Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion

by Alan W. Watts, Mark Watts

"To really do nothing, with perfection, is as difficult as doing everything." --Alan Watts

Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion presents 12 powerful essays by Alan Watts, the guru for an entire generation of 20th century thinkers, who continue to be relevant and impactful today. Watts was an engaging speaker and an icon of America's Beat and Counterculture movements whose friends included Aldous Huxley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Cage and Joseph Campbell.

This book is a valuable reminder of the peace that can be had by looking inward. Watts explores all aspects of Buddhism--from its roots in ancient India to the explosion of interest in Zen and Tibetan Buddhism taught in the West today. The fascinating topics covered in this book include:

Finding a Middle Way: How a spiritual path to awakening is formed not just by avoiding extreme indulgence but also extreme denial
The Religion of No-Religion: How Buddhism eschews any particular dogma but instead acts as a guide to understanding oneself
Buddhism as Dialogue: How Zen teaches us that we are one with the world and so as we learn to navigate it, we must also learn about ourselves

Watts also outlines the differences between Buddhism and other religions, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. A new foreword by Mark Watts explains his father's life's work and teachings.

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Religion, Spirituality, Audiobook, Zen

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Alan 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.

Reviews

[Teddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I'll be a Buddhist now. Well, at least I will try to live by some of the precepts.

[MihaElla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will fondly remember this book firstly for its quality of a gift from a special work colleague and dear friend 😊
Secondly, the good thing is that I feel that the book had put me under the necessity of reconsidering some of my previous opinions, and I am obliged to admit within myself a lessening of the attitude, in general and in particular, which also means that I see those things in a new light. And I reflect, dazzled by the unforeseen chances of existence, that yesterday I was then, and today I am and see this. Guess it might sound a bit as nonsense 😅
Thirdly, lately I have been preoccupied by my own intimate sensations. Strange enough, though I could not concentrate my mind to begin, my mind could not be reconciled to waiting. This surely sounds as more nonsense 😅😅

[Ameliah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really refreshing educational read. Watts’ gives you the space to dive in as deep as you’d like, or to just grasp at an understanding of buddhism at a base level.

He’s also got a great personality and humor that translates easily off the page. Was a great first dive into this religion and its practices. Can’t wait to continue to learn and explore more!

[Soňa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how Alan explains the things... Do I get everything? No. Do I still listen? yes

SO 4 happy bushist kitties, and I'm in search for another book ;)

[Jorge García]

Alan Watts afirma que "El Zen afirma que la persona que alcanza la iluminación se parece a un mudo que ha tenido un sueño maravilloso que no puede contar a nadie".
Este libro es una buena puerta de entrada para quien busca entender los principios básicos del budismo.
Watts nos invita a un viaje desde las raíces del budismo en la India y los textos sagrados del Vedanta.
Expone los conceptos básicos de las cuatro nobles verdades y el camino medio. Ayuda a aclarar la mente para entender el budismo como un sistema filosófico ajeno a la estructura de una religión. Entabla un diálogo con una de las escuelas más importantes del budismo: el Zen. Explica el budismo Mahayana, una de las más alejadas de la mirada occidental. Y, finalmente, concluye con una reflexión sobre el simbolismo femenino y masculino del yoga tántrico y profundiza sobre algunos otros aspectos del budismo Mahayana como una práctica para trascender la dualidad.
La brevedad del libro no está exenta de algunos poemas zen para explicar el concepto de la iluminación, como el siguiente:

Se adentra en el bosque
y no mueve ni una brizna de hierba
Entre en el agua
y no levanta ni una ola

Un libro didáctico para entender los conceptos budistas que resulta ideal para quien busca empezar a introducirse en esta práctica.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watts does a fantastic job of explaining the history of Buddhism as well as many of the nuances that you won't find in other primers like this. At times the concepts throughout are a bit difficult to understand but I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that those raised in Western society (like myself) are exposed to very dualistic styles of thinking whereas Eastern thought tends to be fairly cyclical. I've read a lot of Eastern works over the years and this has helped with this to some degree. Nevertheless, Watts does his best to make his lectures palatable for almost anyone. This is a must-read if you have any interest in Buddhism.

[Ron Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief overview of some of the basics of Buddhist thought and Zen from the legendary philosopher. It's a good starter book for those new to the subject -- transcripts of talks that Watts gave, so they are in an easy, informal style. You won't get bogged down with needing to interpret koans and terms -- he explains things rather well. I have always wanted to read more of his works; maybe now I finally will.

