A classic account of the psychedelic experienceThe Joyous Cosmology is Alan Watts’s exploration of the insight that the consciousness-changing drugs LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin can facilitate “when accompanied with sustained philosophical reflection by a person who is in search, not of kicks, but of understanding.” More than an artifact, it is both a riveting memoir of Watts’s personal experiments and a profound meditation on our perennial questions about the nature of existence and the existence of the sacred.Includes Watts’s article “Psychedelics and Religious Experience”

This is a series of essays representing philosopher Alan Watts's most recent thinking on the astonishing problems of man's relations to his material environment. The basic theme is that civilized man confuses symbol with reality, his ways of describing and measuring the world with the world itself, and thus puts himself into the absurd situation of preferring money to wealth and eating the menu instead of the dinner.Thus, with his attention locked upon numbers and concepts, man is increasingly unconscious of nature and of his total dependence upon air, water, plants, animals, insects, and bacteria. He has been hallucinated into the notion that the so-called "external" world is a cluster of "objects" separate from himself, that he "encounters" it, that he comes into it instead of out of it. Consequently, our species is fouling its own nest and is in imminent danger of self-obliteration.Here, a philosopher whose works have been mainly concerned with mysticism and Oriental philosophy gets down to the "nitty-gritty" problems of economics, technology, clothing, cooking, and housing.

This is an account of the Madhyamika (Middle Way) school of Buddhism, a method of mediation and enlightenment that was developed by the great Indian teacher Nagarjuna. In a collaboration between the Frenchwoman Alexandra David-Neel and her friend, the Tibetan lama Aphur Yongden, these teaching are presented clearly and elegantly, intended for the layman who seeks a way to practice and experience the realization of oneness with all existence.\n" . . . this is the most direct, no-nonsense, and down-to-earth explanation of Mahayana Buddhism that has been written. Specifically, it is a wonderfully lucid account of the Middle Way method of enlightenment worked out by the great Indian sage Nagarjuna."—Alan Watts, The Book\n"The Secret Oral Teachings in Tibetan Buddhist Sects by Alexandra David-Neel and Lama Yongden, is always on my night stand. I return to it again and again in different stages of my life."—Marina Ambramovic\n"David-Neél herself is often relegated to the ranks of 'women adventurers' this despite the production of some forty-odd books, several of which have wielded an extraordinary influence."—Harry Oldmeadow, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia\nAlexandra David-Neel was born in 1868 in Paris. In her youth she wrote an incendiary anarchist treatise and was an acclaimed opera singer; then she decided to devote her life to exploration and the study of world religions, including Buddhist philosophy. She traveled extensively to in Central Asia and the Far East, where she learned a number of Asian languages, including Tibetan. In 1914, she met Lama Yongden, who became her adopted son, teacher and companion. In 1923, at the age of fifty-five, she disguised herself as a pilgrim and journeyed to Tibet, where she was the first European woman to enter Lhasa, which was closed to foreigners at the time. In her late seventies, she settled in the south of France, where she lived until her death at 101 in 1969.

In order to come to your senses, Alan Watts often said, you sometimes need to go out of your mind. Out of Your Mind brings readers, for the first time, six of this legendary thinker's most engaging teachings on how to break through the limits of the rational mind.\nOffering answers to generations of spiritual seekers, Alan Watts is the voice for all who search for an understanding of their identity and role in the world.\\nFor those both new and familiar with Watts, this book invites us to delve into his favourite pathways out of the trap of conventional awareness:\nDiscover art of the "controlled accident"-what happens when you stop taking your life so seriously and start enjoying it with complete sincerity.\nEmbrace chaos to discover your deepest purpose.\\nHow do we come to believe "the myth of myself"-that we are skin-encapsulated egos separate from the world around us-and how to transcend that illusion?\nFind the miracle that occurs when we stop taking life so seriously.

