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Nature, Man and Woman
From “perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West—and an author who ‘had the rare gift of ‘writing beautifully the unwritable’” ( Los Angeles Times )—a guide that draws on Chinese Taoism to reexamine humanity’s place in the natural world and the relation between body and spirit.
Western thought and culture have coalesced around a series of constructed ideas—that human beings stand separate from a nature that must be controlled; that the mind is somehow superior to the body; that all sexuality entails a seduction—that in some way underlie our exploitation of the earth, our distrust of emotion, and our loneliness and reluctance to love. Here, Watts fundamentally challenges these assumptions, drawing on the precepts of Taoism to present an alternative vision of man and the universe—one in which the distinctions between self and other, spirit and matter give way to a more holistic way of seeing.
Western thought and culture have coalesced around a series of constructed ideas—that human beings stand separate from a nature that must be controlled; that the mind is somehow superior to the body; that all sexuality entails a seduction—that in some way underlie our exploitation of the earth, our distrust of emotion, and our loneliness and reluctance to love. Here, Watts fundamentally challenges these assumptions, drawing on the precepts of Taoism to present an alternative vision of man and the universe—one in which the distinctions between self and other, spirit and matter give way to a more holistic way of seeing.
224 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 1991
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About the author
Alan W. Watts
255 books7,941 followersAlan Wilson Watts was a British philosopher, writer and speaker, who held both a Master's in Theology and a Doctorate of Divinity. Famous for his research on comparative religion, he was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies for a Western audience. He wrote over 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, higher consciousness, the meaning of life, concepts and images of God and the non-material pursuit of happiness. In his books he relates his experience to scientific knowledge and to the teachings of Eastern and Western religion and philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 15, 2007
Can't go wrong with Alan Watts. Can't go right either. Opposites implied and all.
August 20, 2013
Damn--over too soon. Watts describes and explains the alternatives to our often utilitarian, puritanical, guilt-ridden (and anything but spiritual) ways of thinking about love-making, and considers that, contrary to popular opinion, sex, the natural world, and spirituality need not be mutually exclusive at all-he doesn't denounce the celibacy of the spiritual seeker, but he doesn't see it as the only way. Taoism and Zen have always appealed to me, but Watts has a way of breathing life into his ideas in a uniquely approachable, intelligent, and considered way.
June 25, 2017
While parts of this book were a little hard for me to wrap my brain around, not being a philosopher by trade or training, I still left the book riddled with sticky-tabs for later reference and inspiration.
I started to quote my favorite passages, but not wanting to retype large swaths of the book, I erased it all. It's hard to pull tidbits out of long, inter-connected thoughts without compromising the point of the quote. And, on that note, that is exactly the point the author was trying to make, that we are all -
man, woman, nature (both physical and non-physical) - connected at our core, and to extract any one part as separate is to rob it of the power and beauty of the whole.
I started to quote my favorite passages, but not wanting to retype large swaths of the book, I erased it all. It's hard to pull tidbits out of long, inter-connected thoughts without compromising the point of the quote. And, on that note, that is exactly the point the author was trying to make, that we are all -
man, woman, nature (both physical and non-physical) - connected at our core, and to extract any one part as separate is to rob it of the power and beauty of the whole.
November 29, 2020
Very easy to read contemplative chapters on Zen Buddhism, nature and sexuality with a non judgmental but definitely a 60’s era heteronormative point of view. Recommended, if you are into this kind of thing.
September 9, 2008
Buddhism isn't for everyone. I recently began working at a temple out west (in chicago) and so my interest in this subject has resurfaced. My family converted (as much as one can convert to a non-religion) to buddhism when I was about twelve. Church on sunday immediately ceased and we were all a lot happier. I didn't really start understanding the precepts of the middle way until, perhaps, high school. I had tried like many others to understand buddhism by trying to read D.T. Suzuki's Understanding Zen (incredibly dry and complicated) or The Tibetan Book of the Dead (same as before only worse). Alan Watts was the first writers/lecturers who could explain it in a way I can understand. I don't think I'm alone in this as the back cover to most of his books refers to him as 'unrutted'. His lectures on tape are very informative to and all recorded in th fifties at this houseboat in Sausalitio for audiences of famous scholars like Ginsberg and George F. Scott.
July 11, 2022
the river has no desire to retain the swan, yet the swan's passage is traced out by its shadow without any omission
October 26, 2022
Mi-a plăcut mult.
Savurez ocaziile de a-l citi sau de a-l asculta pe Alan Watts. Vorbește „pe limba mea”, ca să zic așa.
Nu prea rezonez cu filozofia europeană (cu excepția celei din Grecia și Roma antică), probabil în primul rând pentru că este tributară unei viziuni asupra lumii cu care nu am suficient de multe în comun (regăsită și în abordarea creștină). Îmi amintesc ce uluit am fost când am citit pentru prima dată „Daodejing” și am descoperit acolo prezentată o viziune foarte similară cu ceea ce percepeam eu de când mă știu. Mi-am zis „O, deci au mai fost / sunt și alții care percep așa cum o fac eu!” Ulterior, aplecându-mă și asupra budismului, am constatat că e tot acolo, în zona aceea care, pentru mine, însemna „normalitate”.
