Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life; The Life of Zen

Moore, Richard · 1961

Mr. Watts delves into some of the problems most Westerners encounter when they attempt to understand Zen. Certain "deceptions" inculcated in us during childhood eventually become a burden, and the Zen philosophy is a way of throwing off these deceptions. One ceases to take oneself seriously. According to Zen, the individual will is a fiction; no such thing exists. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche) This series deals with the themes of Eastern philosophy and their application to modern life. The episodes are illustrated by Chinese and Japanese paintings and other Asian objects of art. Photographs and physical demonstrations of various principles and processes are also incorporated in the presentation. Host Alan Watts uses Chinese ink and brush for drawings and diagrams he executes during the series. Alan Watts is a scholar, lecturer and the author of many books on comparative philosophy and religion. His special interest is in the thought and culture of the Far East and its relevance to modern problems. He is a member of the American Oriental Society and an associate editor of Pantheon Books, Inc. He conducts a weekly half-hour series, "Way Beyond the West," over radio station KFPA, in Berkeley, California. He is the former dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, CA. Between 1951 and 1953, he held a research fellowship in Oriental Philosophy form the Bollinger Foundation. Watts is the author of more than a dozen books on comparative philosophy and religion. His most recent books are The Way of Zen, Pantheon, 1957, and Nature, Man and Woman, Pantheon, 1958. This series of 34 half-hour episodes was originally recorded on videotape and kinescope. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)