Ever since I lived in the Hollywood hills in the late 1970s, televisionless, with only my FM receiver to distract me, I’ve enjoyed listening to Alan Watts’ lectures. KPFK’s “Roy of Hollywood” used to broadcast them after midnight one night a week. There’s something about Watt’s soothing British accent that invites the listener into his uniquely hybrid, East/West view of the world. Although Watts was an intellectual (in the best sense of the term), an expert in both Western and Asian religions (as his friend Joseph Campbell was an expert in world mythologies), he often characterized himself as a “spiritual entertainer”. This was to discourage anyone who would view him as a “guru”, although undoubtedly many have. Although his outlook was influenced mostly by Zen Buddhism and Taoism (he spent many years as a child in China), his later philosophy truly became his own. Anyway, although I don’t always agree with his metaphysics, and often wish that he would address ethical questions in more detail, I find his basic attitude towards life and death to be as healthy as any I’ve ever heard.
You can subscribe to his podcasts here (link requires iTunes).
Here’s an example from my own podcast library: “Journey From India #1″-
I love me some Watts…I have a ton of his stuff in mp3 format. For my money he was the only western interpreter of eastern philosophy that actually ‘got it right’. Even if you dont agree with Allan about religion you gotta respect his work, if nothing else a few hours of his lectures will probably change your point of view about a lot of philosophies that you are not an expert in, and might even change your mind about a few that you think you are an expert in ;-) Good stuff.
Glad you like it, Dave. I think there are many Fans Of Watts out there… maybe “way out there”, as he might say with a wink…
Thank you very much for posting Alan Watts tape. I’ve been a fan from “Be Here Now” read 40 years ago. But never heard the guy. Thank you thank you thank you.