Alan Watts | Death | Essential lectures of Alan Watts

This is a lecture by Alan Watts himself on his understanding of Death

Alan Watts once said "a beautifully functioning mind doesn't get in its own way, it doesn't think itself".

Watts gained a following while working as a volunteer programmer at the KPFA radio station in Berkeley. He wrote more than 25 books and articles on religion and philosophy, introducing the emerging hippie counterculture to The Way of Zen (1957), one of the first bestselling books on Buddhism. In Psychotherapy East and West (1961), he argued that Buddhism could be thought of as a form of psychotherapy. He considered Nature, Man and Woman (1958) to be, "from a literary point of view—the best book I have ever written". He also explored human consciousness and psychedelics in works such as "The New Alchemy" (1958) and The Joyous Cosmology (1962). (Wiki)

#alanwatts #zen #zenbuddhism #life #lifequotes

[RonBassJr-mn]

Thank you so much for posting this. It has taken me years to catch up with Mr. Watts.
Since COVID hit, he has been a Cosmic gift to me. People around act dead and joyless now.
I feel alive and awake for whatever.

[dickyboyryw]

Listening since.. 2006 or 07..Flown by. 17 years. Yet I rarely, ever get bored of his talks, videos. If only he'd lived another 10 years.. The talks would have been extraordinary

[roysaxon]

This should be compulsory viewing for everyone afraid of death.

[thehourmarketer]

What an incredible mental state and thought-process... Thanks this helps me a lot.

[LouPerz]

Greatest thinker that is little known to mankind

[Sephiroth]

That's wonderful. Thanks for sharing, he's such a great thinker. However I can't stop thinking how many peoples and societies through time and space had reached this consciousness before we swipe it all out with a wicked thought of productivity, clockwork routine and etc. it does feels like we've forgotten important things. Anyways here we are, trynna to remember it back again. Over and over.

[Theo_Phage]

You think death is scary, Imagine living forever and ever. Repeating everyday, even if you wake up in a different galaxy each life everyday will feel like groundhog day. You wish you can just stop existing eventually. Death is the ultimate compassion. Whatever lies beyond, God/ Black Void / Reincarnation .... i dont care anymore. You will yearn for absolute liberation. Freedom without Liberation from even existence itself.

[IrishLaQuandre]

His wisdom leaves me speechless with 1000 questions.…..

[Moku_Nui]

The universe of consciousness I’d me the year this recording was made, so that I could be here right now, not be you, asking I why I fear death for me, but not for you. My eyes can’t see my mind is blown.

[liltick]

I did expect to find all these video lectures on your channel, maybe a handful, not this many— thank you so much wtf

[nwsanagnwsths]

N8ce to have him recorded 50 yrs later

[loriscunado]

A brilliant and useful talk. Thank you for sharing,

[marioc.]

guess it doesn;t get any smarter, what a brillliant thinker, and what a great voice

[AlanPhan]

TLDR: Death is not to be feared, as it is a natural part of the cycle of life and can lead to a sense of freedom and greater appreciation for life.

1. 00:00 💀 Death is the end of all experience, leading to nothingness.
1.1 The speaker is fascinated with the idea of death and discusses the concept of going to sleep and never waking up, explaining that it would be like never having existed at all.
1.2 Death is the end of all experience, both past and future, leading to nothingness.

2. 04:10 💀 Death is not to be feared, as the same nothingness existed before we were born and yet we happened, so it could happen again after we die.
2.1 The speaker reflects on the experience of nothingness, comparing it to the way his head appears to his eyes and the absence of any visual sensation behind his eyes.
2.2 Before we were born, there was something going on, and after we die, we will return to that state.
2.3 Death is not something to worry about, as the same nothingness existed before we were born and yet we happened, so it could happen again after we die.

3. 08:44 💡 Our ego and personality are not our true selves, as our true self contains all the factors of our existence within the eternal universe.
3.1 The universe is constantly aware and looking at everything, and we are part of that awareness.
3.2 Each person feels like the center of the universe, but our ego and personality are not our true selves, as our true self contains all the factors of our existence.
3.3 The body is a part of the universe, and the center of "me" is the eternal universe.