“Our main object will be to describe one of the most incomparably beautiful myths that has ever flowered from the mind of man, or from the unconscious processes which shape it and which are in some sense more than man.… This is, furthermore, to be a description and not a history of Christian Mythology.… After description, we shall attempt an interpretation of the myth along the general lines of the philosophia perennis, in order to bring out the truly catholic or universal character of the symbols, and to share the delight of discovering a fountain of wisdom in a realm where so many have long ceased to expect anything but a desert of platitudes.” —from the Prologue

Just as groundbreaking today as it was when it first appeared, Behold the Spirit is philosopher Alan Watts’s timeless argument for the place of mystical religion in today’s world. Drawing on his experiences as a former priest, Watts skillfully explains how the intuition of Eastern religion—Zen Buddhism, in particular—can be incorporated into the doctrines of Western Christianity, allowing people of all creeds to enjoy a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the spiritual in our present troubled times.

Drawing on ancient and modern sources, "a lucid discussion of Taoism and the Chinese language [that's] profound, reflective, and enlightening." —Boston Globe According to Deepak Chopra, "Watts was a spiritual polymath, the first and possibly greatest." Watts treats the Chinese philosophy of Tao in much the same way as he did Zen Buddhism in his classic The Way of Zen. Critics agree that this last work stands as a perfect monument to the life and literature of Alan Watts. "Perhaps the foremost interpreter of Eastern disciplines for the contemporary West, . . . Watts begins with scholarship and intellect and proceeds with art and eloquence to the frontiers of the spirit."—Los Angeles Times

Six revolutionary essays exploring the relationship between spiritual experience and ordinary life—and the need for them to coexist within each of us. With essays on “cosmic consciousness” (including Alan Watts’ account of his own ventures into this inward realm); the paradoxes of self-consciousness; LSD and consciousness; and the false opposition of spirit and matter, This Is It and Other Essays on Zen and Spiritual Experience is a truly mind-opening collection.

In Nature, Man and Woman, philosopher Alan Watts reexamines humanity’s place in the natural world—and the relation between body and spirit—in the light of Chinese Taoism. 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.

Alan Watts’s The Spirit of Zen was one of the first books to introduce the basic foundation of Zen Buddhism to English-speaking audiences. This volume still stands as one of the most lucid and concise explanations of the origins and defining principles of Zen, from its beginnings in ancient India and its later transmission to China and Japan, to Watts’s revealing portrait of life in a contemporary Japanese Zen monastery. In The Spirit of Zen, Watts describes, in plain language but without robbing the subject of its provocative subtlety, how one can prepare for a life of Zen. He explains the sacrifices and surrenders, the requisite self-control; the baffling set of spiritual exercises known as Koan, which take the form of verbal jigsaw puzzles; the importance of mental discipline; and the need to recognize the futility of mere intellectual haggling all necessary steps along the road to Zen. Through text and illustrations, the author examines the tea ceremony, ink-drawing, landscaping, and swordsmanship, all Zen-infused aspects of Japanese life; they give an understanding not only of Zen, but of Eastern culture in general.

Explains how to accurately predict weather patterns through common-sense observations of clouds and wind and readings of weather maps.

What Is Zen? examines Zen's religious roots, its influence on Eastern and Western culture, its transcendent moments, and the methods of Zen meditation that are currently practiced.

In his later years, Alan Watts, noted author and respected authority on Zen and Eastern thought, turned his attention to Taoism. In this book, he draws on his own study and practice to give readers an overview of the concept of the Tao and guidance for experiencing it themselves. What Is Tao? explores the wisdom of understanding the way things are and letting life unfold without interference.

Mark Watts compiled this book from his father’s extensive journals and audiotapes of famous lectures he delivered across the country. In three parts, Alan Watts -- the author of The Way of Zen and The Joyous Cosmology -- explains the basic philosophy of meditation, how individuals can practice a variety of meditations, and how inner wisdom grows naturally.

