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Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion
The widespread influence of Buddhism is due in part to the skill with which a way of liberation was refined by its teachers and became accessible to people of diverse cultures.
In this dynamic series of lectures, Alan Watts takes us on an exploration of Buddhism, from its roots in India to the explosion of interest in Zen and the Tibetan tradition in the West. Watts traces the Indian beginnings of Buddhism, delineates differences between Buddhism and other religions, looks at the radical methods of the Mahayan Buddhist, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path
In this dynamic series of lectures, Alan Watts takes us on an exploration of Buddhism, from its roots in India to the explosion of interest in Zen and the Tibetan tradition in the West. Watts traces the Indian beginnings of Buddhism, delineates differences between Buddhism and other religions, looks at the radical methods of the Mahayan Buddhist, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Alan W. Watts
255 books8,021 followersAlan Wilson Watts was a British philosopher, writer and speaker, who held both a Master's in Theology and a Doctorate of Divinity. Famous for his research on comparative religion, he was best known as an interpreter and popularizer of Asian philosophies for a Western audience. He wrote over 25 books and numerous articles on subjects such as personal identity, the true nature of reality, higher consciousness, the meaning of life, concepts and images of God and the non-material pursuit of happiness. In his books he relates his experience to scientific knowledge and to the teachings of Eastern and Western religion and philosophy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
December 31, 2010
I think I'll be a Buddhist now. Well, at least I will try to live by some of the precepts.
December 24, 2024
Really refreshing educational read. Watts’ gives you the space to dive in as deep as you’d like, or to just grasp at an understanding of buddhism at a base level.
He’s also got a great personality and humor that translates easily off the page. Was a great first dive into this religion and its practices. Can’t wait to continue to learn and explore more!
He’s also got a great personality and humor that translates easily off the page. Was a great first dive into this religion and its practices. Can’t wait to continue to learn and explore more!
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May 7, 2017Alan Watts afirma que "El Zen afirma que la persona que alcanza la iluminación se parece a un mudo que ha tenido un sueño maravilloso que no puede contar a nadie".
Este libro es una buena puerta de entrada para quien busca entender los principios básicos del budismo.
Watts nos invita a un viaje desde las raíces del budismo en la India y los textos sagrados del Vedanta.
Expone los conceptos básicos de las cuatro nobles verdades y el camino medio. Ayuda a aclarar la mente para entender el budismo como un sistema filosófico ajeno a la estructura de una religión. Entabla un diálogo con una de las escuelas más importantes del budismo: el Zen. Explica el budismo Mahayana, una de las más alejadas de la mirada occidental. Y, finalmente, concluye con una reflexión sobre el simbolismo femenino y masculino del yoga tántrico y profundiza sobre algunos otros aspectos del budismo Mahayana como una práctica para trascender la dualidad.
La brevedad del libro no está exenta de algunos poemas zen para explicar el concepto de la iluminación, como el siguiente:
Se adentra en el bosque
y no mueve ni una brizna de hierba
Entre en el agua
y no levanta ni una ola
Un libro didáctico para entender los conceptos budistas que resulta ideal para quien busca empezar a introducirse en esta práctica.
Este libro es una buena puerta de entrada para quien busca entender los principios básicos del budismo.
Watts nos invita a un viaje desde las raíces del budismo en la India y los textos sagrados del Vedanta.
Expone los conceptos básicos de las cuatro nobles verdades y el camino medio. Ayuda a aclarar la mente para entender el budismo como un sistema filosófico ajeno a la estructura de una religión. Entabla un diálogo con una de las escuelas más importantes del budismo: el Zen. Explica el budismo Mahayana, una de las más alejadas de la mirada occidental. Y, finalmente, concluye con una reflexión sobre el simbolismo femenino y masculino del yoga tántrico y profundiza sobre algunos otros aspectos del budismo Mahayana como una práctica para trascender la dualidad.
La brevedad del libro no está exenta de algunos poemas zen para explicar el concepto de la iluminación, como el siguiente:
Se adentra en el bosque
y no mueve ni una brizna de hierba
Entre en el agua
y no levanta ni una ola
Un libro didáctico para entender los conceptos budistas que resulta ideal para quien busca empezar a introducirse en esta práctica.
June 30, 2017
Watts does a fantastic job of explaining the history of Buddhism as well as many of the nuances that you won't find in other primers like this. At times the concepts throughout are a bit difficult to understand but I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that those raised in Western society (like myself) are exposed to very dualistic styles of thinking whereas Eastern thought tends to be fairly cyclical. I've read a lot of Eastern works over the years and this has helped with this to some degree. Nevertheless, Watts does his best to make his lectures palatable for almost anyone. This is a must-read if you have any interest in Buddhism.
January 13, 2016
A brief overview of some of the basics of Buddhist thought and Zen from the legendary philosopher. It's a good starter book for those new to the subject -- transcripts of talks that Watts gave, so they are in an easy, informal style. You won't get bogged down with needing to interpret koans and terms -- he explains things rather well. I have always wanted to read more of his works; maybe now I finally will.