[Marcos Navarro Diago · Rating 4 out of 5]

El Watts este desde luego es un tigre y es una buena introducción a todos los tipos budismos que hay. Se me hace cortito, eso sí, y como al final son fragmentos de charlas me resulta de una estructura sin una organización muy clara. En todo caso creo que explica muy bien el pensamiento budista, si bien me da la impresión de que a este tío lo que le molaba de verdad eran las corrientes chino-japonesas. También he de decir que las bases de la doctrina ( cuatro nobles verdades, camino óctuple...) las despacha muy rápido con lo divertidas que son...

Cada día más cerca de la Iluminación supongo! O más lejos...este libro indica ambas a la vez 💀🪷

[Hanna Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! It has been my first read on Buddhism and I found it to be a well articulated, enjoyable read! I would 100% recommend it for anyone interested in Buddhism!! 🪷✨

[Raul · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There are two fundamental notions of being, and they are represented by the dualities of male and female, light and dark, now and memory. Memory, remember, creates a future as well as the past. You would not know you were going to have anything happen tomorrow unless you remembered that something bad happened yesterday. You figure that because the sun rose yesterday, and the day before yesterday, it will rise again tomorrow. If you did not remember the past, you would not know that there will be a tomorrow. Because there is no tomorrow. Tomorrow is an illusion produced by memory, and so is yesterday. They simply do not exist. Where is tomorrow? Bring me tomorrow's newspaper."

“You do not need to control the rain if you can control your mind. If you get wet it is only your mind that makes you think it’s uncomfortable to be wet.”

"On the one hand, you let go of everything and live in the eternal now because that is all there is. Memory is an illusion; it is all gone. Everything that has made an impression on you is gone. That is the meaning of maya, or illusion. There is only the eternal now, the present moment, and there never will be anything else. All remembering occurs in the present; memory exists in the eternal now."

“There is no such thing as a single, solitary event. The only possible single event is all events whatsoever. That could be regarded as the only possible atom; the only possible single thing is everything.”
"Life has to surprise itself, because if it didn't you wouldn't know of your own existence. You only know existence to the degree that there is a balance between knowing and not knowing."

"It is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle. You find yourself falling over one way and you turn in that direction and stay up. In the same way, when you find yourself becoming too attached to life, you correct that excessive attachment with the realization that nothing exists but the eternal now. And then, when you feel you are safe again, because the eternal now is the only thing that exists you go off and get involved with some kind of social, political, amorous, familial, scholarly, or artistic enterprise. The two always go together."

"The nature of being is constructed in this extraordinarily fascinating way. It constantly renews itself by eternally forgetting itself. This is a perfectly marvelous arrangement. It is a funny thing how we all alternate in this way between remembering and not remembering. We remember things long enough to know that we are here. We would not know it if we didn't remember. But when memory weighs on us too much and we are too much here, we seek liberation in the realization that all memory is an illusion, there is no future and equally no past, there is nothing except the present moment. But when you are liberated, you like to come back and play the memory game again. Liberation is a cleaning process. You wipe offthe blackboard and start writing again, then you wipe it off, and then you start again. This is the process whereby life keeps going."

"You do not need to cling to yourself and oppose the other. Everything you call the other is you too. You will realize this if you take any aspect of duality to an extreme. You can, for instance, pursue the idea of total courage, of letting go of everything, of being a true Zen monk, abandoning all property, living in a barn, sitting up in the middle of the night, in the cold, eating rice and pickles, and so on. You can seek liberation in that manner by going to that extreme. But if you do, you will eventually arrive at the same place as the person who pursued liberation by going to the other extreme, of making no effort whatsoever. Liberation comes of itself."

[camibichos · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

este no fue particularmente revelador en ningún aspecto nuevo, pero sí fue una profundización de cosas que ya venía comenzando a entender.
Algo que sí no entendía antes y ahora sí (por lo menos un poco) es la cuestión del camino medio. No entendía del todo que significaba, y este libro da unas ideas copadas de eso. Por ejemplo la idea de que escapar la rueda del samsara es justamente no seguir en el ciclo pero tampoco salir de el en sí, si no permanecer en su centro. Estás dentro y no estás a la vez. Claramente está super relacionado con lo no dual.