"Alone to Think" discusses the failures of our current judicial thinking and actions regarding criminals. Our present justice, correctional, and rehabilitation systems are broken as evidenced by the increasing recidivism rates and the continual increase in crime.Today''s correctional facilities are often referred to as graduate schools for prisoners, who become stronger and wiser criminals upon their release into our communities. Our current systems rehabilitate almost no prisoners and do not correct criminal behavior."Alone to Think" reviews the current problems and offers a workable solution to our correctional and rehabilitation systems.

Weather Wise is a highly practical, lively, and very accessible guide to weather phenomena for anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Suitable for sailors, walkers, climbers, skiers, fishermen, golfers and vacationers, it explains how forthcoming weather will affect them, as well as how to predict what is coming and assess how severe it will be.No other weather writer uses the practical hands-on approach of Alan Watts, whose reputation for explaining complicated meteorological situations in an understandable way for the average reader is second to none. Packed with practical tips, hints and fact panels, Weather Wise covers the seasons, clouds, heat and cold, rain, changeable weather, showery weather, wind, thunder, fog and mist, sea weather, hill and mountain weather, and hurricanes and tornadoes.

The comprehensive guide to the place that brought sport climbing to North America―a full-color, thoroughly updated new editionSmith Rock State Park. It was on the impressive crags of this Oregon hideaway that American sport climbing came into its own, and to this day, some of the hardest climbs in the United States are found on these walls. Alan Watts, who has played a leading role in the development of this popular rock-climbing destination, details more than 1,700 routes at Smith Rock and the surrounding area. \nThis new edition updates hundreds of routes, includes hundreds of new ones, and has new photos of each crag, wall, and route. No other guide is as comprehensive or thorough, and no author more respected for his intimate knowledge of one of the world's most popular climbing destinations. \n

Color photographs of cloud formations and their groundbreaking explanatory text enable readers to read the sky, pick up the clues and predict what the weather will do.\nWith its winning formula of 24 clear color photographs of cloud formations and their accompanying explanatory text, Instant Weather Forecasting enables the reader to read the sky, pick up the clues, and predict what the weather will do.\nThis revised and updated 5th edition takes into account the new ways users can receive professional weather forecasts, factor them into their own cloud observations, and develop an even better understanding of how the weather will change.\nThis bestselling gem of a book will continue to be invaluable to anyone participating in outdoor activities, from farming, gardening, and walking to riding, golfing, flying, sailing, and fishing.

Before he became a counterculture hero, Alan Watts was known as an incisive scholar of Eastern and Western psychology and philosophy. In this 1961 classic, Watts demonstrates his deep understanding of both Western psychotherapy and the Eastern spiritual philosophies of Buddhism, Taoism, Vedanta, and Yoga. He examined the problem of humans in a seemingly hostile universe in ways that questioned the social norms and illusions that bind and constrict modern humans. Marking a groundbreaking synthesis, Watts asserted that the powerful insights of Freud and Jung, which had, indeed, brought psychiatry close to the edge of liberation, could, if melded with the hitherto secret wisdom of the Eastern traditions, free people from their battles with the self. When psychotherapy merely helps us adjust to social norms, Watts argued, it falls short of true liberation, while Eastern philosophy seeks our natural relation to the cosmos.

In order to come to your senses, Alan Watts often said, you sometimes need to go out of your mind. Perhaps more than any other teacher in the West, this celebrated author, former Anglican priest, and self-described spiritual entertainer was responsible for igniting the passion of countless wisdom seekers to the spiritual and philosophical delights of India, China, and Japan.\n With Out of Your Mind, you are invited to immerse yourself in six of this legendary thinker's most engaging teachings on how to break through the limits of the rational mind and expand your awareness and appreciation for the great game unfolding all around us. Distilled from Alan Watts’s pinnacle lectures, Out of Your Mind brings you an inspiring new resource that captures the true scope of this brilliant teacher in action.\n For those both new and familiar with Watts, this book invites us to delve into his favorite pathways out of the trap of conventional awareness, including:\n • The art of the "controlled accident"―what happens when you stop taking your life so seriously and start enjoying it with complete sincerity\n • How we come to believe "the myth of myself"―that we are skin-encapsulated egos separate from the world around us―and how to transcend that illusion\n • Why we must fully embrace chaos and the void to find our deepest purpose\n • Unconventional and refreshing insights into the deeper principles of Buddhism, Hinduism, Western philosophy, Christianity, and much more