April 15, 2025
I absolutely LOVED this book! It has been my first read on Buddhism and I found it to be a well articulated, enjoyable read! I would 100% recommend it for anyone interested in Buddhism!! 🪷✨
February 24, 2019
"There are two fundamental notions of being, and they are represented by the dualities of male and female, light and dark, now and memory. Memory, remember, creates a future as well as the past. You would not know you were going to have anything happen tomorrow unless you remembered that something bad happened yesterday. You figure that because the sun rose yesterday, and the day before yesterday, it will rise again tomorrow. If you did not remember the past, you would not know that there will be a tomorrow. Because there is no tomorrow. Tomorrow is an illusion produced by memory, and so is yesterday. They simply do not exist. Where is tomorrow? Bring me tomorrow's newspaper."
“You do not need to control the rain if you can control your mind. If you get wet it is only your mind that makes you think it’s uncomfortable to be wet.”
"On the one hand, you let go of everything and live in the eternal now because that is all there is. Memory is an illusion; it is all gone. Everything that has made an impression on you is gone. That is the meaning of maya, or illusion. There is only the eternal now, the present moment, and there never will be anything else. All remembering occurs in the present; memory exists in the eternal now."
“There is no such thing as a single, solitary event. The only possible single event is all events whatsoever. That could be regarded as the only possible atom; the only possible single thing is everything.”
"Life has to surprise itself, because if it didn't you wouldn't know of your own existence. You only know existence to the degree that there is a balance between knowing and not knowing."
"It is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle. You find yourself falling over one way and you turn in that direction and stay up. In the same way, when you find yourself becoming too attached to life, you correct that excessive attachment with the realization that nothing exists but the eternal now. And then, when you feel you are safe again, because the eternal now is the only thing that exists you go off and get involved with some kind of social, political, amorous, familial, scholarly, or artistic enterprise. The two always go together."
"The nature of being is constructed in this extraordinarily fascinating way. It constantly renews itself by eternally forgetting itself. This is a perfectly marvelous arrangement. It is a funny thing how we all alternate in this way between remembering and not remembering. We remember things long enough to know that we are here. We would not know it if we didn't remember. But when memory weighs on us too much and we are too much here, we seek liberation in the realization that all memory is an illusion, there is no future and equally no past, there is nothing except the present moment. But when you are liberated, you like to come back and play the memory game again. Liberation is a cleaning process. You wipe offthe blackboard and start writing again, then you wipe it off, and then you start again. This is the process whereby life keeps going."
"You do not need to cling to yourself and oppose the other. Everything you call the other is you too. You will realize this if you take any aspect of duality to an extreme. You can, for instance, pursue the idea of total courage, of letting go of everything, of being a true Zen monk, abandoning all property, living in a barn, sitting up in the middle of the night, in the cold, eating rice and pickles, and so on. You can seek liberation in that manner by going to that extreme. But if you do, you will eventually arrive at the same place as the person who pursued liberation by going to the other extreme, of making no effort whatsoever. Liberation comes of itself."
“You do not need to control the rain if you can control your mind. If you get wet it is only your mind that makes you think it’s uncomfortable to be wet.”
"On the one hand, you let go of everything and live in the eternal now because that is all there is. Memory is an illusion; it is all gone. Everything that has made an impression on you is gone. That is the meaning of maya, or illusion. There is only the eternal now, the present moment, and there never will be anything else. All remembering occurs in the present; memory exists in the eternal now."
“There is no such thing as a single, solitary event. The only possible single event is all events whatsoever. That could be regarded as the only possible atom; the only possible single thing is everything.”
"Life has to surprise itself, because if it didn't you wouldn't know of your own existence. You only know existence to the degree that there is a balance between knowing and not knowing."
"It is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle. You find yourself falling over one way and you turn in that direction and stay up. In the same way, when you find yourself becoming too attached to life, you correct that excessive attachment with the realization that nothing exists but the eternal now. And then, when you feel you are safe again, because the eternal now is the only thing that exists you go off and get involved with some kind of social, political, amorous, familial, scholarly, or artistic enterprise. The two always go together."
"The nature of being is constructed in this extraordinarily fascinating way. It constantly renews itself by eternally forgetting itself. This is a perfectly marvelous arrangement. It is a funny thing how we all alternate in this way between remembering and not remembering. We remember things long enough to know that we are here. We would not know it if we didn't remember. But when memory weighs on us too much and we are too much here, we seek liberation in the realization that all memory is an illusion, there is no future and equally no past, there is nothing except the present moment. But when you are liberated, you like to come back and play the memory game again. Liberation is a cleaning process. You wipe offthe blackboard and start writing again, then you wipe it off, and then you start again. This is the process whereby life keeps going."
"You do not need to cling to yourself and oppose the other. Everything you call the other is you too. You will realize this if you take any aspect of duality to an extreme. You can, for instance, pursue the idea of total courage, of letting go of everything, of being a true Zen monk, abandoning all property, living in a barn, sitting up in the middle of the night, in the cold, eating rice and pickles, and so on. You can seek liberation in that manner by going to that extreme. But if you do, you will eventually arrive at the same place as the person who pursued liberation by going to the other extreme, of making no effort whatsoever. Liberation comes of itself."
July 3, 2019
No other book by Alan Watts seemed to capture the essence of the "Japan Seminars" the way this book has. Perhaps it's because I personally came away from viewing the Japan Seminars with a clearer sense of validation of my belief that Buddhism was never intended to be a religion, and this book treats that topic with scholarship and clarity.