La budeidad no se encuentra en ningún punto de la rueda si no en su centro.

La persona que trata de zafarse del dolor, la persona que trata de deshacerse de el, es, fundamentalmente, una persona que teme al dolor. En consecuencia, el camino ascético no es la solución y tampoco lo es su opuesto, el hedonismo. Así fue como el Buda descubrió la doctrina denominada el “camino medio”.

También pude entender un poquito mejor la cuestión de soltar, que ya se desarrollaba en Estás aquí de Thich Nhat Hanh.

Mucha gente afirma que la religión le da la seguridad necesaria para soportar la vida, pero el budista, por su parte, afirma que tenemos que acabar con ese tipo de vínculos. Mientras sigamos teniendo la necesidad de aferrarnos a algo, nos hallaremos muy lejos de la verdadera religión. Sólo podemos ser religiosos cuando nuestra cordura y felicidad no dependen de ninguna idea o creencia y podemos desapegarnos de todo. […] Como no hay nada a lo que podamos aferrarnos y tampoco existe “alguien” que pueda aferrarse a nada, la única posibilidad real de la que disponemos es la de soltar […] en cuyo caso uno llega a descubrir algo mucho mejor que la creencia, porque entonces habrá alcanzado lo real, aunque no pueda explicar de qué se trata.

En otras palabras, la construcción de un edificio obliga a erigir un andamio que acabará retirándose al terminar la obra. Bien podríamos decir en este sentido, aue la religion es una especie de andamio. Es posible que para cruzar un río sea necesaria una barca, pero una vez en la orilla no tenemos porque seguir cargando con la barca. El andamio o la barca representan el método o la tecnología religiosa de la que finalmente debemos desprendernos.

La actividad específicamente religiosa se asemeja a “ponerle patas a una serpiente“ porque, al fin de cuentas, cuando cae individuo sea autónomo y capaz de relacionarse con su hermano, la religión, igual que el Estado, resultarán innecesarios.

Y también me gustó esto de los maestros zen como una especie de "maestros de la nada". Onda, que la enseñanza que transmiten es no creer en nada y estar perfectamente bien y tranqui con eso (relacionadísimo con la vacuidad, sunya):

El único objetivo del diálogo zen entre el maestro y su discípulo, consiste en reducir el absurdo el juego de ser una entidad separada. El hecho de que uno no puede hacer ni dejar de hacer nada para resolver una determinada situación. Supone inexistencia del ego en tanto que entidad separada esta es precisamente la ficción que queda en evidencia cuando se patentiza que uno no puede ni hacer ni dejar de hacer nada, entonces es cuando se revela la ilusión de la creencia de un ego, separado, en tanto el sujeto o objeto del mundo.

Tal vez entonces el discípulo increpe a su maestro diciéndole: “para usted resulta muy fácil serrar la rama que me sostiene, ¿pero qué es lo que me propone en su lugar?”, a lo cual el maestro, que parece una persona normal y feliz sin ningún tipo de concepto al que agarrarse, responde: “no propongo nada”.

Sunya no significa que el mundo y la energía del mundo sean nada, sino que ningún concepto sobre el mundo es válido. Ninguna idea, creencia, doctrina, sistema, o teoría pueden contener al universo.

Ahora simplemente voy a dejar algunas ideas que subrayé mientras leía:

Relacionado a la meditación, me gustó mucho esta idea:

El hecho de meditar no tiene nada que ver con reflexionar hasta hallar una respuesta intelectual, si no contemplar más de cerca el sujeto que hace la pregunta.

Relacionado a la no dualidad, al interser, al holismo:

Es imposible separar El poeta de la luna sin destruir el universo, al igual que es imposible separar la cabeza de los pies sin destruir el cuerpo.