Gold Medalist – 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the Philosophy categoryExplores language and mysticism, Buddhism and Zen, Christianity, comparative religion, psychedelics, and psychology and psychotherapy. To commemorate the 2015 centenary of the birth of Alan Watts (1915–1973), Peter J. Columbus and Donadrian L. Rice have assembled a much-needed collection of Watts’s scholarly essays and lectures. Compiled from professional journals, monographs, scholarly books, conferences, and symposia proceedings, the volume sheds valuable light on the developmental arc of Watts’s thinking about language and mysticism, Buddhism and Zen, Christianity, comparative religion, psychedelics, and psychology and psychotherapy. This definitive collection challenges Watts’s reputation as a “popularizer” or “philosophical entertainer,” revealing his concerns to be much more expansive and transdisciplinary than is suggested by the parochial “Zen Buddhist” label commonly affixed to his writings. The editors’ authoritative introduction elucidates contemporary perspectives on Watts’s life and work, and supports a bold rethinking of his contributions to psychology, philosophy, and religion. “…both academically and historically rich.” — PsycCRITIQUES “This collection, testament to an astonishingly productive writing and speaking career, serves as a window into an extraordinarily significant era, when Asian traditions and non-theological forays into religion were largely unknown in the academy. Watts’s outsider status is firmly established, but his contributions to academic life and thought deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated.” — Reading Religion “This excellent volume is important in establishing Watts as perhaps the most important Western thinker and writer on Eastern religions and philosophy, as well as comparative religions, of the twentieth century.” — John W. Traphagan, author of Rethinking Autonomy: A Critique of Principlism in Biomedical Ethics

Deep down, most people think that happiness comes from having or doing something. Here, in Alan Watts’s groundbreaking third book (originally published in 1940), he offers a more challenging thesis: authentic happiness comes from embracing life as a whole in all its contradictions and paradoxes, an attitude that Watts calls the “way of acceptance.” Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism, and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us — the unconscious mind, with its irrational desires, lurking beyond the awareness of the ego. Although written early in his career, The Meaning of Happiness displays the hallmarks of his mature style: the crystal-clear writing, the homespun analogies, the dry wit, and the breadth of knowledge that made Alan Watts one of the most influential philosophers of his generation.

Philosopher, author, and lecturer Alan Watts (1915–1973) popularized Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for the counterculture of the 1960s. Today, new generations are finding his writings and lectures online, while faithful followers worldwide continue to be enlightened by his teachings. The Collected Letters of Alan Watts reveals the remarkable arc of Watts’s colorful and controversial life, from his school days in England to his priesthood in the Anglican Church as chaplain of Northwestern University to his alternative lifestyle and experimentation with LSD in the heyday of the late sixties. His engaging letters cover a vast range of subject matter, with recipients ranging from High Church clergy to high priests of psychedelics, government officials, publishers, critics, family, and fans. They include C. G. Jung, Henry Miller, Gary Snyder, Aldous Huxley, Reinhold Niebuhr, Timothy Leary, Joseph Campbell, and James Hillman. Watts’s letters were curated by two of his daughters, Joan Watts and Anne Watts, who have added rich, behind-the-scenes biographical commentary. Edited by Joan Watts & Anne Watts