A fost o vreme când m-am mulțumit pur și simplu cu „asta mă reprezintă, cealaltă nu”. La un moment dat, am vrut totuși să aprofundez problema, să înțeleg de ce nu rezonez cu o filozofie specifică mediului în care m-am născut și am crescut, cu alte cuvinte una care-mi era familiară. Era posibil ca daoismul și budismul să mă fi atras doar prin exotismul (iarba mai verde din curtea vecină) care-mi permitea să văd esența și să nu mă las distras de forma de manifestare, în timp ce la optica de sorginte creștină să fi fost prea sătul de forma care mă înconjura, încât nu eram capabil să percep esența? Mi-am dat seama că era și asta, dar într-o mică măsură. În realitate, există niște incompatibilități la nivel fundamental între mine și filozofia europeană de sorginte creștină.
Iar frumusețea cărții de față este tocmai aceea că subliniază unele dintre diferențele semnificative dintre percepția creștină, pe de o parte, respectiv cea daoistă și budistă. Am avut, astfel, ocazia să le revizitez, după mulți ani de când am făcut eu însumi analiza - în prezentarea caldă, lipsită de patimă, a lui Alan Watts. Nu e o judecată, e pur și simplu o prezentare a lui „aici e așa, iar aici e așa”. Evident, analiza din carte e mult mai cuprinzătoare decât cea făcută de mine, care a fost, preponderent, subiectivă.
O oază de pace sufletească și mentală, care m-a încărcat într-o perioadă extrem de solicitantă pentru mine.
Savurez ocaziile de a-l citi sau de a-l asculta pe Alan Watts. Vorbește „pe limba mea”, ca să zic așa.
Nu prea rezonez cu filozofia europeană (cu excepția celei din Grecia și Roma antică), probabil în primul rând pentru că este tributară unei viziuni asupra lumii cu care nu am suficient de multe în comun (regăsită și în abordarea creștină). Îmi amintesc ce uluit am fost când am citit pentru prima dată „Daodejing” și am descoperit acolo prezentată o viziune foarte similară cu ceea ce percepeam eu de când mă știu. Mi-am zis „O, deci au mai fost / sunt și alții care percep așa cum o fac eu!” Ulterior, aplecându-mă și asupra budismului, am constatat că e tot acolo, în zona aceea care, pentru mine, însemna „normalitate”.
A fost o vreme când m-am mulțumit pur și simplu cu „asta mă reprezintă, cealaltă nu”. La un moment dat, am vrut totuși să aprofundez problema, să înțeleg de ce nu rezonez cu o filozofie specifică mediului în care m-am născut și am crescut, cu alte cuvinte una care-mi era familiară. Era posibil ca daoismul și budismul să mă fi atras doar prin exotismul (iarba mai verde din curtea vecină) care-mi permitea să văd esența și să nu mă las distras de forma de manifestare, în timp ce la optica de sorginte creștină să fi fost prea sătul de forma care mă înconjura, încât nu eram capabil să percep esența? Mi-am dat seama că era și asta, dar într-o mică măsură. În realitate, există niște incompatibilități la nivel fundamental între mine și filozofia europeană de sorginte creștină.
Iar frumusețea cărții de față este tocmai aceea că subliniază unele dintre diferențele semnificative dintre percepția creștină, pe de o parte, respectiv cea daoistă și budistă. Am avut, astfel, ocazia să le revizitez, după mulți ani de când am făcut eu însumi analiza - în prezentarea caldă, lipsită de patimă, a lui Alan Watts. Nu e o judecată, e pur și simplu o prezentare a lui „aici e așa, iar aici e așa”. Evident, analiza din carte e mult mai cuprinzătoare decât cea făcută de mine, care a fost, preponderent, subiectivă.
O oază de pace sufletească și mentală, care m-a încărcat într-o perioadă extrem de solicitantă pentru mine.
May 10, 2012
This, along with The Book, were the two books Mother had by Alan Watts which I read at the end of high school and which got me interested enough to read other volumes by him as I encountered copies at used bookstores. These two volumes and the influence of a friend, Michael Miley, got me into the study of religion through the back door of Eastern mysticism despite strong prejudices against the whole concept of religion.
Currently reading
September 6, 2010"I am God, you are God, everything is God, and God is a boundless and featureless, sea of dimly conscious tapioca pudding."
March 28, 2024
A classic of the modern Western metaphysical movement, I read this so very long ago. It was a rather mind-blowing read at the time, and opened me up to a whole new world...or more, served to remind me that such a world had always always part of me. I wonder now if I’d find parts sexist, as I occasionally do his talks. But I greatly admire Watts; a leader and form-breaker in his time. I’m always tickled to hear his lectures as background to several new hip music pieces!
October 30, 2008
Alan Watts is brilliant and at times mind spinning philosopher that often is beyond my intellectual grasp. In this work he questions our divorce, abuse, and distrust of the natural world.
He suggest that in time and technological expansion that we will be increasingly isolated and find ourselves at odds with ourselves and the environment. To state the obvious -- he got it.
Further on He delves into Eastern fertility practices and the Kundalani/serpent yoga experience.