Desde el punto de vista oriental, la sensación de ser un ego separado encerrado en el interior de un saco de piel e independiente del resto del mundo no es más que una alucinación. Nuestro ser más íntimo es la energía misma del universo jugando al juego de ser cada uno de nosotros.
[…]Seguir atado a la rueda de la vida es creer que positivo y negativo son opuestos, y que uno puede existir separado del otro. Pero ésa no es más que una ilusión ya que sólo es posible saber “lo que es” cuando lo contrastamos con “lo que no es”. La cara de una moneda implica la existencia de la ceca.
[…]Detrás de todos los colores del espectro luminoso se encuentra la luz blanca. En un sentido figurado, detrás de todo lo que experimentamos, detrás de todas las diversas sensaciones de sonido, color, forma y tacto, existe una especie de luz blanca que subyace a todas las sensaciones. Cuando uno explora sus sensaciones y trata de reducirlas al sentir básico, está en camino de alcanzar la realidad y de actualizar aquello que subyace a todas las cosas, el fundamento del ser, la energía básica. En la medida en que uno toma consciencia de esa energía básica y cae en la cuenta de que es idéntico a ella, trasciende y supera la ilusión de que es fulanito.

Ésa es la situación por la que debería pasar todo aquel que sienta que la vida es un problema. El hecho de considerar la vida como un problema resolver, ya sea a través del psicoanálisis de la integración o de la salvación o de la budeidad, nos lleva a definirnos en un cierto modo.
No existe la vida por un lado y nosotros por el otro, porque nosotros y la vida somos lo mismo. No obstante, eso es algo que no puede comprenderse de inmediato.

el maestro zen, insiste en replicar “yo no tengo ninguna respuesta que ofrecerle” una respuesta a la que nadie da crédito, porque parece tan seguro de sí cuando nos mira que no podemos creer que no tenga respuestas. Sin embargo, en el fondo la verdadera enseñanza del zen es que no hay nada que decir, ni nada que enseñar.

No existe separación alguna entre le conocedor y lo conocido, entre el sujeto y el objeto.
Habitualmente creemos ser testigos de un conjunto de experiencias en continuo movimiento del que nosotros nos mantenemos separados y ajenos. Cuando digo “veo una imagen o experimento una sensación” estoy cayendo en la reduncancia porque el hecho de ver implica también la vista. La experiencia es lo mismo que el experimentador.

En ningún lugar del universo, existe un evento aislado e independiente; el único acontecimiento independiente es la totalidad de ellos, ese es el único átomo verdadero, la única cosa aislada posible. Sólo podemos conocer lo que somos en relación a lo que no somos; sólo podemos conocernos a nosotros mismos en el trasfondo que nos proporciona la relación con los demás. Nosotras dependemos de los demás como la cara de una moneda depende de la seca.

Esto sobre la fé está muy bueno:

Existen caminos de salvación liberación que recurren al poder propio, jiriki, es decir los propios actos, y caminos que recurren al poder externo, tariki, es decir lo que los cristianos denominarían gracia.
En el mundo del arte es posible experimentar la fatiga artística. En este dominio, la excelencia depende de la intervención de algo ajeno a nuestra voluntad, lo que puede llamarse gracia o inspiración. Eso, precisamente, es tariki. Todo el mundo quiere saber cómo puede alcanzarse ese estado pero, si supiéramos cómo hacerlo, caeríamos ya en el dominio del ego. La gracia trasciende los límites de nuestra voluntad precisamente porque no sabemos cómo provocarla. La fe implica la seguridad de que la gracia acabará manifestándose, sólo que no sabemos cuándo y, por ello, debemos esperar. Pero no debemos esperar ansiosamente, porque cualquier esfuerzo de la voluntad sería un esfuerzo de ego que, en consecuencia, obstaculizaría la manifestación de la gracia.

Creo que desde una visión holista, tiene más sentido seguir un camino del tariki, que en realidad no dejaría de ser jiriki si consideramos al universo como una unidad.



En fin,

Tal vez pudiéramos decir que la verdadera visión de esas estrellas sería la que aparecería ante nosotros en caso de que pudiéramos observarlas desde todos los puntos de vista a la vez. Ésa sería la verdad.

Estos últimos días me dí cuenta de que le perdí mucho miedo a la muerte ~~~

[Gianmichael Salvato · Rating 5 out of 5]

No other book by Alan Watts seemed to capture the essence of the "Japan Seminars" the way this book has. Perhaps it's because I personally came away from viewing the Japan Seminars with a clearer sense of validation of my belief that Buddhism was never intended to be a religion, and this book treats that topic with scholarship and clarity.

Recognising that the Buddhist cosmology need not be interpreted literally -- something too few Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan and Pureland sects seem to understand, in my opinion -- Watts explains that these are simply metaphoric representations of the different modalities of the human mind and consciousness.

