You're It! On Hiding, Seeking, and Being Found

by Alan W. Watts

The Universe Is Playing Hide and Seek―and You’re It!

Imagine you’re climbing a mountain path that will lead you to a paradise where all your needs are met and your questions answered. What do you find when you reach the top? A mirror. This is the great cosmic game, reveals Alan Watts―that everything you’re seeking through meditation, self-improvement, or spiritual practice is always hiding inside of you. On You’re It! , join this legendary “stand-up philosopher” for 15 classic talks on how to play your role in the divine drama of existence with a clear mind, open eyes, and an abiding sense of the joy in the game itself.

See What Answers Are Hidden in Your Own Reflection

Just as you need a mirror to see your own face, the best way to see your own true nature is to let a teacher like Alan Watts reflect it back to you. Watts stands out as one of the 20th century’s most compelling voices because he is so adept at holding up this spiritual looking glass. With his unique combination of penetrating insight and playful irreverence, Watts illuminates the truth that unites all the great wisdom traditions from the East and West―that the universe is always expressing its full, delightful mystery through you.

A 12-hour Audio Retreat with the Original Spiritual Entertainer

These restored audio sessions selected by Alan Watts’ son and archivist Mark Watts reveal the master in his element, performing a one-man “spiritual jam session” before a live audience. Whether he’s unraveling Taoist thought, poking fun at our modern myths, or exploring the subtle beauty of Japanese poetry, Alan Watts always returns to one all-important lesson―how to get out of your own way and live in the perfection that is always present.

HIGHLIGHTS

The game of yes and no―how non-dual truths are revealed in the duality of Yin and Yang
• Mysticism and morality―exploring the relationship between revelation and ethics
• On Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, and their translation into Western thought
• The beauty of the unenlightened state―why you don’t have to be “awakened” to play the great game
• Mind over mind―the contradiction at the heart of all spiritual practice
• The veil of thoughts―how to stop being bamboozled by your own brain
• What is reality? Is the universe a ceramic pot, a clockwork engine, or something far more interesting?
• Seventeen hours of philosophy, humor, and stunning insight from legendary spiritual entertainer Alan Watts

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

10 pages, Audio CD

First published October 1, 2009

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

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

The contagious laugh of Alan Watts, at his own jokes to boon, is more than enough for five out of five stars. It can feel somewhat repetitive and a few times the sceptical side of me sensed inconsistency between the talks but it's so mind expanding and comforting to hear Watts simple and easy to understand explanations of the way things really are behind all the symbols we’ve come to worship. Watts has been an important figure for me, one of the wiggly pillars that keeps me (the universe) sane.

[Andrea McDowell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once upon a time, a friend posted a youtube video based on an Alan Watts lecture about life being a dance, not a race. It was lovely, sweet, profound, and short. Only when re-watching it recently, to see if I had indeed been in an altered state of consciousness while watching it the first time, did I notice that all of the characters were white and all but one were male--not that he can be blamed for the artistic vision of someone else, but. (I'll put the link on my facebook wall for anyone who hasn't got a clue what I'm talking about and would like to.)

I so loved this youtube video that I decided to listen to the Alan Watts "You're It!" audiobook, which is a collection of recorded lectures and speeches on a variety of topics, mostly related to eastern philosphies including hinduism and buddhism. I was hoping for 10 hours of the same magic.

What I got was progressively frustrated.

There are some very lovely and thought-provoking moments, but as the whole thing progresses you (or I) begin to see the enormous holes in the logic and internal consistency of his arguments. For instance: Since everything falls apart anyways, you shouldn't try to fix anything. Decay and disorder will eventually win out. Therefore, do-gooding is actually do-badding. For instance, see the past few hundred years of western colonialism and imperialism, which had good intentions (!!) and completely failed; therefore, don't try to fix the world. Let it fall apart.

By this argument, since my kitchen is just going to be a disaster by the next meal anyway, I should stop cleaning it forever. And while I am very much a fan of the extra sleeping time this would add to my life, I'm not so sure I would be a fan of the mold and rot, or the dirty dishes. The whole thing strikes me as the argument of someone who has absolutely no fucking clue how much work goes into the regular maintenance of life; how else could he be so completely ignorant of the vast gulf between "trying to make everything up and nothing down" (his definition of do-gooding and trying to fix things), and letting everything fall apart because it's going to anyway? Excuse me, Alan, but do you like pissing in clean bathrooms? Who do you think made them that way?