A noteworthy quote:
"for the scientist, despite his theoretical naturalism, tends to regard nature, humans and otherwise, as a world to be conquered and reordered, to remain subject to the technology of the rational intellect, which has somehow disowned and shaken off its roots in the very organism it now presumes to improve. In practice, the technical, rational consciousness is as alien to the natural man as was the supernatural soul."
ya some heady man he was.
On an aside: I read somewhere that the transpersonal psychologist Ken Wilbur would longhand his books to develop his writing.
He suggest that in time and technological expansion that we will be increasingly isolated and find ourselves at odds with ourselves and the environment. To state the obvious -- he got it.
Further on He delves into Eastern fertility practices and the Kundalani/serpent yoga experience.
A noteworthy quote:
"for the scientist, despite his theoretical naturalism, tends to regard nature, humans and otherwise, as a world to be conquered and reordered, to remain subject to the technology of the rational intellect, which has somehow disowned and shaken off its roots in the very organism it now presumes to improve. In practice, the technical, rational consciousness is as alien to the natural man as was the supernatural soul."
ya some heady man he was.
On an aside: I read somewhere that the transpersonal psychologist Ken Wilbur would longhand his books to develop his writing.
August 30, 2020
*** Heterosexual people would more easily relate to this analysis because of Watt’s tendency to compare “female” vs. “male” energy in relationships and how they exist in nature. However, if one thinks about it in terms of assumed roles as “giver” and “receiver” it may apply to other types of love and relationships. ***
Watts examines the relationship between women, men and nature and their evolution within human thought molded by the teachings of eastern and western religions. He presents how different theological beliefs have shaped our experience with the natural world and with human sexuality. He focuses on Taoist philosophies to explain how we can better exist with each other sexually and in nature.
I’m interested in the ways humans have distanced ourselves from the spontaneous flow of nature and consequently have lost touch with the connection to the universe within us, which Watts refers to as “the endless knot.” It’s through the development of the ego that we have separated ourselves from nature and from our fellow humans, leading to our suffering. One analogy Watts makes is that of our skin, which serves just as much a joiner to the elements as it does a divider from them. We exist in our environment not separate but connected to her via the nerves of our skin.
Man has separated himself from nature in many of the same ways that he has separated himself from woman thanks in part to Judeo-Christian teachings. He tries to control nature as he has oppressed women under the control of convention. Christianity claims nature to be unclean and unholy in a similar vein to the ways that women are painted as deceitful, etc. He explains the lineage of how our relationship to nature evolved in our Judeo-Christian societies, mainly in cities.
I’m also especially interested in ideas of anthropomorphism that are presented here. Take the idea of purpose, we think of our world from the perspective of the purpose, of measurements created to help us assign purpose and meaning to the mystery of our planet and our place on it, “bending nature to one’s will.” By staying busy, constructing societies that make our existence more complex, we are distracting ourselves from the emptiness of the ego and ultimately the fear of the greatest unknown: death. Sex can be thought of in the same way as a purposeless universe. It's an act of bliss where we can blur the lines of separate self through union with another person. We can exist in a nonlinear environment, devoid of a “goal” to be reached and solely live in the moments of pleasure. In Taoism "Li” is the order of the universe, which is non-linear. And then there is “kuan”defined as silent contemplation; a state of being where self-important egocentrism and narrowed perspective dissipates. Kuan can be compared to a state of receiving. It is an openness so vast it can be thought of as emptiness, the ultimate freedom from the constraints of societal roles imposed on our psyches.
The theme of spontaneity, and its antithesis grasping/straining, appear throughout the text. These principles are applied to sexual relationships and the grasping, mascualine energy, towards orgasm instead of experiencing the spontaneity and ecstasy in the present moment with a partner. This exploitation of our senses towards pleasure exists outside of sexuality as well. The grasping and straining towards what should be leads us away from deep experience down a narrow tunnel of expectations based on satisfaction of the ego.The universe is spontaneous and so are humans, “for the human being is not a thing but a process, not an object but a life. “It is the ego that wants to control and view the self as a separate closed entity when in fact we do not exist separate from our environment.
The idea of convention, or “maya”, appears throughout especially related to Western Judeo-Christian religion which used the teachings as a method of control disguised as a way to salvation. It can also be thought of as the masks we wear. Where absolutes are frequent and we are told to ignore the subtleties of life and nuances of nature. Described by Watts as, “for we feel that unless the artifice of law is held over our heads like a club we shall revert to our ‘basic’ and ‘natural’ depravity, as if this is what we really are under the veneer of civilization. “ Our civilizations evolved with Christianity influencing how our government and systems formed. Control of the population and exploitation of the natural world fits nicely alongside interpretations of the Bible. Through assuming roles we find comfort in being conventionally acceptable. Without convention we feel lost and it is in roles that we can find familiarity and self-approval because the emptiness that is freedom to feel your desires , “where he expected to find specific truth about himself he found freedom, but mistook it for mere nothingness.”
“Love-- and do what you will” Matrimony, or exclusive sexual relationships have the potential to see another person without the mask of the role they play. However by limiting that level of connection to just one person a culture of distrust is nurtured in our society, and the roles outside of our romantic relationship can be upheld.
Watts examines the relationship between women, men and nature and their evolution within human thought molded by the teachings of eastern and western religions. He presents how different theological beliefs have shaped our experience with the natural world and with human sexuality. He focuses on Taoist philosophies to explain how we can better exist with each other sexually and in nature.