Watts traces the progress and development of Buddhism from its roots in ancient India, to the explosive Western interest in Zen, during the 1960s, and the introduction and popularity of some of the brilliant Crazy Wisdom teachers from the Tibetan schools in the late 60's.

Twice, I've purchased this book, and twice it's been "permanently borrowed" (without my permission), most recently with the hardcover edition mysteriously disappearing after a dinner party at our ashram.

If that's not an endorsement of the lucid, often whimsical way in which Watts approaches the "Religion of No Religion", I don't know what is! :-)

[Matt Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the four or five works by Alan Watts that I've read, this one is my favorite. This book is quite functional, in that I have recommended it to a few people who are interested in learning some of the basics of Buddhism, but want it communicated in layman's terms. However, this does not mean it is dumbed down. Watts shoots right to the heart of Mahayana philosophy, teasing out the core tenets, and using simple yet effective analogies to communicate the often murky principles of Buddhist thought. I find some (not all) of his other works to be a little too general and universal in the spiritual sense (after all, he taught and lectured primarily in the 1970's), but this work has a definitively academic approach. As this book is a transcription of a series of vocal lectures he gave decades ago, his articulate style and scholarly cadence really shines through.

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dived into the book with an equal amount of enthusiasm and low expectations due to knowing that Alan Watts is not the greatest epistemologist out there.

Buuuuut... Atheists are the most religious people out there. Atheists are the biggest theists. Nobody acknowledges god more than them, but they dislike the idea of a celectial teacher always looking over your shoulder and that's why they deny god.

The book has some of these pearls. Watts relies on empty rhetoric devices and nonsensical sentences way too often. There's some stuff about buddhism in here, but since I can't trust Watts with something as simple as atheism, I don't think I can trust him with more complex concepts, like buddhism.

Don't read. Find a more reliable source.

[Katie D'Angelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was interesting to read but I dont' feel much more knowledgable about buddhism that I was before. I couldn't tell who this book was aimed at as it is too disjointed and not basic enough for someone like me who knows nothing about buddhism but it seems to be far too vague for those who are practicing buddhists so I suppose you have to be somewhere in between and have a mild curiousity about the different types of buddhism. It wasn't a bad read and had some great examples of buddhist philosophy ( i think ) but it just seemed like a disjointed lecture from someone who has studied the 'religion'. It was ok.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Readability 5. Rating 5. Another in the series of edited transcripts of Watts’s speaches. Interesting, challenging, and mostly frustrating. At first, I was disappointed that the book was not a revelation, and was concerned that Buddhism was just another fruitless attempt to manage the challenges of life by encapsulating it in philosophy/religion. That may still be the case, but by the end of the book, I felt that it’s probably unfair to judge a millennia-old body of thought on the basis of one 98-page book. Perhaps to fully appreciate Buddhism I will have to delve a little deeper. Unfortunately, the skeptic in me thinks that that path only leads to more entrenched disillusionment.

[William Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a collection of lectures that offer a unique perspective on Buddhism from a Western point of view. The book provides a range of readings, from introductory to more complex, making it a great starting point for anyone interested in Buddhism.
What I love about this book is how accessible it is. Watts has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand, which makes this book perfect for beginners. But the book is not only for beginners, as there are also more advanced readings that offer deeper insights into the Buddhist philosophy.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe not the best book to read as an introduction to Buddhism but still interesting. I think at least a bit of fore knowledge would make the discussion in the book a little more understandable and meaningful.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't imagine a better introduction for a westerner to Buddhism than Alan Watts. Brilliant stuff.

[#DÏ4B7Ø Chinnamasta-Bhairav · Rating 5 out of 5]

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************

* -:}|{}|{:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AntIF... :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{:- Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion by Alan Watts (Mahayana Zen Buddhist teachings) AUDIOBOOK :}|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
"Although Alan Watts' famous voice and happy laughter are missing now, his penetrating vision of Buddhism remains, and his lectures become brilliant prose in book form." --Publishers Weekly

Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion presents six powerful essays by Alan Watts, the guru for an entire generation of 20th century thinkers, writers and poets. Watts was an engaging speaker and an icon of America's Beat and Counterculture movements. His friends included Aldous Huxley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Cage and Joseph Campbell.

In this book, Watts explores all aspects of Buddhism--from its roots in ancient India to the explosion of interest in Zen and Tibetan Buddhist thought in the West.

