Afterall, what is more important, mere knowledge or direct experience of the Truth? Should we all be Presbyterians in our booths and pews or Shamans, savage and wild, daring to venture out into that scary forestbeyond the township? Who are we, Young Goodman Brown? In Asia, in the ancient culture of China, which is the cultural result of a fusion of three great philosophies -- Confucianism (for the home life), Taoism (for the left home life), and Buddhism (for the Middle Way that avoids all extremes) -- there is that same tension. Many of us want to be held by house and run a household, trapped and miserable, expecting to find happiness and fulfillment there. Of course. Where else would it be? It's all we see all around us. But there is another ancient source of happiness which, if successful, does produce fulfillment or can like nothing else. We might call that shamanism, the nonreliance on priests, intermediaries, and the consensus reality they dictate. Ultimately, each human must see for herself (or himself) can come to know things first-hand. Alan Watts, the great communicator to the West of Eastern philosophies, brings this idea together from various cultures, including the Hindu ideal of the sannyasin or vÄnaprastha. Watts also explains the deeper meaning of the mandala (a stockaded community, village or city, a ring of defense around the center).He was inspired by American mythologist Joseph Campbell.
NOTE: There are many more Buddhists in the world than get counted, and this is because communist China leaves over 1,000,000,000 (1 billion+) Buddhists uncounted for political and ideological reasons.
This is the same speech with different aural qualities for relistening.
(IVLIAN MCMXCVI) The famous Western philosopher Alan Watts is a legend of the 20th century. An illustrious mind that influenced the conjunction of Eastern and Western ways of life, Watts brings his profound message to a generation of hippies through his legacies, actions taken during his life and his wise thoughts recorded by Pacifica Free Speech Radio (KPFA and KPFK) and KQED TV.
This short biography is about the existence of a happy man, a father and a teacher. His life may be an example for us, for those that want to achieve serenity and true calm. Whether we live up to the idealism of what he discusses, we are at least given insight into how other parts of the world view the world and why the West was won over by the East and its ideas.
This film was created for educational purposes and is not intended for commercial means. Credits to the composer Eugen Doga for his beautiful song "I loved it." Please subscribe to channel and share the film to popularize such types of knowledge and further help other people to achieve understanding. Subscribe and like if you enjoyed the video. Thanks! Join:
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