4. 13:37 💀 My awareness will be reborn in a new being, whether human, frog, rabbit, fruit fly, virus, or bacteria, and it doesn't really matter which one, as the speaker discusses the perspective of a fruit fly and how they may perceive their world as important and civilized as humans do.
4.1 When I die, my awareness will be reborn in a new being, whether it's a human, frog, rabbit, fruit fly, virus, or bacteria, and it doesn't really matter which one.
4.2 The speaker discusses the perspective of a fruit fly and how they may perceive their world as important and civilized as humans do in their own world.

5. 15:54 💡 Death is a release from monotony and the universe constantly forgets and remembers to experience the world anew, making it incredible that we have this one life.
5.1 We don't remember our past lives because it would be boring, and having a forgettery is necessary for valuable memories.
5.2 The universe constantly forgets and remembers in order to experience the world anew and gain a diverse perspective.
5.3 Death is a release from monotony and the universe continues on after we die, so it's incredible that we have this one life and can always happen again.

6. 20:15 🌌 You are a part of the universe, and the ambition to control everything is false because the energy that creates galaxies is the same energy that creates you.
6.1 You are a part of the universe, and the energy that creates galaxies is the same energy that creates you.
6.2 The universe is a system that constantly surprises itself, and the ambition to control everything is false because it would be like making love to a plastic woman.

7. 23:02 💀 Death is necessary for creating space for new experiences and preventing overcrowding of memories and the planet.
7.1 The contrast between self and other is necessary for the experience of self, and the desire is not to remember, as memory is a form of control.
7.2 Death is like wiping a slate clean, creating space for new experiences and preventing overcrowding of memories and the planet.

8. 26:01 💀 Embrace death as it is nothing to fear and can lead to a sense of freedom and greater appreciation for life.
8.1 The speaker discusses the idea of life beyond the grave and whether it is just wishful thinking.
8.2 Embrace the fact of death, as it is nothing to fear and can lead to a sense of freedom and a greater appreciation for life.

[SaithMasu]

The truth is very simple.
Without the counciousness about myself, there wouldnt be a world, a universe to be experienced at all. Its as if Alan desribed "I never have existed forvever" and as such this question about "life" wouldnt even have been raised, as there is no one to ask.
The fact that i can raise questions about myself means that i exist.
And masters always pointed out the fact thats the very you. This existence.
It is not a particular thing. It isnt a name or else. Its existence itself. The fact that i am aware of myself, means everything and anything can even exist.

[eduardogallegos]

Awareness, Consciousness and alot of Love, Huemans!

[Kamabushi]

i just love him
“ it would be like making love to a plastic woman”
ROFLMAO
It is dated because now there are dolls that men rather have than a real flesh and blood woman thats how bad things have gone.
His paradigm answers all questions that all other theocracies can not answer
Really .. if you know his paradigm you know what am talking about.
There is a truth of which he does not mention here but has spoken of before that is hard to accept not if it is truth but because it seems cruel given the narrative that God is love.
Most people do not accept it but he did and so have I
It is very cruel though.
I love that a new generation is hearing about his paradigm.
It is the best way to look at life really.
Other wise is like believing in Santa Clause and who amongst us negates it is false?
I hope for the future that his talks are heard for hundreds of yrs to come
If humans survive that is
Lets us remember those who did what we did not on this veteran’s day May 2023
For all that have fallen relatives.. thank you for your service and sacrifice.
The next rebirth will be a better one borne of karmic merit for serving others .
Too bad is only one day while the alphabet people get a whole month.
Who is more deserving of a whole month I ask.

[BraguitaV]

Incredible!! 👏👏👏 Thank you so much for sharing! 🙏🙏🙏
I'm just getting to know Alan Watts, came across his recordings in the Waking Up app from Sam Harris, a great app btw. 😊

« He who sleeps on the floor will not fall out of bed. »

- Turkish Proverb

[نوفاببالعلم]

I would like to know what is the special or unique thing that Alan Watts is saying about death in this video. It seems to me that he is not saying anything that people have not imagined before. Would anyone like to clarify?