialogue, etc...and that's part of experiencing human life directly. But it's fun not to be so suckered in by that mental activity that you miss out on all the other direct experiences available to us.

[Rusty0555]

Here in the West, we hope as human beings ultimately, to come to the conclusion that we will eventually survive physical death, and transcend into a parallel dimension/universe, a spiritual plane or even Heaven/Paradise. The paradox is that if we truly believed this was the case, we would be celebrating death, rather than mourning the loss of our loved ones. Western religion has truly lost its way, (or faith?).

[Vilemk0]

We morn because it's hard to let go of physical things. No one is certain of what happens after death. So it is the subconscious fear of such things, that lead to ones sorrow.

[loafybrown]

the evil in this world has got us asleep spiritually.. thru media televison.. consumerism.. corporate commericalism.. public fool system brainwashing.. darwinism.. etc..

[musicforthemindtrip]

darwinism?

[loafybrown]

yes. watch the movie "Expelled: no intelligence allowed"

[StationaryTransient]

lol.

Why would anyone watch that abortion of a documentary?

[retepvosnul]

You might first want to proof to us that there is such a thing as meaningful spirituality that is not a ill defined personal gut feeling. Also ... Evil ??? what evil. show us the evil, you nutflake hippy bastard.

[mdiem]

@loafybrown

It might actually be your attachment to those things that is the problem..

[paistedw762]

one of my idols.

[iZenBuddha]

O

. .

[pjbridge]

He spoke every point clearly, simply and, above all, most sincerely. Thank you very much.

[alchemistvstiger]

no problem! Check my other channel under the name I am using to leave this comment, there is some more watts stuff I just posted!

[56richardcory]

I have nothing to say.

[TheOriginalEntz]

: )

[fetusrot]

anyone whos bitter at anybody else is insecure. so if someone on here has something bad to say about this, why are they wasting their time with it? they secretly love it. their miserable. let em be

[findreligion]

Isnt that the start of the realization of the truth. There is no wasted time. In order for one to wake up, they have to see in ALL perspectives and determine their own sense of the informations. Maybe there has to be balance between truth seekers and the "sheeps" for a lesser word for them. They equal each other out. The yin and the yang. One cant survive without the other. After all If everyone always had the truth known to them, how would they know if there was a truth.

[3angelsfromheaven]

LOL....what a quack. If you are payin for this stuff, you are just as mentally ill.

[miramirawatchawatcha]

Nonsense...

Alan Watts is an illusion we precieve in different ways based on the characteristics of our ego-based "selves". Some of us egos sense his expressions and they have a wonderful effect on us as they reveal some assumptions and limitations of language and rational thought. Some of us don't like his expressions as they do not mesh with our matrix of how things really are and so we dismiss his words as rambling and vaguelly useless babbling. Either way, reality is GONNNGGGGGGG!!!HAHA

[3angelsfromheaven]

Alan Watts is the epitomy of illogical reason. A justification for those who are miserable in their own World and the purification rites of LSD. It's an escape from the Tanquility of Mother Earth and Father Sky. There is nothing RATIONAL about his rants and ramblings. His mystical alien prophesy is nothing more than White Power to the less extreme. Its all meant to be put in the ever useful "circular" file or better yet, just push the "delete" button and put it in that "hippie" pile. :-)

[miramirawatchawatcha]

I'm sorry you feel that way =[. But you must then know that your comment is merely opinion. Did you read my comment at all =]?

[3angelsfromheaven]

Yes I did. And thank YOU for YOUR opinion!

[poetswolf1985]

What alien prophecy?

[Rovybrook]

What aaaare you on about?

[DoNotBeHighandMighty]

@miramirawatchawatcha

I think Watts says it very well at the very beginning of this video. "A lecture on zen is always something in the nature of a hoax." But it is still fun to talk about.

[raiun42]

@DoNotBeHighandMighty Watts doesn't mean Zen is a hoax. He means the lecture is..somewhat. It's hard to explain 'something' that lays outside words and scriptures... . with words.

[DoNotBeHighandMighty]

@raiun42

Yeah, I know, ( : Zen is an experience more than anything.  It is the experience of what truly is before all illusions from thought came into existence.

[nicazzo]

the only quack here is u...