The fascinating topics covered in this book include:

Finding a Middle Way: How a spiritual path to awakening is formed not just by avoiding extreme indulgence but extreme denial as well The Religion of No-Religion: How Buddhism eschews any particular dogma and instead acts as a guide to understanding oneself Buddhism as Dialogue: How Zen teaches us that we are one with the world and so as we learn to navigate the world, we must also learn about ourselves
Watts traces the early beginnings of Buddhism, outlines the differences between Buddhism and other religions, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion is a valuable reminder of the peace to be found by looking inward
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * 14.5 /10 * GREAT QUALITY -:}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *

* -:}|{}|{: = EMERCIVE - INTERCONNECTED GOO EXPEREINCE ENJOYED - EFFORTLESS 2 LISTEN 2 - ALMOST HYPNOTIC - WHITE TANTRA IS MENTIONED AT THE END <3 = }|{}|{:- *

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~

Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”

Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind

A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through

~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~

~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~

[Max Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Buddhism: The Religion of No Religion" by Alan Watts is a transcription of several lectures that Watts delivered in Japan in the early 60s.

I don't believe I've ever read an entire book by Alan Watts, although I am very interested in Buddhism and Zen philosophy. However, this book confirmed my long-held impression of him as a deep thinker who possesses a lot of specific knowledge and intelligence, but who is also somewhat peculiar.

As a teacher of Buddhism, I personally prefer someone like Thich Nhat Hanh. Through his words and chosen topics, you can sense that he has truly internalised the teachings. In contrast, Watts seems to intellectually understand the teachings but also struggles with personal demons. This makes his work fascinating, yet it also suggests that we should take what he says with a pinch of salt.

Nonetheless, there are some intriguing insights to be found in Watts' lectures.

Here are a few ideas from the book that I found interesting or somewhat new to me.

Knowing and Not Knowing

One prominent theme was trying to pin down the essence of Zen and its underlying philosophy. Much of this discussion focused on its paradoxical nature. In essence, the goal is not knowing or not doing, but simultaneously, not knowing and not doing are forms of knowing and doing. While this concept might seem complex, and it did to me while listening to the lectures, it ultimately twists our understanding in a challenging but stimulating way.

I think what he tries to explain is that this twisting of our minds is central to understanding this philosophy.

Attachment and Non-Attachment

Another idea that was quite new to me is that some people say you should let go of attachments, which I had learned was central to Buddhism. However, he introduces the notion that sometimes it's good to seek attachments.

He cites a letter he received from R. H. Blyth, in which Blyth asks, "What are you doing these days? As for me, I'm abandoning all kinds of satori and enlightenment, and I'm trying to become as deeply attached to as many people and things as possible".

He explores this further, suggesting that it is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle: you don't want to fall to either side. On the one hand, you want to avoid excessive attachments, but on the other, you want to avoid excessive non-attachment. This was a new idea for me. While I found it different and thought-provoking, I still believe it's probably better to try to have as little attachment as possible.

Buddhism: Religion of Non-Religion

Further, regarding Zen, he highlights that to understand Buddhism, one must recognise it is not as dogmatic as Western religions. A quote from him states, "Buddhism is unlike Western religions in that it does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. The teachings of Buddhism are nothing more than the opening phrases or exchanges in that dialogue."

Interbeing

He also discussed interconnectedness and how it helps us find our purpose in life. He suggests that no matter how obscure or unimportant you may feel, you are still an integral part of the universe because everything in the universe is connected; you cannot even remove the smallest part.

A quote from him describes a "John Doe who is nobody in particular, someone not even remembered by anybody. Nevertheless, everything depends on him for its existence, despite his obscurity. It depends equally on every fruit fly, every gnat, every vibration of a gnat's wing, every last electron, and every manifestation, no matter how brief those manifestations may be."

Overall, I think it is an interesting lecture series. However, if you are interested in learning more about Buddhism, Zen, or other Eastern philosophies, there are better books to start with, chiefly I would recommend You are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh. Being part of a lecture series, it is a bit all over the place with different topics, making it somewhat difficult to follow. Nonetheless, there are still some intriguing ideas.