Recognising that the Buddhist cosmology need not be interpreted literally -- something too few Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan and Pureland sects seem to understand, in my opinion -- Watts explains that these are simply metaphoric representations of the different modalities of the human mind and consciousness.
Watts traces the progress and development of Buddhism from its roots in ancient India, to the explosive Western interest in Zen, during the 1960s, and the introduction and popularity of some of the brilliant Crazy Wisdom teachers from the Tibetan schools in the late 60's.
Twice, I've purchased this book, and twice it's been "permanently borrowed" (without my permission), most recently with the hardcover edition mysteriously disappearing after a dinner party at our ashram.
If that's not an endorsement of the lucid, often whimsical way in which Watts approaches the "Religion of No Religion", I don't know what is! :-)
Recognising that the Buddhist cosmology need not be interpreted literally -- something too few Buddhists, especially in the Tibetan and Pureland sects seem to understand, in my opinion -- Watts explains that these are simply metaphoric representations of the different modalities of the human mind and consciousness.
Watts traces the progress and development of Buddhism from its roots in ancient India, to the explosive Western interest in Zen, during the 1960s, and the introduction and popularity of some of the brilliant Crazy Wisdom teachers from the Tibetan schools in the late 60's.
Twice, I've purchased this book, and twice it's been "permanently borrowed" (without my permission), most recently with the hardcover edition mysteriously disappearing after a dinner party at our ashram.
If that's not an endorsement of the lucid, often whimsical way in which Watts approaches the "Religion of No Religion", I don't know what is! :-)
December 4, 2009
Of the four or five works by Alan Watts that I've read, this one is my favorite. This book is quite functional, in that I have recommended it to a few people who are interested in learning some of the basics of Buddhism, but want it communicated in layman's terms. However, this does not mean it is dumbed down. Watts shoots right to the heart of Mahayana philosophy, teasing out the core tenets, and using simple yet effective analogies to communicate the often murky principles of Buddhist thought. I find some (not all) of his other works to be a little too general and universal in the spiritual sense (after all, he taught and lectured primarily in the 1970's), but this work has a definitively academic approach. As this book is a transcription of a series of vocal lectures he gave decades ago, his articulate style and scholarly cadence really shines through.
August 15, 2016
Dived into the book with an equal amount of enthusiasm and low expectations due to knowing that Alan Watts is not the greatest epistemologist out there.
Buuuuut... Atheists are the most religious people out there. Atheists are the biggest theists. Nobody acknowledges god more than them, but they dislike the idea of a celectial teacher always looking over your shoulder and that's why they deny god.
The book has some of these pearls. Watts relies on empty rhetoric devices and nonsensical sentences way too often. There's some stuff about buddhism in here, but since I can't trust Watts with something as simple as atheism, I don't think I can trust him with more complex concepts, like buddhism.
Don't read. Find a more reliable source.
Buuuuut... Atheists are the most religious people out there. Atheists are the biggest theists. Nobody acknowledges god more than them, but they dislike the idea of a celectial teacher always looking over your shoulder and that's why they deny god.
The book has some of these pearls. Watts relies on empty rhetoric devices and nonsensical sentences way too often. There's some stuff about buddhism in here, but since I can't trust Watts with something as simple as atheism, I don't think I can trust him with more complex concepts, like buddhism.
Don't read. Find a more reliable source.
January 11, 2012
This was interesting to read but I dont' feel much more knowledgable about buddhism that I was before. I couldn't tell who this book was aimed at as it is too disjointed and not basic enough for someone like me who knows nothing about buddhism but it seems to be far too vague for those who are practicing buddhists so I suppose you have to be somewhere in between and have a mild curiousity about the different types of buddhism. It wasn't a bad read and had some great examples of buddhist philosophy ( i think ) but it just seemed like a disjointed lecture from someone who has studied the 'religion'. It was ok.
January 28, 2016
Readability 5. Rating 5. Another in the series of edited transcripts of Watts’s speaches. Interesting, challenging, and mostly frustrating. At first, I was disappointed that the book was not a revelation, and was concerned that Buddhism was just another fruitless attempt to manage the challenges of life by encapsulating it in philosophy/religion. That may still be the case, but by the end of the book, I felt that it’s probably unfair to judge a millennia-old body of thought on the basis of one 98-page book. Perhaps to fully appreciate Buddhism I will have to delve a little deeper. Unfortunately, the skeptic in me thinks that that path only leads to more entrenched disillusionment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2023
It's a collection of lectures that offer a unique perspective on Buddhism from a Western point of view. The book provides a range of readings, from introductory to more complex, making it a great starting point for anyone interested in Buddhism.
What I love about this book is how accessible it is. Watts has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand, which makes this book perfect for beginners. But the book is not only for beginners, as there are also more advanced readings that offer deeper insights into the Buddhist philosophy.
What I love about this book is how accessible it is. Watts has a talent for explaining complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand, which makes this book perfect for beginners. But the book is not only for beginners, as there are also more advanced readings that offer deeper insights into the Buddhist philosophy.
June 24, 2024
Maybe not the best book to read as an introduction to Buddhism but still interesting. I think at least a bit of fore knowledge would make the discussion in the book a little more understandable and meaningful.