According to Alan Watts, “Zen taste deplores the cluttering of a picture or of a room with many objects.” In that sense, this minimalist book embodies the aesthetic of Zen itself. As with brushstrokes in a Japanese ink painting, the words have been used sparingly and arranged precisely, with no unnecessary detail. In seven brief chapters, Watts captures the essence of Zen Buddhism as a religion and a way of life. He explains fundamental Zen concepts, introduces revered Zen thinkers, places Zen within the broader context of Eastern religion, and traces the influence of Zen in the arts. Illustrated with calligraphy and drawings by the author, this reprint of an old classic will delight fans of Alan Watts, while introducing new readers to a legendary author who infused groundbreaking scholarship with literary brilliance.

"If you were God," asked Alan Watts, "what kind of universe would you create? A perfect one free of suffering and drama? Or one filled with surprise and delight?" From the 1950s to the 1970s, Eastern spiritual philosophies sparked in the West profound new ways of perceiving ourselves, the mysteries of reality, and the unfolding destiny of humanity. And through his live gatherings and radio talks, Alan Watts was at the forefront--igniting astonishing insights into who we are and where we're heading. Based on a legendary series of seminars, Just So illuminates three fascinating domains: money versus real wealth, the spirituality of a deeper materialism, and how technology and spirituality are both guiding us to ever greater interconnection in the universe that we find ourselves in. Along the way, readers will explore many other themes, at turns humorous, prescient, and more relevant today than ever. What unfolds is a liberating view of humanity that arises from possibility and the unpredictable--perfect and "just so," not in spite of its messy imperfections, but because of them.

Alan Watts, beloved for bringing a childlike wonder to the spiritual journey, once wrote a story for children. The Fish Who Found the Sea brings this delightful and wise teaching parable to life for a new generation. Presented with new art from award-winning illustrator Khoa Le, here is a story as timely as it is entertaining--sharing a key message about getting into harmony with the flow of life. In this tale of a tail, kids will meet a fish with a strangely familiar problem--he's gotten himself so mixed up that he spends all his time chasing himself in circles! Only the Great Sea knows how to help our poor fish get out of the mess he's created with his own runaway thoughts. Here is a parable that perfectly captures the wit and wisdom that has made Alan Watts a timeless teacher we will never outgrow.

The forgotten book on world mythology by Alan Watts Alan Watts is today remembered as a trailblazing interpreter of Eastern philosophy, butThe Two Hands of God reveals a different side of his multifaceted genius. In this ambitious work, Watts takes readers on a fascinating journey through the mythology of China, Egypt, India, the Middle East, and medieval Europe. His theme is the human experience ofpolarity, a condition in which opposing qualities define and complement each other. Light cannot exist without darkness, good cannot exist without evil, and male cannot exist without female. Chinese philosophy expresses this idea of universal polarity with the concepts of yin and yang, while other cultures express it through the symbolic language of myth, literature, and art. Watts illustrates the way great sages and artists across time have seen beyond the apparent duality of the universe to finda deeper unity that transcends and embraces everything.

Product Description \nThe fourth edition of this bestselling book explains how to combine professional weather forecasts with information from self-assessment of the signs in the sky, as well as from websites and apps, to arrive at a local forecast of coming weather. The Weather Handbook is the essential guide to how the weather is formed, providing readers with the ability to look at the sky and interpret its signs. This handbook has been the standard reference for over 20 years for skippers and crews of cruising and racing yachts. The fourth edition has been updated and expanded with new photos and explanatory text, addressing new sources of weather information. There are countless websites and apps providing forecast data, and The Weather Handbook guides users in how to use and interpret this information for themselves, taking a general forecast for a wide area to provide a local forecast for a specific location."The perfect introduction to understanding weather" - Practical Boat Owner\n Review \n"An absolute must for anyone who needs a forecast truly applicable to you, wherever you are." - RNLI magazine“The Weather Handbook is written in a conversational style that helps break down the jargon. And there are helpful summaries ... The handbook would be great to keep onboard, not necessarily as a reference, but as some easy and educational reading.” ―Sailing (US magazine)“The goal of the book is to teach readers to look at the sky, interpret its signs and leverage their knowledge to asses the coming weather.” ―Soundings (US)\n About the Author \nAlan Watts, one-time professional meteorologist, spent considerable time studying wind changes and short-term alterations in the weather. This, combined with his enthusiasm for sailing which began with the sea scouts, enabled him to assist people to read the weather from the signs in the sky. He died in May 2020.

