Alan Watts lectured to live audiences during the 1960's and1970's. His talks reveal his view of Christianity and religion andleaves the listener with a keen sense that "I too, am a son of God". With this insight the listener is set free to experience life in its fullest. Alan Watts masterful description of Christianity through a Buddhist point of view is truely illuminating.

I have never really understood any of this. My friend started getting me into it and he gave me this book. After reading this I found that a lot of what I didn't understand I now did. It also helped me with my current situations so that I could help myself fix the "problems" I have. I definatly think that everyone should read this book.

Since I enjoyed reading David Clark's "Dialogical Apologetics" and "Apologetics in the New Age," co-authored with Norman Geisler, I had to read "The Pantheism of Alan Watts," especially since it was referenced in the co-authored book above. Although, admittedly, I'm not well read on Alan Watts (which is my weakness in reviewing this book), the fact that he is a popular author provided incentive to my reading, and probably to Clark's writing, of this book. Clark's mastery of the Watts corpus is apparent, and the analysis is intellectually engaging. He is obviously careful in his presentation of Watts' evolving ideas, from his early belief as an Anglican priest that Christianity was compatible with (Zen) Buddhism and "the perennial philosophy" to his later admission of its incompatibility which resulted in his abandonment of Christianity. Clark also shows how Watts can get around some of the intellectual objections of his critics. But he also shows how Watts and other pantheistic mystics face an intellectual dilemma when making claims such as "God is unknowable by intellection". According to Clark, "Not only is Watts unable to explain human existence with its sensations of finite individuality, he has built a system which cannot be meaningfully affirmed." He continues: "It is always logically possible that there is more to 'the universe than normal experience can understand or comprehend,' but if this universe is pantheistic, there remains the thorny problem of how and why human beings came to exist, speak, think and feel as they do. Watts cannot eliminate all experience as false and conventional because his knowledge is based on experience. Neither can he differentiate between valid mystical experience and conventional pseudoexperience (i.e., our experience of finite existence) because that distinction would be a rational one. It seems that a mystical pantheism has difficulty eliminating the overwhelming experience of being a finite ego from the realm of valid experience" (pg. 104).

Clark admits that this argumentation may not convince some mystics and quotes D. T. Suzuki as an example. But he points out that dismissing logical incoherencies out of hand means that any world view becomes impossible to criticize, including the theistic world view of Christianity. Even if admirers of Watts aren't convinced by the analysis or conclusions of this book, I would find it hard to believe that they would walk away from this book without a deeper understanding of both Watts and his critics. I challenge avid readers of Watts to locate and read this book and if, after doing so, they found it lacking in any way, to provide a well thought-out critique ... I look forward to reading your reviews. This book is highly recommended, along with Clark's other two books mentioned above, and requires careful reading and reflection. For those who consider themselves "panentheists" instead of "pantheists," see Norman Geisler's critical analysis of this world view in his book "Christian Apologetics".

I first stumbled upon Watts lectures several years ago, and he is by far one of the best interpreters of Eastern thought. Watts has a gift for lecturing, and his intellect and wit are brilliant. My knowledge of Eastern philosophy was limited before I began listening to these lectures, but I did not have any problem comprehending the lectures, even though I listened to each tape several times to let everything truly sink in. Changed the way I think about everyday life!

_Two Hands of God_ is an overall superior work by Alan Watts, and is instumental in understanding obscure Eastern-religious myth. Anyone who is interested in the mythical studies of authors such as Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell should check out this little-known and vastly underrated book. It is a very valuble contribution to our understanding of primitive and not-so-primitive myth. You will be amazed to see the parallels between modern psychology and ancient ritual. This book can also help us appreciate the profound significance and sophistication of mythology and ritual outside of the Christian world - it may help to break down some of our bias and superiority complexes. Even if it is still out of print, somehow you must find a way to get your hands on this book through Amazon's network of used book sellers.

"Uncarved Block, Unbleached Silk - The mystery of life" covers basic elements of visual design while serving to link these elements into basic aspects of life. Alan Watts presents some of the aesthetic principals underlying both Chinese and Japanese arts and along the way illuminates something of the Taoist and Buddhist philosophies that run underneath them. I'm neither a Buddhist nor a Taoist but the ideas explored in this book are still valid to my work as a designer. Half the fun of this book is that the terms don't belong to English so they often bracket concepts in unusual ways bringing new angles of view on common design principles. Watts also doesn't ignore visual design's ability to be meaningful to people at a deep level. His measured words on the relationship between visual aesthetics and the issues of living from one day to the next provide a balanced counterpoint to many of the works contained in the body of contemporary American and European design theory. I've been returning to this book over and over again since it was published in '78 and can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is another in a series of great books that are compilations of lectures of the late Alan Watts by his son Mark. It is an excellent introduction to Zen, and it is also a very good synopsis for those who have studied Zen in detail for many years. With his typical genius for getting to the heart of the matter, Dr. Watts describes exactly what is the essence of Zen in the first chapter. Later on he even gives a tip for understanding the sometimes puzzling behavior of that unique species of human beings, the Zen master. Watts stresses the need for us to set up an environment where we can stop thinking or talking to ourselves, which is meditation, and he clearly describes a good technique for doing this. The state of mind that is a result of this suspension of thought is not a blank mind, but rather a mind that is deeply aware of the world as it is. Finally, Watts sums it all up by showing us how the Zen mind is not only a mind that can most effectively deal with those infamous Zen koans, but also with all of life's situations.