October 21, 2009
I can't imagine a better introduction for a westerner to Buddhism than Alan Watts. Brilliant stuff.
December 10, 2024
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* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
"Although Alan Watts' famous voice and happy laughter are missing now, his penetrating vision of Buddhism remains, and his lectures become brilliant prose in book form." --Publishers Weekly
Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion presents six powerful essays by Alan Watts, the guru for an entire generation of 20th century thinkers, writers and poets. Watts was an engaging speaker and an icon of America's Beat and Counterculture movements. His friends included Aldous Huxley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Cage and Joseph Campbell.
In this book, Watts explores all aspects of Buddhism--from its roots in ancient India to the explosion of interest in Zen and Tibetan Buddhist thought in the West.
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 extreme denial as well The Religion of No-Religion: How Buddhism eschews any particular dogma and 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 the world, we must also learn about ourselves
Watts traces the early beginnings of Buddhism, outlines the differences between Buddhism and other religions, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion is a valuable reminder of the peace to be found by looking inward
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* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * 14.5 /10 * GREAT QUALITY -:}|{:- *
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* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{: = EMERCIVE - INTERCONNECTED GOO EXPEREINCE ENJOYED - EFFORTLESS 2 LISTEN 2 - ALMOST HYPNOTIC - WHITE TANTRA IS MENTIONED AT THE END <3 = }|{}|{:- *
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~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~
Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”
Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind
A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--- :}|{:-:}|{:- * FOLLOW 4 FOLLOW * -:}|{:-:}|{: ---{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}--------:}|{:-:}|{:- * LINKS * -:}|{:-:}|{:----------{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
***********************************************
* -:}|{}|{:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AntIF... :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:=:}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{:- Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion by Alan Watts (Mahayana Zen Buddhist teachings) AUDIOBOOK :}|{}|{:- *
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
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* -:}|{}|{:- * SUMMARY * -:}|{}|{:- *
"Although Alan Watts' famous voice and happy laughter are missing now, his penetrating vision of Buddhism remains, and his lectures become brilliant prose in book form." --Publishers Weekly
Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion presents six powerful essays by Alan Watts, the guru for an entire generation of 20th century thinkers, writers and poets. Watts was an engaging speaker and an icon of America's Beat and Counterculture movements. His friends included Aldous Huxley, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, John Cage and Joseph Campbell.
In this book, Watts explores all aspects of Buddhism--from its roots in ancient India to the explosion of interest in Zen and Tibetan Buddhist thought in the West.
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 extreme denial as well The Religion of No-Religion: How Buddhism eschews any particular dogma and 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 the world, we must also learn about ourselves
Watts traces the early beginnings of Buddhism, outlines the differences between Buddhism and other religions, and reviews the Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion is a valuable reminder of the peace to be found by looking inward
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
* -:}|{:- * RATING * -:}|{:- * 14.5 /10 * GREAT QUALITY -:}|{:- *
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* -:}|{}|{: =EXPERIENCES=&=DISCERNMENTS= :}|{}|{:- *
* -:}|{}|{: = EMERCIVE - INTERCONNECTED GOO EXPEREINCE ENJOYED - EFFORTLESS 2 LISTEN 2 - ALMOST HYPNOTIC - WHITE TANTRA IS MENTIONED AT THE END <3 = }|{}|{:- *
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~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
To SEE a WORLD in a Grain of Sand,
And a HEAVEN in a Wild Flower,
Hold INFINITY in the palm of your hand
And ETERNITY in an Hour"
~ William Blake ~
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Form is Emptiness; Emptiness is form.
Form is not different than Emptiness;
Emptiness is not different than form
~ Heart Sutra ~
Like the ocean and its waves,
inseparable yet distinct
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
" I and The Father are one,
I am The Truth,
The Life and The Path.”
Like a river flowing from its source,
connected and continuous
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
Thy kingdom come.
Let the reign of divine
Truth, Life, and Love
be established in me,
and rule out of me all sin;
and may Thy Word
enrich the affections of all mankind
A mighty oak tree standing firm against the storm,
As sunlight scatters the shadows of night
A river nourishing the land it flows through
~}- - - - - - - - - - - - - -:}|{:- - - - - - - - - - - - - -{~
~}-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-:}|{:-{~
June 24, 2025
"Buddhism: The Religion of No Religion" by Alan Watts is a transcription of several lectures that Watts delivered in Japan in the early 60s.
I don't believe I've ever read an entire book by Alan Watts, although I am very interested in Buddhism and Zen philosophy. However, this book confirmed my long-held impression of him as a deep thinker who possesses a lot of specific knowledge and intelligence, but who is also somewhat peculiar.
As a teacher of Buddhism, I personally prefer someone like Thich Nhat Hanh. Through his words and chosen topics, you can sense that he has truly internalised the teachings. In contrast, Watts seems to intellectually understand the teachings but also struggles with personal demons. This makes his work fascinating, yet it also suggests that we should take what he says with a pinch of salt.
Nonetheless, there are some intriguing insights to be found in Watts' lectures.
Here are a few ideas from the book that I found interesting or somewhat new to me.