Siddhartha takes place in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kapilavastue and follows the spiritual journey of a man who embarks on a quest for enlightenment. Along the way he becomes a wandering beggar, a rich businessman, a lover, a Buddhist convert, and, ultimately, a wise man. Herman Hesse’s most inspirational and beloved work, Siddhartha integrates Eastern and Western spirituality, psychology, and sensibilities in a simple, moving tale that has influenced generations since its original publication in 1922.\nThis Warbler Classics edition includes Alan Watts’s essay The Way of Liberation in Zen Buddhism, which offers a clear, compelling overview of the history and philosophy of Buddhist thought.\nHerman Karl Hesse (1877–1962) was a German-Swiss poet, novelist, and painter. Along with Siddhartha, his best-known works include Demian (1922), Steppenwolf (1927), Narcissus and Goldmund (1933), and The Glass Bead Game (1943), each of which explores an individual’s search for authenticity, self-knowledge, and spirituality. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1946. He died on August 9, 1962.\nAlan Wilson Watts (1915–1973) was an English writer, theologian, and speaker known for interpreting and popularizing Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism for a Western audience. He wrote more than twenty-five books and articles on religion and philosophy, including The Way of Zen (1957), one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. He died on November 16, 1973, at his cabin in Druid Heights, California.\\nNominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Product Description \nA giftable collection of inspiring, uplifting, and enlightening words of wisdom from one of the most important voices in spirituality and self-help "The perfect guide for a course correction in life." —Deepak Chopra\\nHere is an indispensible treasury of uplifting and enlightening quotations for guidance, support, and spiritual sustenance. In his classic works of philosophy, Alan Watts shared timeless wisdom with readers worldwide. In this book are some of his most thought-provoking words to live by, to reflect upon, and to read for inspiration, knowledge, and growth.\\nAbout the Author \nALAN WATTS is the author of more than twenty books on the philosophy and psychology of religion, including the bestselling\nThe Way of Zen. His work has been published in many languages throughout the world. An avid lecturer, Watts hosted the popular television series\nEastern Wisdom and Modern Life in the 1960s. He died in 1973.

Insightful and entertaining essays spanning 40 years of lectures by Alan Watts on Zen, Taoism, psychedelics, and comparative philosophy.\\nAlan Watts's essays and talks range widely through psychology, art, religion, and politics, but always come home to the Zen core. For those familiar with Alan Watts’s style of presentation, the wonderful, memorable, and prophetic style of his voice is captured in this volume. Talking Zen puts on display Watts’s ability to explore the very subtle philosophies, those common across traditions and those unique to Zen, in ordinary and accessible language. These lectures paved the way for the rise of Zen in the West.

A radical reinterpretation of Christianity by one of the twentieth century’s leading philosophers\\nToday, Alan Watts is remembered mainly as an eloquent interpreter of Eastern philosophies such as Taoism and Zen Buddhism. Not everyone knows that Watts was also a formidable scholar of Christianity who worked as an Episcopal chaplain early in his career. He eventually left the church to find his own spiritual path, but his time there fueled a burst of literary creativity that culminated in Beyond Theology, originally published in 1964 and now back in print.\\nIn this landmark work, Watts asks whether a “rigorous, imperious, and invincibly self-righteous” religion such as Christianity can stay relevant in our modern, multicultural world. To answer that question, he deconstructs Christianity by using concepts borrowed from psychology, linguistics, science, and Eastern philosophy. In the process, he solves difficult problems of theology, traces the impact of Christianity on Western culture, and points the way to a new form of nondualistic spirituality.\\nPlaying the role of a philosophical jester, Watts artfully deploys paradoxes, riddles, and gently subversive humor to overturn conventional wisdom. His intention is not to hold sacred things up to ridicule but rather to expand our definition of the sacred. The ultimate aim is to help us see beyond the external trappings of religion — beyond ritual, myth, doctrine, and theology itself — to experience the divine within ourselves.

