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bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
5.0
Reading Alan Watts is an experience in osmosis for me. The themes and approach in each of his books are similar, straightforward, in a way, but a bit tricky; each time I encounter one of his books—or lectures—I breathe in a new way of liberation, a little bit deeper. I walk away more aware, less rigid, more open.
Zen manifests in surprising ways. Insights can take years to uncover, if we're struggling too much with them, or they can be ever-present, mere moments away—once we stop seeking them.
Watts is a spiritual entertainer to the core, not a guru. You won't find dogma within these pages. He's merely offering us some things to consider—always sincere but never serious. His ability to use metaphor to convey dynamic truth always impresses. Zen cannot be captured in written word, or spoken word for that matter, but Out of Your Mind offers another way by which we can reorient our way of being, to train our minds; what matters is not the words themselves but the fact that they enable us to accept the world & ourselves (for we are the universe experiencing itself), and more easily flow with it.
He's a delight. Warm. Erudite. Full of life.
Zen manifests in surprising ways. Insights can take years to uncover, if we're struggling too much with them, or they can be ever-present, mere moments away—once we stop seeking them.
Watts is a spiritual entertainer to the core, not a guru. You won't find dogma within these pages. He's merely offering us some things to consider—always sincere but never serious. His ability to use metaphor to convey dynamic truth always impresses. Zen cannot be captured in written word, or spoken word for that matter, but Out of Your Mind offers another way by which we can reorient our way of being, to train our minds; what matters is not the words themselves but the fact that they enable us to accept the world & ourselves (for we are the universe experiencing itself), and more easily flow with it.
He's a delight. Warm. Erudite. Full of life.
rsr143's review against another edition
5.0
I don't pass along 5-star reviews lightly. This is the second Watts book (the other being "The Book") to garner a full rating. Watts is commonly referred to as a "spiritual entertainer" is steeped in Western and Eastern religious traditions. He was an Anglican Minister for a time, but also was one of the foremost Western experts on Zen. His knowledge of Vedanta (the basis of Hindu religion and culture) is also vast.
The premise of the book is that there is a bigger game being played around us. This game is hidden, through illusion "maya", a set of tricks being played by our own minds and the universe. The purpose of the game isn't to stop playing, but to know that it is a game, so that we can approach with a sense of play and fun, not seriousness and struggle. Given the number of people who seem to struggle their way through life, this book is an important one.
What if you were the universe, a vast sea of conscious, the "works", but simply forgot it to have the fun experience of playing the role of a human being for a while? This is the question that Watts dares to answer, in a humorous fashion.
The premise of the book is that there is a bigger game being played around us. This game is hidden, through illusion "maya", a set of tricks being played by our own minds and the universe. The purpose of the game isn't to stop playing, but to know that it is a game, so that we can approach with a sense of play and fun, not seriousness and struggle. Given the number of people who seem to struggle their way through life, this book is an important one.
What if you were the universe, a vast sea of conscious, the "works", but simply forgot it to have the fun experience of playing the role of a human being for a while? This is the question that Watts dares to answer, in a humorous fashion.
archiearchie's review
4.0
Easier to understand and with content that's a bit wider ranging that The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.
ryanfields32's review
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I feel like the first half of this book was far better than the second half. I really didn’t plan to listen to 6 hours of an American dude talk about Zen. It wasn’t terrible but that portion felt like a drag to me.
savannahwelch's review
5.0
I would literally recommend this audiobook to anyone. The amount of stuff I learned from this changed my life forever.
anotherpath's review
5.0
I've listened to nearly 100 audio books in the last three years, this is still the best program I've ever listened to, and Watts is on another level.
If you've never developed your concept of the Godhead beyond the religious rigidity of your local church tenets, I'd encourage you to give it a whirl. He'll deconstruct the Church's message in a way that's not just "Western Whites are the Worst".
He's decidedly Pantheist, and I think any careful reading of Jesus teaching would lead you to see that he's the same.
We're not dangling things made from a space mason outside this bubble. We're the dynamic end bits (at least here and now) of whatever the bubble itself is.
If you've never developed your concept of the Godhead beyond the religious rigidity of your local church tenets, I'd encourage you to give it a whirl. He'll deconstruct the Church's message in a way that's not just "Western Whites are the Worst".
He's decidedly Pantheist, and I think any careful reading of Jesus teaching would lead you to see that he's the same.
We're not dangling things made from a space mason outside this bubble. We're the dynamic end bits (at least here and now) of whatever the bubble itself is.
par4dox's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent content I find very valuable and re-readable. Alan has a tremendously articulate way of making sublime, sometimes difficult concepts easy to digest and contemplate. Highly recommended for anyone looking to explore how zen philosophy and the timelessness of its messages are just as relevant now as they were in the beginning.
meredith_collins's review
5.0
Simultaneously challening and beautifully reassuring. I loved the conversational style as well.