Knowing and Not Knowing
One prominent theme was trying to pin down the essence of Zen and its underlying philosophy. Much of this discussion focused on its paradoxical nature. In essence, the goal is not knowing or not doing, but simultaneously, not knowing and not doing are forms of knowing and doing. While this concept might seem complex, and it did to me while listening to the lectures, it ultimately twists our understanding in a challenging but stimulating way.
I think what he tries to explain is that this twisting of our minds is central to understanding this philosophy.
Attachment and Non-Attachment
Another idea that was quite new to me is that some people say you should let go of attachments, which I had learned was central to Buddhism. However, he introduces the notion that sometimes it's good to seek attachments.
He cites a letter he received from R. H. Blyth, in which Blyth asks, "What are you doing these days? As for me, I'm abandoning all kinds of satori and enlightenment, and I'm trying to become as deeply attached to as many people and things as possible".
He explores this further, suggesting that it is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle: you don't want to fall to either side. On the one hand, you want to avoid excessive attachments, but on the other, you want to avoid excessive non-attachment. This was a new idea for me. While I found it different and thought-provoking, I still believe it's probably better to try to have as little attachment as possible.
Buddhism: Religion of Non-Religion
Further, regarding Zen, he highlights that to understand Buddhism, one must recognise it is not as dogmatic as Western religions. A quote from him states, "Buddhism is unlike Western religions in that it does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. The teachings of Buddhism are nothing more than the opening phrases or exchanges in that dialogue."
Interbeing
He also discussed interconnectedness and how it helps us find our purpose in life. He suggests that no matter how obscure or unimportant you may feel, you are still an integral part of the universe because everything in the universe is connected; you cannot even remove the smallest part.
A quote from him describes a "John Doe who is nobody in particular, someone not even remembered by anybody. Nevertheless, everything depends on him for its existence, despite his obscurity. It depends equally on every fruit fly, every gnat, every vibration of a gnat's wing, every last electron, and every manifestation, no matter how brief those manifestations may be."
Overall, I think it is an interesting lecture series. However, if you are interested in learning more about Buddhism, Zen, or other Eastern philosophies, there are better books to start with, chiefly I would recommend You are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh. Being part of a lecture series, it is a bit all over the place with different topics, making it somewhat difficult to follow. Nonetheless, there are still some intriguing ideas.
I don't believe I've ever read an entire book by Alan Watts, although I am very interested in Buddhism and Zen philosophy. However, this book confirmed my long-held impression of him as a deep thinker who possesses a lot of specific knowledge and intelligence, but who is also somewhat peculiar.
As a teacher of Buddhism, I personally prefer someone like Thich Nhat Hanh. Through his words and chosen topics, you can sense that he has truly internalised the teachings. In contrast, Watts seems to intellectually understand the teachings but also struggles with personal demons. This makes his work fascinating, yet it also suggests that we should take what he says with a pinch of salt.
Nonetheless, there are some intriguing insights to be found in Watts' lectures.
Here are a few ideas from the book that I found interesting or somewhat new to me.
Knowing and Not Knowing
One prominent theme was trying to pin down the essence of Zen and its underlying philosophy. Much of this discussion focused on its paradoxical nature. In essence, the goal is not knowing or not doing, but simultaneously, not knowing and not doing are forms of knowing and doing. While this concept might seem complex, and it did to me while listening to the lectures, it ultimately twists our understanding in a challenging but stimulating way.
I think what he tries to explain is that this twisting of our minds is central to understanding this philosophy.
Attachment and Non-Attachment
Another idea that was quite new to me is that some people say you should let go of attachments, which I had learned was central to Buddhism. However, he introduces the notion that sometimes it's good to seek attachments.
He cites a letter he received from R. H. Blyth, in which Blyth asks, "What are you doing these days? As for me, I'm abandoning all kinds of satori and enlightenment, and I'm trying to become as deeply attached to as many people and things as possible".
He explores this further, suggesting that it is a balancing act, like riding a bicycle: you don't want to fall to either side. On the one hand, you want to avoid excessive attachments, but on the other, you want to avoid excessive non-attachment. This was a new idea for me. While I found it different and thought-provoking, I still believe it's probably better to try to have as little attachment as possible.
Buddhism: Religion of Non-Religion
Further, regarding Zen, he highlights that to understand Buddhism, one must recognise it is not as dogmatic as Western religions. A quote from him states, "Buddhism is unlike Western religions in that it does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. The teachings of Buddhism are nothing more than the opening phrases or exchanges in that dialogue."
Interbeing
He also discussed interconnectedness and how it helps us find our purpose in life. He suggests that no matter how obscure or unimportant you may feel, you are still an integral part of the universe because everything in the universe is connected; you cannot even remove the smallest part.
A quote from him describes a "John Doe who is nobody in particular, someone not even remembered by anybody. Nevertheless, everything depends on him for its existence, despite his obscurity. It depends equally on every fruit fly, every gnat, every vibration of a gnat's wing, every last electron, and every manifestation, no matter how brief those manifestations may be."
Overall, I think it is an interesting lecture series. However, if you are interested in learning more about Buddhism, Zen, or other Eastern philosophies, there are better books to start with, chiefly I would recommend You are Here by Thich Nhat Hanh. Being part of a lecture series, it is a bit all over the place with different topics, making it somewhat difficult to follow. Nonetheless, there are still some intriguing ideas.