[laprop]

lol...atchu. You have to wake up sooner or later

[sweetmpea55]

yep. you are a numb fuck

[nuclearG1]

My comment on Zen:

[apsreine1]

there is a reference in this clip to "Chinese Zen" that is represented around 700 - 1000 A.D.

Does anyone know the name or reference to this specific type of Zen? I have studied Soto Zen, which is good but I do believe that there must also be walking, standing and lying Zen in addition to sitting Zen.

Thanks for any insight on this specific type of Zen.

[Eldritchard]

Try looking into Ch'an that is Zen in China.

I think the time your meaning is the time of The Sixth Patriarch, Look up Hui-neng.

Soto Zen is focused more on sitting Zen or Za-zen your right, but i think the way to look at the walking and lying Zen as bringing Zen into Daily life. I like to think of it as creeping into my daily life. And over 10 years it has. Right mind right action. Although sometimes i do mistake the bell for a jar, easy mistake sometimes.

Peace

[SFwizardoakland]

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[SFwizardoakland]

shit, last time I add a comment to my own video that I made. LOL.

[alchemistvstiger]

LOL

[jonnniefivemiles]

As an anarchist and active member of the Libertarian party, Watts would sure as hell would not have supported Obama-Biden...

[fringefries]

What do politics have to do with zen? You're a VERY angry person. Zen is beyond your petty fears and ignorance. Zen is something you can't understand. Literally. You need mental help. I hope you're not another republican hiding behind the Libertarian party. I think you are? I think the failure of the ANGRY ANGRY right has driven you to betray the republican party. You're an infilTRAITOR You should stay away from this channel because you can't even begin to understand what Dr. Watts is saying.

[jonnniefivemiles]

Woah.. what? I didn't bring up bring up politics.. I responded to a post that was already here about politics. I'm not even a member of the Libertarian party. I'm an anarchist. I didn't "betray" the republican party.. I never gave allegiance to any party. I hate parties (the political kind).

Politics have a lot to do with Zen.. read the excellent book "The Zen at War" about the political zen of WWII Japan for example.

I merely made the historical point that Watts would've not supported Obama.

[Vilemk0]

Who are you to speak about a dead mans perspective? That's one of those pathetic things I hear people say pretty often. Like what would To Pac think or say? Or anyone for that matter. It's just plain pointless.

[MrCod18]

damn is watts dead?

[Vilemk0]

Saddly.

[MrCod18]

I only heard of him from youtube but il miss him when did he die

[Vilemk0]

Alan Wilson Watts died of heart failure in his sleep. January 6, 1915 November 16, 1973

He was playing with a balloon the night of his passing - allegedly remarking on lightness of the balloon (from memory - source Chungliang Huang's preface to "Tao and the Watercourse Way")

He was a great thinker of our time and gave insight to many people.

[ZenBarracuda]

@Vilemk0 The moon's a balloon.

[Waranoa]

@ZenBarracuda THAT IS WHY IT FLOATS IN THE AIR! It's all becoming clear now.

[lowercaseian]

"The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" literally saved my life. I found it in a thrift store in NC.

I was so ravenous about it that I lent it to a few friends and eventually it was lost carelessly.

If that doesn't show the truth in impermanence I don't know what does. :)

[Vilemk0]

Lmfao I'm the same way about good games I play. "You gotta play this dude!"

xD

[CmanSgtPepper]

Same story with me...so much so, i now own 4 copies of The Book and constantly and letting people borrow them

[jrodespleasecure]

@lowercaseian cool...yeah that totally shows impermanence

[Vilemk0]

Interestingly enough, he died on my birth-date. Although before I was born.

[DoNotBeHighandMighty]

@MrCod18

No, he goes by the name of "Guy Pierce" now.

[fringefries]

Of course you're a Libertarian now your ENTIRE IDEOLOGY is a complete and utter FAILURE. Frothing at the mouth with your CULT OF INSANITY. Lying won't help you. I've heard every REPUBLITARD is now running towards the Libertarian party.You ultimately don't believe in ANYTHING.If we are to believe that you are an anarchist and Libertarian then perhaps we should also believe that a peanut butter and sausage sandwich go well together. Comeback with you're typical ad hominem attacks we expect it.