THE FORGOTTEN PAGAN ORIGINS OF CHRISTIANITY’S MOST EMBLEMATIC CELEBRATION\\n“Easter — by whatever name it may be known — is a theme common to almost every religion and every people.”\n— Alan Watts\\nAlong with Christmas, Easter Sunday is one of the two most popular celebrations on the Church calendar. For millions of believers around the world, it encapsulates the central message of Christianity. Yet Easter has become associated with a perplexing jumble of non-Biblical customs: colorful eggs, chocolate rabbits, evening bonfires, children’s songs, mischievous games, and more. Philosopher Alan Watts proposes that these curiosities are vestiges of a tradition far older than Christianity.\\nIn Easter: Its Story and Meaning, Watts goes in search of the lost origins of Easter, taking readers with him on a kaleidoscopic tour of history, anthropology, and myth. He begins on the scorching plains of Bronze Age Mesopotamia, wanders the marble temples of imperial Rome, enters the glittering cathedrals of medieval Europe, and eventually lands in modern America. In the course of the journey, Watts unravels the multilayered symbolism of Easter and places the holiday within the broader context of world religions. He also delves into several tantalizing historical enigmas, such as:\\n• Why is Christianity’s most sacred holiday named after a pagan goddess?\n• Is Jesus Christ historically unique, or is he just another example of the “dying-and-rising god” archetype common in antiquity?\n• How was the date of Easter calculated by the patriarchs of the early Church?\n• Where did the tradition of the Easter egg come from? (Could it be African?)\\nThe book closes on a lighthearted note, with a collection of weird and wonderful Easter folk traditions old and new. From beginning to end, Watts employs his keen intellect and vast erudition to uncover hidden connections between seemingly unrelated events. The result is a philosophical adventure that will enlighten readers of all religious backgrounds. Watts concludes that Easter is a universal celebration of nature’s eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth — a celebration for all humanity.

Smith Rock State Park. It was on the impressive crags of this Oregon hideaway that American sport climbing came into its own, and to this day, some of the hardest climbs in the United States are found on these walls. Alan Watts, who has played a leading role in the development of this popular rock-climbing destination, details more than 2,200 routes at Smith Rock and the surrounding area. This new edition updates hundreds of routes and has new photos of the many crags, walls, and routes. No other guide is as comprehensive or thorough, and no author more respected for his intimate knowledge of one of the world's most popular climbing destinations.

A guided journal for practical wisdom and self-reflection--featuring insightful quotes, sage advice for a life well-lived, and charming illustrations--from acclaimed philosopher Alan Watts. Whether you are familiar with his work or new to it, these inspiring messages will guide you in the mindful practice of journaling.From the quotidian to the profound, these ideas touch on themes such as:  * Living for the present moment  * Liberating the mind from patterns of anxiety and self-consciousness  * The oneness of the material and the spiritual  * Finding the playfulness of day-to-day lifeAlan Watts spent a lifetime bringing ancient wisdom and spiritual revelations of Zen Buddhism to Western readers. Having written more than twenty-five books, his work represents a treasury of enlightened personal thought, compassionate disruption of convention, and warm encouragement. In this journal, readers will discover some of Watts' most salient and pithy philosophical observations, from seeing through arbitrary separations prescribed by language and society to leaving behind assumptions to see things as they truly are: fleeting, yet everlasting--simple, but wondrous.

"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.