Read
February 24, 2023Buddhism from the perspective of a Cambridge professor who studied in China and Japan
and other eastern views of followers of Buddhism. Goes through the four noble truths, etc.
relating them more clearly than most and with many insights from his studies in the eastern countries.
. . . Buddhism . . . is not frantically concerned with being good: it is concerned with being wise. p. 3
Buddha means the one who is awakened (like Christ is not the last name of Jesus). . . . Buddhas is the man who woke up, who discovered who he really was. p. 6
Buddhism does not believe in any immortal should or seek any solace in any idea of life after death. * * * There is nothing you can hold on to, so, let go. p * * * Nirvana means to blow out. p. 7
The Buddhism teacher is getting rid of your crazy ideas for you, which you use to cling to life and make it dead. P. 8
Buddha himself wrote nothing. p. 11
Noble Truths 1. The problem is suffering,
2. suffering is caused by desire, (craving, clinging, grasping).
There is nothing either good or evil, thinking makes it so. If you can control your mind you have nothing else you need to control. p. 15
4 Noble Truths Three Signs of Being, Eightfold path, The Five Vows, and the three Refuges.p 22
Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering. p. 22
Three Sisgns of Being 1. Frustration. 2. Impermanence 3. Nonself ( no ego) * * *
Four Noble Truths 2. Desire, cloning, grasping (when you hold onto yourself so tightly that you
strange yourself that is truth 2, Trishna * * * Trishna from ignorance p. 24
3d Truth is Nirvana (exhale, blowing out self) p. 24
Let go, don't cling, and you will be in a state of nirvana. p. 25
Religion is when you carry the raft on your back after you have crossed the river and it is no longer needed, p. 26
Truth 4 . Path (Narga). 8 methods of practice on this path starting with three components -- right view, right consideration, and right speech. p. 27 * * *
. . . in Buddhism it is taught that everything (in the universe )depends on everything else. p. 27
Next, three more paths -- right action, right livelihood, and right effort. Leading to three refuges and five views. Three refuges are .1, the Buddha, 2 Dharma or doctrine, and 3. sangha, of the fellowship of all those who are on the way. * * *
The five vows to undertake to abstain from taking life. From taking what is not given, from exploiting the passions, from falsifying speech, and from being intoxicated. p. 28
Yesterday does not exist. Tomorrow never comes. There is only today. * * *
Eightfold path last point . . . integrated consciousness -- you are what you know. p. 30
when you exhale in nirvana there will well up in you what the Buddhists call karma, or compassion. p. 31
The flash of lightning is a Buddhist cliche for the transiency of the world. p. 34 !!!!!!
. . . real religion gives no sign of being religious. 36
The manifestation of the universe that we call things all imply each other. We know what we are only in relation to what we are not. * * *
The wind in the pine trees is not sighing; you are projecting sighing onto the trees. p. 45
Buddhism . . . does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. p. 55 !!!!!
So what will you do with a person who believes that the world is flat? There is no way of reasoning with him. p. 58
camera -- I had a little box with which I went around grabbing life. p. 85
if we have a reminder talisman we refer to for "comfort" That is a clinging to memory which holds you to the past and to death. * * * " that person is not really living. They are stuck in the past. * * *
There is only the eternal now. p. 86
and other eastern views of followers of Buddhism. Goes through the four noble truths, etc.
relating them more clearly than most and with many insights from his studies in the eastern countries.
. . . Buddhism . . . is not frantically concerned with being good: it is concerned with being wise. p. 3
Buddha means the one who is awakened (like Christ is not the last name of Jesus). . . . Buddhas is the man who woke up, who discovered who he really was. p. 6
Buddhism does not believe in any immortal should or seek any solace in any idea of life after death. * * * There is nothing you can hold on to, so, let go. p * * * Nirvana means to blow out. p. 7
The Buddhism teacher is getting rid of your crazy ideas for you, which you use to cling to life and make it dead. P. 8
Buddha himself wrote nothing. p. 11
Noble Truths 1. The problem is suffering,
2. suffering is caused by desire, (craving, clinging, grasping).
There is nothing either good or evil, thinking makes it so. If you can control your mind you have nothing else you need to control. p. 15
4 Noble Truths Three Signs of Being, Eightfold path, The Five Vows, and the three Refuges.p 22
Four Noble Truths 1. Suffering. p. 22
Three Sisgns of Being 1. Frustration. 2. Impermanence 3. Nonself ( no ego) * * *
Four Noble Truths 2. Desire, cloning, grasping (when you hold onto yourself so tightly that you
strange yourself that is truth 2, Trishna * * * Trishna from ignorance p. 24
3d Truth is Nirvana (exhale, blowing out self) p. 24
Let go, don't cling, and you will be in a state of nirvana. p. 25
Religion is when you carry the raft on your back after you have crossed the river and it is no longer needed, p. 26
Truth 4 . Path (Narga). 8 methods of practice on this path starting with three components -- right view, right consideration, and right speech. p. 27 * * *
. . . in Buddhism it is taught that everything (in the universe )depends on everything else. p. 27
Next, three more paths -- right action, right livelihood, and right effort. Leading to three refuges and five views. Three refuges are .1, the Buddha, 2 Dharma or doctrine, and 3. sangha, of the fellowship of all those who are on the way. * * *
The five vows to undertake to abstain from taking life. From taking what is not given, from exploiting the passions, from falsifying speech, and from being intoxicated. p. 28
Yesterday does not exist. Tomorrow never comes. There is only today. * * *
Eightfold path last point . . . integrated consciousness -- you are what you know. p. 30
when you exhale in nirvana there will well up in you what the Buddhists call karma, or compassion. p. 31
The flash of lightning is a Buddhist cliche for the transiency of the world. p. 34 !!!!!!