Or the whole thing about how since we are all, in eastern philosophy, the expression of the godhead, along with every other thing, therefore the godhead is dreaming and none of this is real. Umm, what? I can't even. Isn't that just the most radical and absurd anthropomorphism in history? Why the hell would the godhead dream at all? Why should its dreams be the same as ours? Or, since we can't describe the position of the Big Dipper in a way that is equally true from all perspectives, therefore the Big Dipper obviously has no true position; but this can be disproven by the most elementary and obvious step of suggesting that the Big Dipper's position, whatever it might be, is at the very least NOT the Little Dipper's position; and therefore it must have one; just because the three pounds of meat in our skulls can't fathom a good description of something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I can't even imagine the ego that would suggest that a truth that isn't personally comprehensible must not be real.

I find myself, as the audiobook goes on, responding to Alan's recorded entreaties of "So don't you see that there is no truth?" with a bellowed "Yes there is!"

I've now borrowed a bunch of buddhist books from the library to find out if he is actually accurately depicting the philosophy, or if he's criminally misrepresented it. So far, much to my relief, it appears he got everything backwards.

My advice: stick with the lovely youtube video. Avoid his lectures.

[Mirco Blaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for my soul.

[Isaac Vanier]

Overall I found this to be a thought provoking introduction to the topic of popular Eastern worldviews. This isn't something I've been exposed to, and there was enough here to capture my attention.

I found it got more interesting the further it went along. Watts hits a lot of high inflection at the beginning and for some reason that started to annoy me. Then it settled down.

The last two sections were by far the most interesting, and I intend to re listen.

Based on this alone I found it impossible to figure out what Watt's himself believed. He touches on a few worldviews that have some big differences but roughly the same core belief set. He doesn't go much in to which he prefers. But he seems careful not to cast negative light on those, while at the same time shredding up Western belief systems. Given the logic effort put toward the latter, I was at a loss to understand his perceived difference, other than to accept that, like most people, he simply was attracted to an idea, or it resonated well with him, not necessarily that it was more logical.

Regardless I think even for someone that identifies with Western religion of one sort or another, there is value in some core parts of Eastern worldviews.

One thing I really appreciated was at times he was very straightforward about his "agenda", or at least presented one that seemed sincere and not particularly flattering.

[Bianca A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Signifficantly "better" and more concise than the previous similar audiobook I finished recently (Out of Your Mind). Some of the lectures overlap with it, but fortunately they are the better ones of the bunch. Would definitely recommend this one over the previous.
His rather unique skill of explaining Eastern philosophies is nothing short of outstanding. Way more valuable to me than "psychotherapy" in a lot of regards. One of the best modern resources of understanding the Buddhism, Hinduism, Zen history and disciplines and... much more. 1000% recommend to whoever is considering it.

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

It looks like this is only available in audio form, but even if you're not used to audiobooks, I'd highly recommend checking this out. It's not really a traditional audiobook in that it's just a series of recordings of Watts himself lecturing on life, the universe, and everything from his Westerner-looking-to-the-East perspective. I've read and listened to a decent amount of Watts' stuff this year and enjoyed nearly all of it, but these lectures really are special. A lot of stuff I'd just toyed around with from his previous work came through crystal clear here and I had quite a few moments where I felt something or other click in my psyche that'd really been jamming me up for a while. Watts is everything a teacher should be: confident but self-effacing, sincere but not too serious, entertaining but never at the expense of substance. If you're looking for a good introduction to Alan Watts as a person or just Eastern thought and mysticism as a whole—or maybe you're like me and you're just looking to deepen your understanding of both—then I'd really highly recommend this.

[Feras · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant series of lectures featuring some of the greatest ideas and explanations from Alan Watts himself. Although certain science-based analogies from the 1950s may now be outdated, Watts's philosophical insights continue to be relevant. They address timeless questions about human existence, consciousness, and the nature of reality, making the lectures thoroughly enjoyable and insightful.

Quotes stuck with me:
"The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves."

"We do not 'come into' this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree."

[Brandon T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things can get a little repetitive in this collection of talks, but that's really to be expected because they are borrowing from talks where certain aspects need to be revisited and reinforced.

I love that Alan makes very clear that he considers himself an entertainer, not a guru. He's doing his thing, and if you like it that's great, if not- hey that's great as well.
I've heard some express that he has a troubling view of some of these subjects... but as Alan Watts would say, that's your opinion, you chose it! He has his own ideas and perceptions that he is happy to share.