[Jerry Wall]

Buddhism from the perspective of a Cambridge professor who studied in China and Japan
and other eastern views of followers of Buddhism. Goes through the four noble truths, etc.
relating them more clearly than most and with many insights from his studies in the eastern countries.
. . . Buddhism . . . is not frantically concerned with being good: it is concerned with being wise. p. 3
Buddha means the one who is awakened (like Christ is not the last name of Jesus). . . . Buddhas is the man who woke up, who discovered who he really was. p. 6
Buddhism does not believe in any immortal should or seek any solace in any idea of life after death. * * * There is nothing you can hold on to, so, let go. p * * * Nirvana means to blow out. p. 7
The Buddhism teacher is getting rid of your crazy ideas for you, which you use to cling to life and make it dead. P. 8
Buddha himself wrote nothing. p. 11
Noble Truths 1. The problem is suffering,
2. suffering is caused by desire, (craving, clinging, grasping).
There is nothing either good or evil, thinking makes it so. If you can control your mind you have nothing else you need to control. p. 15
4 Noble Truths Three Signs of Being, Eightfold path, The Five Vows, and the three Refuges.p 22
Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering. p. 22
Three Sisgns of Being 1. Frustration. 2. Impermanence 3. Nonself ( no ego) * * *
Four Noble Truths 2. Desire, cloning, grasping (when you hold onto yourself so tightly that you
strange yourself that is truth 2, Trishna * * * Trishna from ignorance p. 24
3d Truth is Nirvana (exhale, blowing out self) p. 24
Let go, don't cling, and you will be in a state of nirvana. p. 25
Religion is when you carry the raft on your back after you have crossed the river and it is no longer needed, p. 26
Truth 4 . Path (Narga). 8 methods of practice on this path starting with three components -- right view, right consideration, and right speech. p. 27 * * *
. . . in Buddhism it is taught that everything (in the universe )depends on everything else. p. 27
Next, three more paths -- right action, right livelihood, and right effort. Leading to three refuges and five views. Three refuges are .1, the Buddha, 2 Dharma or doctrine, and 3. sangha, of the fellowship of all those who are on the way. * * *
The five vows to undertake to abstain from taking life. From taking what is not given, from exploiting the passions, from falsifying speech, and from being intoxicated. p. 28
Yesterday does not exist. Tomorrow never comes. There is only today. * * *
Eightfold path last point . . . integrated consciousness -- you are what you know. p. 30
when you exhale in nirvana there will well up in you what the Buddhists call karma, or compassion. p. 31
The flash of lightning is a Buddhist cliche for the transiency of the world. p. 34 !!!!!!
. . . real religion gives no sign of being religious. 36
The manifestation of the universe that we call things all imply each other. We know what we are only in relation to what we are not. * * *
The wind in the pine trees is not sighing; you are projecting sighing onto the trees. p. 45
Buddhism . . . does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. p. 55 !!!!!
So what will you do with a person who believes that the world is flat? There is no way of reasoning with him. p. 58
camera -- I had a little box with which I went around grabbing life. p. 85
if we have a reminder talisman we refer to for "comfort" That is a clinging to memory which holds you to the past and to death. * * * " that person is not really living. They are stuck in the past. * * *
There is only the eternal now. p. 86

[Gregory Eakins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not understand most of the descriptions of Buddhism Watts tried to provide here. His thoughts were disorganized, as if he was speaking off the cuff and trying to squeeze in a vague concept here and there. He leans heavily on examples that are little more than nonsensical analogies. Here's a random excerpt:

Ji ji muge is when you offer somebody the grain of sand without thinking about eternity. There is no difference between the grain of sand and eternity. You do not have to think about eternity as something implied by the grain of sand. The grain of sand is eternity. In exactly the same way,
our sitting here at this moment is not something different from nirvana. We are in nirvana sitting here exactly as we are. You do not have to make any philosophical comment on the grain of sand or on our sitting here.

This entire lecture feels much like high-school English class where entire classrooms try to pick apart classic literature looking for symbolism, allegory, kennings, and other treasure the author never buried. All in the name of making something more academic than it needs to be.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read Alan Watts's books on Eastern religions all the time, so I am pleasantly surprised after a long absence still finding him such an excellent teacher. There are any number of books about Buddhism that will tell you the three this and the seventeen that and the thirty-two whatevers, but very few indeed that will give you a peak behind the curtain. Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion gave me a better sense of Buddhism by indicating what is important. I particularly enjoyed his chapter entitled "Buddhism As Dialogue" about Zen. I thought he nailed it better than anyone else I've ever read.