I’m interested in the ways humans have distanced ourselves from the spontaneous flow of nature and consequently have lost touch with the connection to the universe within us, which Watts refers to as “the endless knot.” It’s through the development of the ego that we have separated ourselves from nature and from our fellow humans, leading to our suffering. One analogy Watts makes is that of our skin, which serves just as much a joiner to the elements as it does a divider from them. We exist in our environment not separate but connected to her via the nerves of our skin.
Man has separated himself from nature in many of the same ways that he has separated himself from woman thanks in part to Judeo-Christian teachings. He tries to control nature as he has oppressed women under the control of convention. Christianity claims nature to be unclean and unholy in a similar vein to the ways that women are painted as deceitful, etc. He explains the lineage of how our relationship to nature evolved in our Judeo-Christian societies, mainly in cities.
I’m also especially interested in ideas of anthropomorphism that are presented here. Take the idea of purpose, we think of our world from the perspective of the purpose, of measurements created to help us assign purpose and meaning to the mystery of our planet and our place on it, “bending nature to one’s will.” By staying busy, constructing societies that make our existence more complex, we are distracting ourselves from the emptiness of the ego and ultimately the fear of the greatest unknown: death. Sex can be thought of in the same way as a purposeless universe. It's an act of bliss where we can blur the lines of separate self through union with another person. We can exist in a nonlinear environment, devoid of a “goal” to be reached and solely live in the moments of pleasure. In Taoism "Li” is the order of the universe, which is non-linear. And then there is “kuan”defined as silent contemplation; a state of being where self-important egocentrism and narrowed perspective dissipates. Kuan can be compared to a state of receiving. It is an openness so vast it can be thought of as emptiness, the ultimate freedom from the constraints of societal roles imposed on our psyches.
The theme of spontaneity, and its antithesis grasping/straining, appear throughout the text. These principles are applied to sexual relationships and the grasping, mascualine energy, towards orgasm instead of experiencing the spontaneity and ecstasy in the present moment with a partner. This exploitation of our senses towards pleasure exists outside of sexuality as well. The grasping and straining towards what should be leads us away from deep experience down a narrow tunnel of expectations based on satisfaction of the ego.The universe is spontaneous and so are humans, “for the human being is not a thing but a process, not an object but a life. “It is the ego that wants to control and view the self as a separate closed entity when in fact we do not exist separate from our environment.
The idea of convention, or “maya”, appears throughout especially related to Western Judeo-Christian religion which used the teachings as a method of control disguised as a way to salvation. It can also be thought of as the masks we wear. Where absolutes are frequent and we are told to ignore the subtleties of life and nuances of nature. Described by Watts as, “for we feel that unless the artifice of law is held over our heads like a club we shall revert to our ‘basic’ and ‘natural’ depravity, as if this is what we really are under the veneer of civilization. “ Our civilizations evolved with Christianity influencing how our government and systems formed. Control of the population and exploitation of the natural world fits nicely alongside interpretations of the Bible. Through assuming roles we find comfort in being conventionally acceptable. Without convention we feel lost and it is in roles that we can find familiarity and self-approval because the emptiness that is freedom to feel your desires , “where he expected to find specific truth about himself he found freedom, but mistook it for mere nothingness.”
“Love-- and do what you will” Matrimony, or exclusive sexual relationships have the potential to see another person without the mask of the role they play. However by limiting that level of connection to just one person a culture of distrust is nurtured in our society, and the roles outside of our romantic relationship can be upheld.
June 7, 2024
Takes challenging topics and creates a digestible and entertaining read. A lot of man woman man woman man woman… considering much of Mahayana Buddhist doctrine (and recognizing its distinction from context within which it has been taught) there’s a whole lot more to explore there. Loved it
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July 3, 2023A captivating exploration of the nature of existence, man, woman, and nature “itself” — and all the glorious interconnectedness. If you’ve ever felt that your “church” is in the mountains, waterways, and forests, then this book may be quite enjoyable for you.
Watts’ musings on love and sex are beautiful, and their ilk are found in few other places.
Watts’ exploration of life and death is sublime - and the timing was magical. My father passed away while I was reading this book, and I’m thankful Watts was with me.
A favorite quote:
If I must cross every skyline to find out what is beyond, I shall never appreciate the true depth of sky seen between trees upon the ridge of a hill. If I must map the canyons and count the trees, I shall never enter into the sound of a hidden waterfall. To the mind which pursues every road to its end, every road leads to nowhere. To abstain is not to postpone the cold disillusionment of the true facts but to see that one arrives by staying rather than going, that to be forever looking beyond is to remain blind to what is here.
-
Watts’ musings on love and sex are beautiful, and their ilk are found in few other places.
Watts’ exploration of life and death is sublime - and the timing was magical. My father passed away while I was reading this book, and I’m thankful Watts was with me.
A favorite quote:
If I must cross every skyline to find out what is beyond, I shall never appreciate the true depth of sky seen between trees upon the ridge of a hill. If I must map the canyons and count the trees, I shall never enter into the sound of a hidden waterfall. To the mind which pursues every road to its end, every road leads to nowhere. To abstain is not to postpone the cold disillusionment of the true facts but to see that one arrives by staying rather than going, that to be forever looking beyond is to remain blind to what is here.