I think especially if eastern philosophy is not something that you've been exposed to, and especially if you are a westerner, these ideas are worth. being exposed to.

[Jennifer Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Alan Watt’s insight!

[Taylor Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to Alan Watts was through his recordings called Out of Your Mind. You’re It! is also best listened to on audio as Watts is one of those thinkers who is a better speaker than writer.

Watts was one of the first translators of Zen, Hinduism and other Eastern traditions and modes of thought into a language that made sense to people raised in the West. I find Watts both enlightening and funny to listen to and his concept sof “the universe as play” and “life as drama” have impacted

[Vemana Madasu · Rating 4 out of 5]

These lecture series are a wonderful delight with Alan Watts being the charming standup philosopher he is. They build on ideas from the previous installment "Out of Your Mind" but also addresses some other dimensions of the same topics. Also I found this as a great book to fall asleep too. Not that it was putting me to sleep because it was boring but the voice of Alan Watts and rumination of those ideas provided a rich texture to frequently calm my overactive mind. Not the first thing you should read by Alan watts and neither the best thing, but for a fan like me it is nice.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more 'stand-up philosophers' in the world. Yay Alan Watts!

[Kai Mustakoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say: Excellent! Pure gold.

[Doug L · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point in college, I stumbled upon some of Alan Watts' talks that were posted to YouTube. As an atheist and staunch materialist, I'd had little exposure to any sort of mysticism up to that point, and I was skeptical of all things spiritual. I was quickly captivated by the lucidity and directness with which Watts spoke to his audience. There were times when I would later return to his talks and felt as though I was gaining deep insights about the nature of the universe and myself within it. He was, in many ways, my first real introduction to Zen Buddhism.

This audiobook is a collection of Watson's lectures from various points during his speaking career. The talks are very similar and often overlap in their theme and content. Indeed, I am pretty sure that the person who made this audiobook available for purchase merely compiled several of Watts’ talks haphazardly, and it is not even clear to me if they purchased the rights to do so, since this was released only as an Audiobook.

The audio book format is certainly the best way to experience Watts. He is an engaging speaker, even if he is a bit repetitive and occasionally goes on a tangent. While there are many big, important ideas about our place in the universe within these talks, the one that I find most profound is this: we are taught that we come into this world, when in reality we come out of it. Watts’ description of us as not being separate from our environment, not being separate from the “external world”, is one that I feel is still foreign to most western schools of thought. I also believe that if we as individuals could embrace this idea, then it would avert many of the ecological catastrophes that are now bearing down upon our species. It would allow us to behave more ethically not just towards other people, but to all living beings. The challenge with viewing the universe this way, of course, is that it requires us to shed our egos despite the persistent and overwhelming sensation that we are a locus of experience, which we have learned to refer to as “me”. Watts talks through and around this idea, using humor and analogies and wit, so that the listener feels as though he has gained a new perspective on what it means to exist.

At this point, having listened to clear ideas from an enlightened speaker, it remains quite easy as a listener to return to the routines and psychological burdens of modern life. And this is where Watts himself has been the subject of criticism. That is, Zen Buddhism is something that must be practiced, even if the insights that are inroads to this practice can be achieved instantaneously. The insights, especially the feeling of oneness, doesn't persist without meditation practice. So, once you have truly understood what Watts is saying, then it is time to turn off his voice and go listen to your own mind, because that is where the last thing understandings can be found.

[Corey Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d argue that Alan Watts, dead now more than 50 years, is only now reaching the zenith of his influence.

A certain section of YouTube and Instagram is awash with his lectures, often superimposed over surrealistic animations and set to trippy lo-fi music. On SoundCloud, you can find DJs who play at the Burning Man festival who have set his lectures to twinkly-dancey beats. (Google “Bubbles and Bass Sunset/ Burning Man 2017.”)

A few years ago, an 18-year-old student told me Alan Watts was “his favorite philosopher.”

This is not so surprising: few philosophers can turn a phrase like Watts could. And this makes him the perfect philosopher for the TikTok age—bite-size philosophy in 10 seconds. And I do not mean this as a gripey insult to Watts or his fans. I myself have been awakened from an algorithm-induced stupor by a 10-second cold plunge of Watts’ words set to music. It was like a rousing slap in the face!