. . . real religion gives no sign of being religious. 36
The manifestation of the universe that we call things all imply each other. We know what we are only in relation to what we are not. * * *
The wind in the pine trees is not sighing; you are projecting sighing onto the trees. p. 45
Buddhism . . . does not tell you anything. It does not require you to believe in anything. It is a dialogue. p. 55 !!!!!
So what will you do with a person who believes that the world is flat? There is no way of reasoning with him. p. 58
camera -- I had a little box with which I went around grabbing life. p. 85
if we have a reminder talisman we refer to for "comfort" That is a clinging to memory which holds you to the past and to death. * * * " that person is not really living. They are stuck in the past. * * *
There is only the eternal now. p. 86
December 20, 2020
I could not understand most of the descriptions of Buddhism Watts tried to provide here. His thoughts were disorganized, as if he was speaking off the cuff and trying to squeeze in a vague concept here and there. He leans heavily on examples that are little more than nonsensical analogies. Here's a random excerpt:
Ji ji muge is when you offer somebody the grain of sand without thinking about eternity. There is no difference between the grain of sand and eternity. You do not have to think about eternity as something implied by the grain of sand. The grain of sand is eternity. In exactly the same way,
our sitting here at this moment is not something different from nirvana. We are in nirvana sitting here exactly as we are. You do not have to make any philosophical comment on the grain of sand or on our sitting here.
This entire lecture feels much like high-school English class where entire classrooms try to pick apart classic literature looking for symbolism, allegory, kennings, and other treasure the author never buried. All in the name of making something more academic than it needs to be.
Ji ji muge is when you offer somebody the grain of sand without thinking about eternity. There is no difference between the grain of sand and eternity. You do not have to think about eternity as something implied by the grain of sand. The grain of sand is eternity. In exactly the same way,
our sitting here at this moment is not something different from nirvana. We are in nirvana sitting here exactly as we are. You do not have to make any philosophical comment on the grain of sand or on our sitting here.
This entire lecture feels much like high-school English class where entire classrooms try to pick apart classic literature looking for symbolism, allegory, kennings, and other treasure the author never buried. All in the name of making something more academic than it needs to be.
June 19, 2021
I used to read Alan Watts's books on Eastern religions all the time, so I am pleasantly surprised after a long absence still finding him such an excellent teacher. There are any number of books about Buddhism that will tell you the three this and the seventeen that and the thirty-two whatevers, but very few indeed that will give you a peak behind the curtain. Buddhism: The Religion of No-Religion gave me a better sense of Buddhism by indicating what is important. I particularly enjoyed his chapter entitled "Buddhism As Dialogue" about Zen. I thought he nailed it better than anyone else I've ever read.
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October 3, 2021I found some of these lectures on Youtube, loved them and checked this out of the library, but I think Watts is more charismatic and fun to listen to than to read. That said, this was the perfect length to get through in solitude at a remote campsite from sweltering 2PM-7PM twilight while trying to ignore the fact I was on a desert ridge that was hot AF and I was leaving sweat angels on my sleeping bag and worrying the 9 pounds of water I had backpacked in for the day might not be enough... But if I had anything else competing for my attention, this would have been a DNF.
Maybe it should have DNF'ed with so much of the message being about staying in the present and not being so attached to problems that you feel the need to seek out spiritual gurus to help you solve those problems.
Maybe it should have DNF'ed with so much of the message being about staying in the present and not being so attached to problems that you feel the need to seek out spiritual gurus to help you solve those problems.
August 12, 2025
This compilation of 6 of Watts' presentations lays out the origins of Buddhism, the structures, and some of the forms that have evolved. Mostly, though, it is an opportunity to reflect as a clear, calm, often funny voice talks about who we are and what we can do about it
He explores -- and glories in -- the balances of thinking about such huge topics, noting that neither the past nor the future actually exist because they are hallucinations, but the present, which does exist is often the reflection of the past and/or the plan for the future, and suddenly it, too, enters the realm of hallucinations.
and yet it's all magical. Life, the people and world in our lives, the patterns and sequences that we live again and again. Always fascinating. Always challenging. Always inside all of us.
He is a good speaker/writer who leaves the reader to ponder -- or not -- as they will.
He explores -- and glories in -- the balances of thinking about such huge topics, noting that neither the past nor the future actually exist because they are hallucinations, but the present, which does exist is often the reflection of the past and/or the plan for the future, and suddenly it, too, enters the realm of hallucinations.
and yet it's all magical. Life, the people and world in our lives, the patterns and sequences that we live again and again. Always fascinating. Always challenging. Always inside all of us.