-
April 5, 2016
Watts writing is entertaining and educating. I'd like to say I understood everything in this book. But I didn't. And that's ok, because it is a book I'd happily reread.
August 28, 2016
Something like these words in this book caress so deeply, so profoundly, that it is difficult to describe how much of a gift it is.. Indeed, describing a perspective on the book may be missing the point of the book itself. Before opening this, I had a familiarity of some ideas about interdependant relationships and coherent, simultaneous expression of life in all its forms. In saying that, in attempting to conceive of Watts' message I felt more and more self-aware as being stuck and isolated in this body, totally aware of playing the specific roles I play. If anything, I began to realise this was the only thing that was blocking me from experiencing more connection rather than disconnection. And, of course, this is explained in the book quite thoroughly. Of all that is said it makes a huge amount of sense to see how we have become deceived and only have to be open to shredding back everything-completely everything-we think we know, and then accept that unknowing is really the basis and beginnings of exploration. There are numerous passages in here that are outstanding and collating them all would be somewhat against the experience of stumbling upon them. The basic premise being that Nature, Man and Woman are all one and this extends beyond the scope of a single planet. To describe is to divide and to define is to fall into deception.
"...it is only by virtue of eyes that the stars themselves are bright".
"...it is only by virtue of eyes that the stars themselves are bright".
August 21, 2017
I can't make a synopsis of this book, because it has so many wonderful revelations. I loved it! The back cover says this: 'That human beings stand separate from nature that must be controlled, that the mind is somehow superior to the body, and that sexuality entails a seduction -a danger or a problem- are assumptions upon which much of Western thought and culture is based.' Though the part of sexuality I think Watts says it that one shouldn't do it with thoughts but let it happen in this bodily presence. Anyway, I think I have underlined 99% of this book. I really like his approach or t I guess the Taoist approach with realizes human beings place in the nature. The dualism has crept in in so many traditions as is well pointed out.It is a book one easily returns to again and again.If you are thinking about non-dualism, spirituality, embodiment, awareness in sexuality, environment and life, I certainly recommend this.
November 26, 2016
Free spirit beatnického hnutia ktorého plusom bol výrazný nádych intelektualizmu, kto to dočítal, hneď cítil výrazný nárast IQ. "Náboženské" prezentoval tak, aby bolo prístupné pre všetkých, na rozdiel od Bonda pretrepal a dobre zmiešal a podieľal sa na šírení spiritu New Age. Autor s výrazným sklonom k nadinterpretácii.
November 21, 2015
"Odata, cand copiii mei m-au intrebat ce este Dumnezeu, am raspuns ca Dumnezeu este interiorul cel mai adanc din fiecare lucru."
"cand omul nepotrivit foloseste mijloacele potrivite, mijloacele potrivite actioneaza nepotrivit."
"cand omul nepotrivit foloseste mijloacele potrivite, mijloacele potrivite actioneaza nepotrivit."
June 1, 2017
This book changed my life. I can't wait to read it again.
It's a tough read, but a book you almost underline in entirety.
It's a tough read, but a book you almost underline in entirety.
December 15, 2021
I’m bit angry that the book had to end.
January 3, 2023
i love how this guy talks. i literally hear his voice when i read this. hes a taoist and an exchristian so i relate to him in many ways. i love so much of this book. fuck duality!!
December 7, 2020
“Life keeps moving on, and yet remains profoundly rooted in the present, seeking no result, for the present has spread out from its constriction in an elusive pin-point of strained consciousness to an all-embracing eternity. Feelings both positive and negative come and go without turmoil, for they seem to be simply observed, though there is no one observing. They pass trackless like birds in the sky, and build up no resistances which have to be dissipated in reckless action.” * “[T]o be forever looking beyond is to remain blind to what is here.” * “If the ego were to disappear, or rather, to be seen as a useful fiction, there would no longer be the duality of subject and object, experiencer and experience. There would simply be a continuous, self-moving stream of experiencing, without the sense either of an active subject who controls it or of a passive subject who suffers it. The thinker would be no more than the series of thoughts, and the feeler no more than the feelings.” * “[W]e have never [...] permitted ourselves to be everything that we are, to see that fundamentally all the gains and losses, rights and wrongs of our lives are as natural and 'perfect' as the peaks and valleys of a mountain range.” * “[T]he ego is the social image or role with which the mind is shamed into identifying itself, since we are taught to act the part which society wants us to play - the part of a reliable and predictable centre of action which resists spontaneous change. But in extreme suffering and death this part cannot be played, and as a result they become associated with all the shame and fear with which, as children, we were forced into becoming acceptable egos. Death and agony are therefore dreaded as loss of status, and their struggles are desperate attempts to maintain the assumed patterns of action and feeling.” * “The more a person knows of himself, the more he will hesitate to define his nature and to assert what he must necessarily feel, and the more he will be astounded at his capacity to feel in unsuspected and unpredictable ways.” * "In attachment there is pain, and in pain deliverance, so that at this point attachment itself offers no obstacle, and the liberated one is at last free to love with all his might and to suffer with all his heart. This is not because he has learned the trick of splitting himself into higher and lower selves so that he can watch himself with inward indifference, but rather because he has found the meeting-point of the limit of wisdom and the limit of foolishness." * "The answer to the problem of suffering is not away from the problem but in it. The inevitability of pain will not be met by deadening sensitivity but by increasing it, by exploring and feeling out the manner in which the natural organism itself wants to react and which its innate wisdom has provided.” * “[I]t is not quite true that one must wait for something to happen spontaneously. For the heart is beating, the breath is moving, and all the senses are perceiving. A whole world of experience is coming to the organism of itself, without the slightest forcing. This spontaneous arrival of experience is not actually passive; it is already spontaneous action." * "Enjoyment is always gratuitous and can come no other way than of itself, spontaneously. To try to force it is, furthermore, to try to experience the future before it has arrived, to seek the psychological result of attending to the present experience and thus short-circuiting or cutting out the experience itself."