Here are just a few themes or ideas from these lectures that I would like to remember or return to someday:

The myth of cosmos as created artifact (Western) vs myth of cosmos as organism (Eastern). Watts argues that the former myth has caused our alienation from the universe, made us feel separate from it. We feel as if our “I” resides in the space right behind our eyes, that this “I” is trapped in the meat sack puppet of our bodies, and that everything external to us is no-I. (We believe ourselves to be “centers of awareness locked up in bags of skin.”) We feel, as Housman wrote, “a stranger and afraid In a world I never made.” We ask, as children, “who made me?”—which implies that we are artifacts made by some creator external to ourselves. Instead, the Chinese child might ask, “How did I grow?” Because the Eastern view of cosmos as organism reminds us that we are part of the universe, not alien to it. Watts uses the metaphor of apples and apple trees to illustrate the idea that the universe creates humans in the same way an apple tree produces apples. Just as it is natural for an apple tree to “apple,” it is natural for the universe to “people.” This metaphor challenges the Western notion of the cosmos as a machine built by an external creator, suggesting instead that humans are a spontaneous expression of the universe itself. Watts suggests that this second, Eastern myth could go some way towards relieving our sense of alienation from the universe, helping us to feel more snug and secure in the cosmos.

The illusion of ego. Again, we Westerners feel our ego, our “I,” to be both very real and very small: located very specifically right behind our eyes, we feel “ourselves” to be a vague entity piloting our bodies and looking out the “windshields” of our eyeballs. But Eastern wisdom reminds us this is just an illusion. Any notion of who “I” am or what “I” am doing relies on, for its very intelligibility, notions of “not-I.” The notion that I am talking or walking relies on notions of who I am talking to, or the field of space in which I am moving, and moving in relation to what things. I cannot talk to nobody, and I cannot move in a vacuum. So Watts reminds us that our “I” actually exists in a field of being—similar to (IIUC) Heidegger’s field of being he called “Dasein.” There are no independent organisms but organism-environments.

The humor of God: "If you suggest the Lord is joking, most people in our culture are offended because they have a moronic conception of God as a person totally devoid of humor. But the Lord is highly capable of joking, because joking is one of the most constructive things you can do.”

Zen aesthetic criteria: the “controlled accident,” the perfect harmony between order and randomness, man and nature.

Being perfectly HUMAN: "But in this we mustn’t take ourselves too ridiculously. I mean, naturally all human beings have in them a certain clinging, so you can’t let go totally, you wouldn’t be human if you did. You can’t be just a leaf on the wind, or just a ball in a mountain stream, to use a Zen poetic phrase. Because if you were that you wouldn’t be human, just as I pointed out that a person with no emotions, who has completely controlled his emotions, is a ‘stone Buddha.’ So a person who would be completely ‘let go,’ would also be some kind of inanimate object. So Zen very definitely emphasizes being human, being perfectly human as its ideal. And so to be perfectly human one must have not a state of absolute detachment, but a state of detachment which contains a little bit of resistance, a certain clinging still. They say in India…of a man who is liberated in this world, that he has to cultivate a few mild bad habits in order to stay in the body, because if he was absolutely perfect, he would disappear from manifestation. And so the great Yogi, maybe he smokes a cigarette or has a bad temper occasionally, something that keeps him human, and that little thing is very important—it’s like the salt in the stew, it grounds him.”

The Hindu idea of “Lila,” God’s play. The godhead becomes so absorbed in “playing” at creation that it forgets itself—just as we, as humans, forget that our individual selves (Atman) are fundamentally one with the ultimate reality (Brahman). This playful forgetting is not a tragedy but a divine game, reminding us of our deep connection to the cosmos.

Yezer Hara, the “element of irreducible rascality”: "But these people didn’t go around pretending that they were specially good. They didn’t dupe themselves. They were people who understood what human nature is—that in every one of us there is an element of irreducible rascality. In Jewish theology this is called the yetzer hara. The element of irreducible rascality, which was created by God because God has one, too. And this goes back, you see, again into the heart of Chinese philosophy: that human nature is considered to be basically good. And even the rascally elements of it are good. They’re the sort of salt in the human stew. There has to be this little thing, the human passions, and that the natural contentiousness and greed (or whatever that we have) is an essential element in our makeup, and that when people lose sight of that, they go mad. Nothing, for example, is more dangerous than a saint. You’ve got to say: a self-conscious saint who thinks that he is right, and who endeavors to live an absolutely pure life and to eliminate all selfish thoughts. Somebody who undertakes that task is going to be a menace to all around, because he loses his humor, he loses his real humility—which is knowing that, after all, since we are humans, we have certain needs. We need to eat, we need sex, we need this, that, and the other. And this sort of has a quality of humor to it. And so this is why, in Zen art, the sages are always drawn to look a little bit like bums. You know that Bùdài—or Hotei, as he’s called—what’s called the laughing Buddha, the fat Buddha, with an immense belly, and carrying around an enormous bag of rubbish into which he indiscriminately puts anything he finds around and then gives it away to children. This is the sort of type which the Chinese call the old rogue. And the old rogue, as a type of this poet, sage, monk, and scholar, you see, is greatly admired. He is the nonviolent brigand, the rolling stone, the free man—or in our words, the joker. The joker, you see, is the card that can play any role in the pack.”