[Christine Kenney]

I found some of these lectures on Youtube, loved them and checked this out of the library, but I think Watts is more charismatic and fun to listen to than to read. That said, this was the perfect length to get through in solitude at a remote campsite from sweltering 2PM-7PM twilight while trying to ignore the fact I was on a desert ridge that was hot AF and I was leaving sweat angels on my sleeping bag and worrying the 9 pounds of water I had backpacked in for the day might not be enough... But if I had anything else competing for my attention, this would have been a DNF.

Maybe it should have DNF'ed with so much of the message being about staying in the present and not being so attached to problems that you feel the need to seek out spiritual gurus to help you solve those problems.

[Kkraemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This compilation of 6 of Watts' presentations lays out the origins of Buddhism, the structures, and some of the forms that have evolved. Mostly, though, it is an opportunity to reflect as a clear, calm, often funny voice talks about who we are and what we can do about it

He explores -- and glories in -- the balances of thinking about such huge topics, noting that neither the past nor the future actually exist because they are hallucinations, but the present, which does exist is often the reflection of the past and/or the plan for the future, and suddenly it, too, enters the realm of hallucinations.

and yet it's all magical. Life, the people and world in our lives, the patterns and sequences that we live again and again. Always fascinating. Always challenging. Always inside all of us.

He is a good speaker/writer who leaves the reader to ponder -- or not -- as they will.

[Carlo Carbonetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

È molto difficile non desiderare o controllare la propria mente.
Quando cerchiamo di eliminare il desiderio per evitare la sofferenza, vogliamo evitarla: desideriamo di non desiderare. Chi fugge dalla realtà ne avrà sempre paura.
Quando si cerca di controllare la propria mente, si è ancora motivati dalla possessività (pag. 26).

Nell’ottica dei metodi e delle discipline orientali, la nostra sensazione quotidiana riguardo a chi siamo e come esistiamo è un’allucinazione. Il sentirsi un ego separato, una fonte di azione e consapevolezza del tutto staccata e indipendente dal resto del mondo, racchiusa in una sacca di pelle, nella visione orientale è un’allucinazione. Non siamo alieni arrivati sulla Terra per caso, e nemmeno spiriti di un altro mondo al di fuori della natura. Nella nostra esistenza siamo fondamentalmente l’energia totale di questo universo che gioca a essere noi. Il gioco dell’universo è nascondino (pag. 29).

[Huỳnh Hoa Thăng]

Một khái quát về đạo Phật và các giáo lý cốt lõi của nó = tổng hợp những bài thảo luận của Alan Watts khi ông sang Nhật Bản và ở Mỹ. Chỗ hiểu chỗ không, dù là giới thiệu nhưng không có nghĩa là nắm được hoàn toàn. Nó có phải một cuốn sách giới thiệu “tốt” về Phật giáo hông ? Có thể lắm ! Tui biết được nhiều hơn về Phật giáo qua cuốn sách này, đáng đọc, bởi lẽ ta tìm đến một quyển sách để nó làm ta bất ngờ với những điều mới mẻ chứ đâu phải một danh sách toàn những điều ta đã biết đâu. Tuy nhiên,khi vẫn đang chân ướt chân ráo ở dưới đất thì hông biết được nó thật sự ra sao cả, tui sẽ đọc lại lần 2 khi đã thấy mình đủ vững vàng, khi đó sẽ có đánh giá vậy.

[Ashley Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"That is the meaning of the unity of samsara and nirvana. One the one hand, you let go of everything and live in the eternal now because that is all there is. Memory is an illusion; it is all gone. Everything that has made an impression on you is gone. That is the meaning of maya, or illusion. There is only the eternal now, the present moment, and there never will be anything else. All remembering occurs in the present; memory exists in the eternal now.

On the other hand, what fun to drag life out and make it echo and get involved with it, and to fall in love and become attached."

I like that.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

M’y main criticism is the need in this book to put down Christianity or to discuss it at all. I understand the concept of comparison. However it seems like a bit of bible bashing went on here when I expected more to just be about Buddhism and it’s teachings or thoughts. That said some of what is said in here I went hmm. Sounds vaguely familiar to other teachings but just put in a different way.

That said I also was pretty compelled by a lot of the concepts in here. And that is what gets it a two star not a one star. Where it teaches of Buddhist concepts without the need to criticise other group thoughts I found this fascinating.