August 20, 2023
An insightful, well-written work by an Episcopal-priest-turned-Buddhist-Taoist whose central idea is challenging but not entirely convincing to me. Watts argues essentially for a non-reductive naturalism, eschewing what he sees as the Christian and materialist dualism of 'masculine' ego controlling a 'feminine' nature. He opposes the conception of man as controller and advocates instead the traditional Chinese concept of Kuan, which signifies a "mode of observation in which there is no duality of seer and seen." The image of the Chinese character for this word is a bird, probably a heron, which Watts describes as standing by a pool apparently staring passively but springing into action when a fish appears. This image is powerful and the concept instructive, but elsewhere the author's language is confusing. For example, he undercuts the concept of 'self-control' by pointing out that it implies the existence of a self, which is "an error of perception" (96). This, of course, is a restatement of the Buddhist doctrine of Anatta, or non-self. I walked into this book believing that doctrine to be unhelpful, and walked out with the same view. There are other peculiarities in Watts' exposition, such as the view that everything is the Tao, that nothing is unnatural. This view, however, can only weaken the resolve to right wrongs, heal wounds, and get rid of garbage and pollution in nature (i.e. nature as we actually conceive it).
Still, Watts' paradoxes are well-articulated and defended as well as may be; and there are many jewels to discover in his pages. I picked up the book because I was confused that both eastern and western traditions (Christianity, Platonism, Stoicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) denounce sexual pleasure as unclean or, at best, inferior to celibacy. Watts addresses this historical perplexity with clarity and erudition. His argument opposes both legalistic puritanism and shallow hedonism. The final chapter advocates a Tantric approach to sexual contemplation as a path of self-transcendence and identification not just with one's sexual partner, but with the stars. Espousing a monistic view of the world, he writes, "We must come to *feel* what we know to be true in theory, to have a sense of ourselves with what we know about the inseparability of the parts of nature." (186) Sexual contemplation facilitates experiential awareness of an abstract theory. The human body does not (contra Plato) exist abstracted from its environment, which includes not just the earth but the remotest galaxies. In the end, Watts' lyrical writing is a celebration of life and nature in all its richness, and for that reason, despite the questionable elements noted above, deserves to be read.
Still, Watts' paradoxes are well-articulated and defended as well as may be; and there are many jewels to discover in his pages. I picked up the book because I was confused that both eastern and western traditions (Christianity, Platonism, Stoicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) denounce sexual pleasure as unclean or, at best, inferior to celibacy. Watts addresses this historical perplexity with clarity and erudition. His argument opposes both legalistic puritanism and shallow hedonism. The final chapter advocates a Tantric approach to sexual contemplation as a path of self-transcendence and identification not just with one's sexual partner, but with the stars. Espousing a monistic view of the world, he writes, "We must come to *feel* what we know to be true in theory, to have a sense of ourselves with what we know about the inseparability of the parts of nature." (186) Sexual contemplation facilitates experiential awareness of an abstract theory. The human body does not (contra Plato) exist abstracted from its environment, which includes not just the earth but the remotest galaxies. In the end, Watts' lyrical writing is a celebration of life and nature in all its richness, and for that reason, despite the questionable elements noted above, deserves to be read.
May 1, 2020
I enjoyed this book. I actually heard about the Tao (pronounced Dao) many years ago when I was in recovery. They had these cheesy little spiritual tapes when we'd sit at the table in the recovery home kitchen with fruit punch, I thought they were trying to brainwash us... This book isn't that!
Alan Watts is a philosopher whose voice, on old recordings, sounds like a deeply-pitched Alec Guinness, of course he's not Guinness he's Alan Watts. And like Guinness's Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi he lives on to mentor you through YouTube videos and his twenty plus books.
In this book he explains the Tao, the flow of things, of nature, how man (woman) is not separate from it but a part of it as nature is a part of him, actually, not even separated into parts. It is all one, and nature one with the divine in a completely unified and integrated oneness.
Mr. Watts explains how we grow from within, same as the plants. A plant grows from stretching from within. It is inner, just as spirituality is. Thus man and woman are not separate or better than nature, and wildlife. Nature is not his / her enemy. It's not external, it's flowing through the center. It all comes from the same place, the universe, created by the sacred divine... Thus Taoism explains this, from the voice and viewpoint and scholarly studies of Watts et al... He explains the spirituality of behaving naturally, seeing the world with open eyes, open "contemplation". He also brings in Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, and compares Christian views of nature and sexuality / spirituality to the above mentioned Hindu / Buddhist / Taoist ones.