He is a good speaker/writer who leaves the reader to ponder -- or not -- as they will.
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June 15, 2021Một khái quát về đạo Phật và các giáo lý cốt lõi của nó = tổng hợp những bài thảo luận của Alan Watts khi ông sang Nhật Bản và ở Mỹ. Chỗ hiểu chỗ không, dù là giới thiệu nhưng không có nghĩa là nắm được hoàn toàn. Nó có phải một cuốn sách giới thiệu “tốt” về Phật giáo hông ? Có thể lắm ! Tui biết được nhiều hơn về Phật giáo qua cuốn sách này, đáng đọc, bởi lẽ ta tìm đến một quyển sách để nó làm ta bất ngờ với những điều mới mẻ chứ đâu phải một danh sách toàn những điều ta đã biết đâu. Tuy nhiên,khi vẫn đang chân ướt chân ráo ở dưới đất thì hông biết được nó thật sự ra sao cả, tui sẽ đọc lại lần 2 khi đã thấy mình đủ vững vàng, khi đó sẽ có đánh giá vậy.
July 5, 2021
"That is the meaning of the unity of samsara and nirvana. One the one hand, you let go of everything and live in the eternal now because that is all there is. Memory is an illusion; it is all gone. Everything that has made an impression on you is gone. That is the meaning of maya, or illusion. There is only the eternal now, the present moment, and there never will be anything else. All remembering occurs in the present; memory exists in the eternal now.
On the other hand, what fun to drag life out and make it echo and get involved with it, and to fall in love and become attached."
I like that.
On the other hand, what fun to drag life out and make it echo and get involved with it, and to fall in love and become attached."
I like that.
November 1, 2024
M’y main criticism is the need in this book to put down Christianity or to discuss it at all. I understand the concept of comparison. However it seems like a bit of bible bashing went on here when I expected more to just be about Buddhism and it’s teachings or thoughts. That said some of what is said in here I went hmm. Sounds vaguely familiar to other teachings but just put in a different way.
That said I also was pretty compelled by a lot of the concepts in here. And that is what gets it a two star not a one star. Where it teaches of Buddhist concepts without the need to criticise other group thoughts I found this fascinating.
That said I also was pretty compelled by a lot of the concepts in here. And that is what gets it a two star not a one star. Where it teaches of Buddhist concepts without the need to criticise other group thoughts I found this fascinating.
November 3, 2025
Disfruto mucho de los libros de Alan Watts, pero este, en particular, me ha gustado mucho y me ha parecido muy interesante. No cabe duda de que este tipo de lecturas nos "llega" según nuestro estado emocional y espiritual; así que es posible que esas cinco estrellas que le di como valoración hayan estado influidas por mi estado particular cuando leí el libro. Si es así, valga, entonces, como una valoración conjunta del texto de Watts y de apertura sensible al momento de leerlo. No está nada mal eso (es la primera vez que valoro un libro incluyéndome en esa valoración comparte activa. Creo que es una idea a tener en cuenta).
February 6, 2018
"Buddhism the Religion of No Religion" is and excellent general overview of Buddhism. The author states that Buddhism cannot be classified as a religion in which there is a higher power to be worshiped. Buddhism is interested in experience only and emphasizes that the separate ego does not exist but is transcended by the ultimate reality of experience. Although not and easy book to comprehend, it does provide an excellent introduction to Buddhist thought including Zen and the Tibetan tradition
January 12, 2022
El mejor libro sobre budismo que he leído, la forma de contextualizarlo, hablando primero sobre las raíces hindúes, un pequeño recorrido histórico, la forma de explicarlo de una manera sencilla y sin dárselas de complejo, este señor es genial y este libro también lo es.
Bien leído, en este libro se encuentra todo lo que se necesita saber sobre budismo, para encontrar el camino es más que suficiente con todo lo que se expone aquí.
Posiblemente uno de los libros más importantes de mi vida a título personal.
Bien leído, en este libro se encuentra todo lo que se necesita saber sobre budismo, para encontrar el camino es más que suficiente con todo lo que se expone aquí.
Posiblemente uno de los libros más importantes de mi vida a título personal.
May 18, 2023
Wspaniała książka pokazująca buddyzm takim jakim jest. Pokazujące że jest on drogą życia, bardziej niż religią. Alan walc to świetny mówca i książka ta jako transkrypcja jego wywiadów zdradzę się znakomicie. Niejednokrotnie Uśmiechnąłem się lub nawet zaśmiałem przy okazji jego wnikliwych anegdot dotykających buddyzmu. Przy tym wszystkim, autor nie próbuję gloryfikować buddyzmu czy swojej postawy, a przeciwnie momentami wydaje się nawet odradzać, by podążać tą ścieżką. Co oczywiście też jest jedną ze ścieżek Zen.
January 14, 2025
While there were some nuggets of information that peaked through, I didn't feel overall any more wiser on the subject than before I started. I did enjoy the fact they were from his actual seminars, so I understand a lot of the pacing was due to that. It felt overly concerned with comparison to Christianity and the to be or not to be bit definitely threw me. Overall, I did enjoy it but I feel like it tried to toe the line between being a basic summary for beginners and also a deeper review for more familiar students of Buddhism and thus didn't quite reach both standards.
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