[MrCod18]

Man if you truly belived what people like watts said  you would get so angry by this persons comments that is his or hers opinion at the end of the day it effects only them dont get angry with the person just know they are wrong and ignore it

[454Cassul]

sitting is only one way of doing zen, but zazen is the heart of zen. If you rip it out, only a dead body remains. In the history of zen many people have reached full satori with zazen, but only very few without. Why would buddha or bodhidarma do zazen for 6/9 years if it was useless?

[SFwizardoakland]

to save money...

[zencat]

454, the greatest of Soto Zen Masters, Dogen, states: "zazen is useless". Why would he say this? Never mind reaching full satori, just do your zazen, though it is indeed quite useless.

[Eldritchard]

I have never heard of anyone who has earned Rewards without studying or attained Realization without practice-Dogen Zenji

Realization lies in the practice-The Bhudda

At the end Dogen went to study at Rinzia monastaries Shogen-ji and Nansen-Ji. It was at Nansen-Ji he eventually grasped the inner most secret of Zen under the guidence of Dokutan Roshi.

'When walking just walk

When sitting just sit

above all dont wobble.'

Umon

Peace

[454Cassul]

zencat, dogen himself did zazen for quite some years and back in japan he thaught all of his students to do zazen. He also said:"Zen is Zazen, Zazen is Zen". He just said that you shouldn't rely only on zazen. If you really want to practise zen, then follow the way of the buddha, not the way of alan watts.

[zencat]

I practice zazen twice a day. I'm not saying one should not do zazen. Of course Dogen advocated zazen. That's not the point. The point is zazen is useless. "You shouldn't rely only on zazen" is a true statement. But that's not exactly what Dogen meant. Look deeper.

[Rumplestillskull]

A real Master,yoda has nothing on Alan

[apsreine1]

A finger pointing at the moon, but there are actually 2 moons. The one you see with your eyes and interpret with your brain; and then there is the actual moon as it exists in reality.

Thanks for posting this video/audio, it has helped my practice immensely.

[SFwizardoakland]

no prob, glad u like it!

[5Pectral]

i am a practitioner of wu wei :) being one with the world is appeasing

[1LBRTY]

zen is spiritual opthalmology!

Nice description.

[1hotandsmartman]

the way he frames the conclusions is very left brain and limited..

[silverbackman]

You're joking or being sarcastic, right? The whole idea of Zen is to transcend language and such, language being associated with the left brain. Pure experiencing of the whole is often associated with the right brain.

[1hotandsmartman]

i know, im a student of zen and other concepts, but i think u mis-understood my statement i was talking about alan watts and his limited conclusions my statements is not about zen as a whole. zen is pure experience that goes beyond images.

[silverbackman]

Well yeah, it may sound like Alan Watts is framing his conclusions in a very left brain way.......then again he's trying to explain Zen using language......kinda hard to avoid left brain conclusions when using a left brain function like language ;). I think a wonderful way to demonstrate Zen not using language would be with a gong, as Alan Watts has in other videos.

[TaR0uk]

in a scenerio that you have indicated as the "real world" is something manmade I would hold something more real is your actual knowledge I offer you this "what do you know about a single blade of grass" How does it breed, feed, exist, feel and sense, what do you know of its molecular biology, its atoms and the waves of energy that make up the atom ? How did it get there ? what created it ? Yet I can observe it no I hold what you proposed is falacy to a total perspective of the ACTUAL world....

[nowayasway89]

watts is the illest

[drieaz]

word

[cosmanthony21]

Zazen is what I practiced, he sounded a little downgrading of it but removed himself from that attitude.

[HiAdrian]

Conspiracy theorizing is hardly an enjoyable way to spend you free time, we're having a ball with philosophy here :>

[triogamy]

let it happen...

[Justbustin]

thank you laosu777 today was the first time I have heard watts speak and the timing seem so perfect. Thanks again

[line6802]

ahh lol, timing of ,is different wording for action of ,now you have 'bumped' into a lable for  , known as "the numinous" coined by otto. otto touches upon schlisgner's discourse's upon religion,in wich he touches upon "intuitions" and "feeling",thus/when being of being of.

[iam1hotgirl]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing this one!!

[RogerOnTheRight]

Well, thank you. And have a great Thanksgiving yourself!

[RogerOnTheRight]

Do you get the audio content from archive (dot) org?

[RogerOnTheRight]

laotsu7777-- thanks for passing this to me. Much appreciated. I always find Watts able to put shine a new light on my practice, and this clip is no exception.

He is a very clear communicator.