Also, Alan Watts was one of the first people to take LSD in clinical trials. Just for some perspective on the book. It's a good one, but I hope you understand it as best as possible...
This book is very well done, it opened my eyes further. First time I learned about the Tao, very penetrating concept! The final chapters on sexuality were harder to read, but in the end they are just as insightful. They are also on the same page as I am. I feel the same way about spirituality / sexuality.
Alan Watts is a philosopher whose voice, on old recordings, sounds like a deeply-pitched Alec Guinness, of course he's not Guinness he's Alan Watts. And like Guinness's Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi he lives on to mentor you through YouTube videos and his twenty plus books.
In this book he explains the Tao, the flow of things, of nature, how man (woman) is not separate from it but a part of it as nature is a part of him, actually, not even separated into parts. It is all one, and nature one with the divine in a completely unified and integrated oneness.
Mr. Watts explains how we grow from within, same as the plants. A plant grows from stretching from within. It is inner, just as spirituality is. Thus man and woman are not separate or better than nature, and wildlife. Nature is not his / her enemy. It's not external, it's flowing through the center. It all comes from the same place, the universe, created by the sacred divine... Thus Taoism explains this, from the voice and viewpoint and scholarly studies of Watts et al... He explains the spirituality of behaving naturally, seeing the world with open eyes, open "contemplation". He also brings in Buddhist and Hindu philosophies, and compares Christian views of nature and sexuality / spirituality to the above mentioned Hindu / Buddhist / Taoist ones.
Also, Alan Watts was one of the first people to take LSD in clinical trials. Just for some perspective on the book. It's a good one, but I hope you understand it as best as possible...
This book is very well done, it opened my eyes further. First time I learned about the Tao, very penetrating concept! The final chapters on sexuality were harder to read, but in the end they are just as insightful. They are also on the same page as I am. I feel the same way about spirituality / sexuality.
May 31, 2018
"Then you sort out the recycling. That isn't part of the foreplay process but it is still very important"
-The Flight of the Conchords, "Business Time"
In this book, Mr. Watts attempts to define love within the spheres of nature, religion, and sexuality. As per usual, there is a heaping helping of Eastern thought and phrases brought in to alleviate the stifling rigidity of Western thought. Watts speaks of having an open consciousness which does not chop up reality into classifiable bits of info, but rather embraces it as a whole. Again the notion of God not being a carpenter who "built the universe and goes in and out of it as he pleases" but rather the "builder from within" of the universe. So he goes on to argue how Christianity mainly gets the idea of sexuality wrong and contradicts itself and its dated notions of man being spirit and women being earthly, when it's all the same, baby, yeah.
Then we get to the steamy bits on how all this relates to physical love. Watts' attitude seems to me to be if you want to be ascetic, that's cool, but as long as your ascetism doesn't serve the goal of dominating your ego it's pure and not unnatural. Watts talks about the failures of conventional marriage (he should know he had like 5 of them) but in their shortsightedness towards a deeper love. Finally to close the book out he basically talks about tantra and how sex is a pairing of the body enabling a connection of consciousnesses, when if both opened properly and not grasping at orgasms, can lead to the deepest, most beautiful understanding of ourselves.
Overall I enjoyed the Taboo book much more, I felt it was smoother, and I believe this book is an earlier one so I noticed a bunch of things were shined up for presentation by the time it made it to Taboo. I would still recommend Taboo over this book, it's more comprehensive and shiny, while this book seems a bit overstuffed (even for Watts) and not being as compelling. But hey maybe my overall bedroom satisfaction surveys I hand out will come back with higher scores.
-The Flight of the Conchords, "Business Time"
In this book, Mr. Watts attempts to define love within the spheres of nature, religion, and sexuality. As per usual, there is a heaping helping of Eastern thought and phrases brought in to alleviate the stifling rigidity of Western thought. Watts speaks of having an open consciousness which does not chop up reality into classifiable bits of info, but rather embraces it as a whole. Again the notion of God not being a carpenter who "built the universe and goes in and out of it as he pleases" but rather the "builder from within" of the universe. So he goes on to argue how Christianity mainly gets the idea of sexuality wrong and contradicts itself and its dated notions of man being spirit and women being earthly, when it's all the same, baby, yeah.
Then we get to the steamy bits on how all this relates to physical love. Watts' attitude seems to me to be if you want to be ascetic, that's cool, but as long as your ascetism doesn't serve the goal of dominating your ego it's pure and not unnatural. Watts talks about the failures of conventional marriage (he should know he had like 5 of them) but in their shortsightedness towards a deeper love. Finally to close the book out he basically talks about tantra and how sex is a pairing of the body enabling a connection of consciousnesses, when if both opened properly and not grasping at orgasms, can lead to the deepest, most beautiful understanding of ourselves.
Overall I enjoyed the Taboo book much more, I felt it was smoother, and I believe this book is an earlier one so I noticed a bunch of things were shined up for presentation by the time it made it to Taboo. I would still recommend Taboo over this book, it's more comprehensive and shiny, while this book seems a bit overstuffed (even for Watts) and not being as compelling. But hey maybe my overall bedroom satisfaction surveys I hand out will come back with higher scores.