I recommend this book to the beginner as well as the seasoned veteran of Zen studies. It is short, to the point, and a brilliant expression of the essence of Zen.

In a moment, Alan Watts, beloved by billions, brave, boisterous & beat. Friendly to & brother with, but not necessarily limited to, the Beats & my Friend Rosemary. She says he is a hoop thru which truths on springy feet jump. I always admired him also. So many people did. The clues to the blues is in the pentatonic scale; like wind thru chimes, Sun-filled Iris, Isis was not arrayed more lovely than one of these.

Zen Clues is a finger pointing to Moon's rising on the back of Mt. Fuji, cricket on a stalk of swaying yarrow, Ching thrown by Rosemary as she relaxes with the brush now & zen. Hiking with her the well-worn path -- leaves crunch like a symphony, concerto for boots & woods. Every step unfolding. Thanks Alan!

He's back!!! Alan Watts died in 1973 but wait; here's a brand new book, 30 years later, of his wondrous wit and wisdom. Thanks to Alan's son, Mark, we have here available to us some never before published radio transcripts from the 1950s when Watts was at the peak of his powers as a Zen prophet in our midst. You can almost hear him chuckle as he speaks these great truths of Zen. It includes fascinating historical anecdotes and perspective along with the lucid interpretations that only a master like Alan could have done. In an entertaining way he speaks to us of what Zen is and isn't, how to "use" it in everyday life, how to realize the freedom and joy real Zen has always pointed to. But wait; there's still more: the book is loaded with incredible photos making it fun to just look at,too. This book will serve equally well as an introduction to Zen and Watts, or as a must have addition to your collection if you love Alan Watts as I do. This book deserves to be widely known and read.

I never gave Watts his full due of respect back in the 60's and 70's, because at the time I (and others) saw him as a trendy popularizer perhaps cashing in on the interest of that segment of the western readership who are perennially eastern-obsessed and therefore too naive and uncritical of their philosophy. Back then, there were just too many young people, who, having rejected whatever western culture they were brought up in, simply accepted, lock, stock, and barrel, Tao, Vedanta, and/or Buddhism after having read one or two books and therefore having finally discovered "the truth."

Well, looking back, that's perhaps too harsh an assessment, and I will say that Watts's book is an extremely well-written, concise, and clear introduction to Vedantic thought that is as relevant today as it was 35 years ago. I recently picked up the book after 30 years, and found that in many ways I enjoyed it even more than I did back then.

As others have commented more completely on the usefulness and relevance of the philosophy in the book, I will just mention one thing. I really enjoyed his discussion about the fear of death. Watts points out that the way western culture deals practically and philosophically with death, isolating the individual from feeling a part of the universe as a whole on the one hand, and as basically a taboo subject, on the other, is unproductive and ultimately does nothing to resolve the issue. He points out that the denial process of sweeping it under the rug only makes it worse, and that ultimately the only solution is to just face one's fear. If death frightens you or makes you afraid, well then, be afraid. At least be honest about it, because that's the first step to realistically starting to deal with the problem.

The reality is, that no matter how certain one is of one's religion, no-one truly knows if there is an afterlife. It is possible that all these beliefs simply represent a wishful-thinking and wish-fulfillment response to a realistic fear--the fear of death. Until one admits that and confronts the issue head on, it will continue to haunt you despite your most cherished beliefs to the contrary.

...'The book' is a fantastic introduction to key tenets of the ancient Hindu philosophy of Vedanta. Alan Watts exposits with convincing arguments the problems with our perspective of the self(the same thought that 'Hermann Hesse illustrates in Steppenwolf), the correct interpretation of the Blakean vision of 'Good and Evil being parts of the same coin', the problems that we carry through the rest of our lives because of the conditioning of the senses and intellect and finally the answers and route to salvation that this great philosophy shows.

And to read this book, there is no need to know any history/ jargon of vedanta which are major deterrents to people who do not want to get into sanskrit terms, chronology etc.

Just read it..its pretty much a tripper kind of book in the lines of 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'.

_The Book: on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are_ is the quintessential 60's counter-culture book. It is a great place to start reading philosophy if you are an amateur, and used to reading only fiction. It is also a refreshing change of pace for the most grizzled veterans of old-school German philosophy. This is the kind of book that can renew your faith in the possibility of communicating profound ideas without having to use a dense and impenetrable style of prose. Granted, it is not exactly a monumental literary achievement, but this is only because it is so short. But page for page, it is just as potent and profound as any other book ever written. Because of its slim profile, it is not a very intimidating book, so I encourage readers of all skill levels to give this one a try.

If you're like me this book will only make you want to read more Alan Watts. I encourage you to also read: _Behold the Spirit_, _Psychotherapy East and West_, _The Two Hands of God_, and _Myth and Ritual in Christianity_, all by Alan Watts. This book is only the tip of the iceberg. Buy this book, realize how great an author Alan Watts is, and then get into the real meat of his works. Even if some of these are out of print, someway, somehow you must try to find them, and discover one of the greatest American writers ever to have lived.