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

15 sessions, or talks. Although two are broken into to parts, so one could say it's 13 sessions.

session 1: Spiritual Authority (heard this talk before)
session 2: Mysticism & Morality (portion)
session 3: The Game of Yes and No
session 4: On Zen
session 5: The Art of Controlled Accident (part 1)
session 6: Uncarved Block, Unbleached Silk
session 7: An Introduction to Hinduism
session 8: Oriental Philosophy in the West (part 1)
session 9: The Art of Controlled Accident (part 2)
session 10: Oriental Philosophy in the West (part 2)
session 11: Introduction to Buddhism
session 12: The Veil of Thoughts
session 13: Mind Over Mind
session 14: What is Reality
session 15: Not What Should Ne, Not What Might Be, But What Is

I've heard many talks by Alan Watts for many years. For me many of these are repeats, but with his lectures they hold up to multiple listening. I find it relaxing and calming. Perhaps not for everyone, and he isn't a spiritual advisor, philosophy and some teachings of what is Hinduism, Zen, etc. as in the 60s this was new to the West. Of course some of his thoughts are flawed, as we all are, and he would be the first to admit it. Take it or leave it. I enjoy the humor.


Here's one of his sayings: "You cannot lift yourself up by your own bootstraps. It's impossible, you cannot do it. You cannot physically lift yourself from the floor."

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

74%

Alan Watts is in no way a poor speaker. It's somewhat unfortunate that I didn't come across his work in the early pursuit of my understanding of philosophy and spirituality of the world, as it's more of an introductionary tie-in. It's simple. It's to the point. And it might have complemented my learning then. At this point, it's more of a practice for me, but as always, I enjoy listening to Mr. Alan Watts. He was a wonderful speaker, gave out some radical ideas for the time, very life-changing, revolutionary, and did so much positive change, and that's wonderful. Talking about the very common core beliefs of philosophy, of who is oneself, being true to oneself, falsehood, Zen Buddhism, the art of not giving a fuck, really. It's a charming book. It's a huge compilation where you get to experience all of these lectures that he gave, and it really is nice, except that the audio quality is crap on some of these. But the work is charming, and it's excellent for beginners, and it's a great tool of practice for reminding oneself of a way to materialize our thoughts and philosophies.

[Erich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Watts’ You're It! is a posthumous collection of transcribed talks rather than a traditional book he wrote himself. It captures the core of his philosophical worldview in live, spontaneous form—so it’s energetic, sometimes contradictory, and always provocative.

The phrase “You’re It!” is Watts’ shorthand for the central insight of non-dualistic philosophy: the game of life is a cosmic game of hide-and-seek, in which the universe disguises itself as you, and the final realization is that there’s no separate “you” apart from the whole. In other words, you are not a detached observer of the universe—you are the universe, experiencing itself. This idea draws heavily from Vedanta, Zen, and Taoist thought.

To put it plainly: You are not just in the world; you are the world playing at being a person.

Watts’ message in You’re It! is less about offering answers and more about destabilizing your conventional assumptions—about self, control, God, time, and meaning. He pokes fun at the ego’s illusion of separation, ridicules the need for religious guilt or metaphysical anxiety, and invites you to live with awe, humor, and humility in the face of the mystery we call existence.

[Ben Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would love to understand this more, but he goes so deep and so broad into these subjects I just cannot make sense of his words. There is wisdom in there and taken in small doses it is mind blowing, but it can very quickly spiral out of control into ramblings.

I do not think he is rambling, I just think his points take so long to explain and they never seem to reach a conclusion. Each point branches out into two more and so on. I am sure he knows what his point is, his arguments sound very sincere, I just struggle to follow his thread all the way to the end.