July 30, 2021
I’ve heard a lot about Alan Watts (who, in my imagination, has a Brian Cox voice due to the film Her) but I’ve never read his work before. Firstly, there is no doubt in his writing that he is an academic and a philosopher. His words are well chosen and sometimes dense, but also clear and rewarding on careful reading. It can be exhausting working through it but even if I only had the stamina to comprehend a fraction of it, that fraction was still very thought provoking.
As to the contents, “Nature, Man and Woman” is a well constructed tour of man’s relationship to his external world. It begins with nature and ends with women, building on a Taoist / Buddhist worldview that sees things as connected via relationships rather than separate and atomized, as (he describes) it often is in Western philosophy and science. I have to say he makes a compelling argument - watts claims (and supports) the idea that Christianity has no way of reconciling man’s relationship to nature as something separate and exclusive to his relationship to God stuck with me, if only because the current ecological situation seems like a natural consequence of not seeing ourselves as part of nature.
In any case, considering the depth of his subjects, Alan Watts is a compelling writer and I would be open to reading more of his work in the future.
As to the contents, “Nature, Man and Woman” is a well constructed tour of man’s relationship to his external world. It begins with nature and ends with women, building on a Taoist / Buddhist worldview that sees things as connected via relationships rather than separate and atomized, as (he describes) it often is in Western philosophy and science. I have to say he makes a compelling argument - watts claims (and supports) the idea that Christianity has no way of reconciling man’s relationship to nature as something separate and exclusive to his relationship to God stuck with me, if only because the current ecological situation seems like a natural consequence of not seeing ourselves as part of nature.
In any case, considering the depth of his subjects, Alan Watts is a compelling writer and I would be open to reading more of his work in the future.
January 22, 2020
4.4 stars!
Another Alan Watts classic. I've held Alan Watt's spiritual insights close to my heart for decades. I cherish Alan.
Pain overtakes my life. Suffering suspends living-
“The answer to the problem of suffering is not away from the problem but in it. The inevitability of pain will not be met by deadening sensitivity but by increasing it, by exploring and feeling out the manner in which the natural organism itself wants to react and which its innate wisdom has provided.”
― Alan W. Watts
Let go. Exhale.
“Man when living is soft and tender; when dead he is hard and tough. All animals and plants are tender and fragile; when dead they become withered and dry. Therefore it is said: the hard and the tough are parts of death; the soft and tender are parts of life. This is the reason why the soldiers when they are too tough cannot carry the day; the tree when it is too tough will break. The position of the strong and great is low, and the position of the weak and tender is high.”
― Alan W. Watts
Welcome addition to any mystical quest.
Another Alan Watts classic. I've held Alan Watt's spiritual insights close to my heart for decades. I cherish Alan.
Pain overtakes my life. Suffering suspends living-
“The answer to the problem of suffering is not away from the problem but in it. The inevitability of pain will not be met by deadening sensitivity but by increasing it, by exploring and feeling out the manner in which the natural organism itself wants to react and which its innate wisdom has provided.”
― Alan W. Watts
Let go. Exhale.
“Man when living is soft and tender; when dead he is hard and tough. All animals and plants are tender and fragile; when dead they become withered and dry. Therefore it is said: the hard and the tough are parts of death; the soft and tender are parts of life. This is the reason why the soldiers when they are too tough cannot carry the day; the tree when it is too tough will break. The position of the strong and great is low, and the position of the weak and tender is high.”
― Alan W. Watts
Welcome addition to any mystical quest.
February 29, 2020
Not his best book
Allan Watts was a good writer. Former theology student and Christian pastor, writing prolifically on so called eastern ‘wisdom’ - Taoism, Buddhism - and the deficiencies of western ‘thought’ and practice. This was in California in the 1950s before that whole bandwagon got rolling - something he may have contributed to. He was very open minded especially for the 1950s. LSD experiments, tantric sex, the need for more than dull placid conformity. And is generally interesting and informative to read. But This was not his best book - although apparently he thought it was. A large part of it is trite and fatuous. Naive even. Man and Nature. Science and religion. God. Spiritual and material. Spirituality and sexuality. Yeah. Hohum. A lot of what he says about sex in the final part just comes across as silly. The tantric stuff sounds cool. Of course it has also long since been picked up on and commercialised too - by any number of avid hucksters.
Allan Watts was a good writer. Former theology student and Christian pastor, writing prolifically on so called eastern ‘wisdom’ - Taoism, Buddhism - and the deficiencies of western ‘thought’ and practice. This was in California in the 1950s before that whole bandwagon got rolling - something he may have contributed to. He was very open minded especially for the 1950s. LSD experiments, tantric sex, the need for more than dull placid conformity. And is generally interesting and informative to read. But This was not his best book - although apparently he thought it was. A large part of it is trite and fatuous. Naive even. Man and Nature. Science and religion. God. Spiritual and material. Spirituality and sexuality. Yeah. Hohum. A lot of what he says about sex in the final part just comes across as silly. The tantric stuff sounds cool. Of course it has also long since been picked up on and commercialised too - by any number of avid hucksters.
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