I have the audiobook and I do have to say it is captivating to hear it read by the man himself. In spite of my criticism above he is such an engaging speaker that I have to say this is one of the few books I think is better to listen to than to read. Maybe it makes more sense if you read it but listening to him is magical, such a great speaker.

[Eldritch Automaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think what I enjoy abut Alan Watts the most is that he doesn't tell you what to think, rather he gives you things to ponder about, though I imagine that the man himself would have a few words about that. Regardless, this audiobook gave me something invaluable, and that is a new way to look at the world, and dare I say, I think it is a better, more logical way. His delivery coupled with his slow cadence make abstract concepts found in eastern philosophies much easier to digest for individuals who had not the pleasure of growing up in such environments. If anything, the highest praise I can give this book and its author is that I feel more like a complete person than I did before listening to it.

[Nick H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some truly great knowledge and ways of thinking in here, but I take issue with the presentation method. The talks collected are certainly all thematically related, but the collection also betrays the speaker’s reuse of certain examples and anecdotes. This wouldn’t be an issue when he’s going from place to place, but when you hear it all back to back for twelve hours, it becomes a major problem. There were also certain talks where I felt like he was just speaking in circles, not saying anything in particular. But overall I really appreciated this, and I love listening to the sound of Watts’ voice. [LIBRARY AUDIOBOOK]

[Anjalique · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Out of these two come everything. Yang means the positive, and yin the negative. Yang is identified with the south, or sunny, side of the mountain—yin with the north, or shady, side. And note at this moment that you cannot have a one-sided mountain.”

I have grown very fond of Alan Watts, the “stand-up philosopher” for the joy and seeming ease with which he explains philosophical spiritual ideas. This book is a compilation of lectures he gave decades ago, and they are still fresh and timely and interesting.

[Vojtech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Watts is a great speaker, his laughter his contagious, his thoughts often deep, with a tinge of ironic sense of humour. I really enjoyed listening to the recordings of his lectures and I believe that on my first listen I barely scratched the surface of understanding properly. I will definitely come back to this one over the years. If you are keen to learn more about eastern philosophies in a way that's accessible to a westerner then perhaps seek no further, because Mr. Watts can explain those better than most.

[Mert Topcu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I don't think Alan Watts' style is for everyone but it is definitely for me. This is the forth or fifth book / audiobook I've read/listened and I continue to be amazed by his style, voice and humor.

This audiobook is a collection of some of his talks. The collection all together is cohesive. However there are some minor repetitions. Which I like because the concepts he talks about are not easy for me to digest with just one pass.

Anyways, I love Alan Watts' works and this is a really great one to listen to.

[James Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've listened to this series of lectures almost continuously for the past month. The most brilliant philosopher I have listened to. If I had one wish, it would be to travel back in time and sit in on these lectures live. The most amazing quote "Doctors Try To Get rid Of their Patients, Clergymen try to get them hooked on the medicine so they will become addicts to the church" That sums up my personal philosophy on religion.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Watts is and always will be one of my favorite speakers on the topic of spiritually in this time period. He is charismatic and has a way breaking down confusing concepts like few others.

This lecture accompanied me on many walks and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in piecing together eastern and western philosophies.

[ChiFred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed the talks. Not really a book. He is like a preacher for Eastern philosophy and religion. He does not take himself to seriously but really takes Christianity to task throughout. Talks a great deal about the self and ego. Many pithy sayings and aphorisms. Enjoyable to hear his laugh and how the audience responds to him.

[Leo Nightingale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some occasionally insanely insightful moments, but quite a lot of rambling and some nonsense, but more or less the book is a great look into the mystic realm, that as Alan Watts says, is impossible to speak of, but he tries nevertheless. He was an incredible speaker. Need more men like Watts in the world. Spiritual, wise but not overly egotistical or attached to it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work by Alan Watts is awesome. I specifically enjoyed the spots where Watts shows the harmony between Buddhist, Taoist & Hindu philosophy and quantum physics. He also does a very good job of illustrating the paradox of self-improvement such as desiring to be one who abandons desire. If you are interested in Eastern Philosophy this is a great place to start.

[G. Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Alan Watts' explanations of philosophy, but I also love his playful humour. Restores my faith in the human race to hear him joking and teasing about huge philosophical ideas, and then explaining them in his calm voice. Highly recommended. Listen to the audio versions, because then you understand what a humorous man he was, how lightly he could play with ideas.