review: alan watts reading - thinking differently · review: alan watts reading in the reading,...

REVIEW:

ALAN WATTS READING

In the reading, Watt’s presents two “stories”.

• The true nature of reality.

• The true nature of our personal identity.

REALITY?

• Reality isn’t a thing. It’s one big process.

• We chop it up into parts in time.

• We chop it up into parts in space.

• Which makes it seem like the world is made up of parts that follow laws of cause and effect.

REVIEW

PERSONAL IDENTITY: WHO ARE WE?

Watts is slowly, but surely, telling us an Eastern (Hindu) story for who we really are.

If no “things” exist and all is a process, then who/what are we?

Question: When did the Big Bang end?

What is the true identify of a leaf?

REVIEW:

PERSONAL IDENTITY?

True self: You are all there is.

You are the universe experiencing itself.

WATTS ON THE HUMAN CONDITION:

“WE NEED TO WAKE UP”

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

Can you see why the hippies loved this?

• Eastern philosophy as practical philosophy.

• Eastern philosophy as experiential and very closely associated to observations of nature.

• Eastern philosophy as more metaphorical and hence more poetic.

• More poetic = more accurate?

HISTORY OF HISTORY OF HISTORY OF HISTORY OF HINDUISHINDUISHINDUISHINDUISMMMM

• No No No No particular particular particular particular founderfounderfounderfounder

• Ideas are 4000+ years oldIdeas are 4000+ years oldIdeas are 4000+ years oldIdeas are 4000+ years old

• Sacred Texts:Sacred Texts:Sacred Texts:Sacred Texts:

• Vedas Vedas Vedas Vedas (myths & rituals)(myths & rituals)(myths & rituals)(myths & rituals)

• UpanishadsUpanishadsUpanishadsUpanishads (philosophy, particularly metaphysics)(philosophy, particularly metaphysics)(philosophy, particularly metaphysics)(philosophy, particularly metaphysics)

HINDU COSMOLOGY

• One impersonal, ultimate reality (ground of all being) called Brahman.

• Individual self is Atman.

• Trapped in suffering through The Wheel of Samsara

• Rebirth governed by Karma.

• Trapped due to Maya.

• Escape Samsara after “awaken” to realization that Atman is Brahman. (Moksha)

As a result, what has Hindu philosophy said about…

• The nature of reality?• Not comprised of separate things, but one big process, or unfolding.

• The nature of personal identity?• You are not your brain, body, or memory. • You are the whole universe being aware of itself from a particular point of view.

• The nature of knowledge? Truth?• All knowledge is “maya” other than the truth about who you really are.

• The nature of free will?• Yes, since your choices affect your Karma, but your circumstances at your birth are

determined.

• The nature of time?• Cyclical

HINDU PHILOSOPHY

SUPERHERO ORIGIN STORY?

THE BUDDHA STORY

Buddha is not a name!

Buddha = “enlightened one”

Siddhartha Siddhartha Siddhartha Siddhartha Gautama Gautama Gautama Gautama –––– noble birth in noble birth in noble birth in noble birth in India, 563 B.C.E.India, 563 B.C.E.India, 563 B.C.E.India, 563 B.C.E.

BORN A PRINCE

THE FOUR SIGHTS:

OLD AGE

THE FOUR SIGHTS:

SICKNESS

THE FOUR SIGHTS:

DEATH

THE FOUR SIGHTS:

A MONK

HOW CAN YOU STOP

SICKNESS, DEATH, OLD AGE?

LEAVES HIS RICHES

AND SEARCHES FOR ANSWERS

LIVES THE LIFE OF A BEGGAR

BECOMES A STUDENT

RIGOROUS SPIRITUAL

PRACTICES

PEACE UNDER

THE BODHI TREE

THE NATURE OF REALITY:

BUDDHA’S METAPHYSICS

• The Three Marks of Existence (Conditioned Reality)

• The Four Noble Truths (Realities)

When he looked at reality,

what did he see?



1.1.1.1. DukkhaDukkhaDukkhaDukkha: : : : LLLLife ife ife ife in this world is filled with in this world is filled with in this world is filled with in this world is filled with suffering.suffering.suffering.suffering.

THE 3 MARKS OF EXISTENCE


what else did he see?



2. 2. 2. 2. AniccaAniccaAniccaAnicca: : : : EEEEverything verything verything verything in this world is in this world is in this world is in this world is impermanentimpermanentimpermanentimpermanent



what else did he see?



3.3.3.3. AnattaAnattaAnattaAnatta: : : : TTTThe self also changeshe self also changeshe self also changeshe self also changes;;;; no permanent self . no permanent self . no permanent self . no permanent self .

• Body continually change.

• Thoughts continually change.

• Our relationships to the world and others continually change.

*Suffering often stems from clinging to permanent notions of the self (self-image, ego).

*Hindu striving for self-realization (“I am the universe”) can make this worse.


GROUP DISCUSSION

How is the Buddha’s notion of the ‘self’ different than the one espoused by Hindu philosophy (via our Alan Watts reading) and traditional western approaches to personal identity?

THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS

#1. #1. #1. #1. DukkhaDukkhaDukkhaDukkha: : : : Life in this world is filled with suffering


#2. Cause of Suffering: Craving and Clinging#2. Cause of Suffering: Craving and Clinging#2. Cause of Suffering: Craving and Clinging#2. Cause of Suffering: Craving and ClingingThe cause of suffering is self-centered desire

& attachments to what is impermanent.

Let’s take a look:

• Not having what you desire

• Becoming attached to things that inherently change.

So how can we end suffering?


#3. #3. #3. #3. The solution is to eliminate desire (craving) and The solution is to eliminate desire (craving) and The solution is to eliminate desire (craving) and The solution is to eliminate desire (craving) and attachment, thus achieving attachment, thus achieving attachment, thus achieving attachment, thus achieving NirvanaNirvanaNirvanaNirvana


#4. #4. #4. #4. The way to The way to The way to The way to NirvanaNirvanaNirvanaNirvana is is is is through through through through TTTThe Eighthe Eighthe Eighthe Eight----Fold PathFold PathFold PathFold Path

Be more consciously aware of what and how you think and behave.

Garbage in, garbage out.

GROUP DISCUSSION

• How is the Buddha’s approach to reality different than the one espoused by Hindu philosophy (via our Alan Watts reading) and traditional western approaches to the nature of reality?

THE BUDDHA’S EPISTEMOLOGY

• Nowhere does the Buddha separate reason from experience.

• Doesn’t see knowledge in the same way as the west. Not a battle between rationalism and empiricism.

• Reason is the way we understand experience.

• All knowledge should be tested through experience. “Try it yourself…See for yourself…”

As a result, what has Buddha’s philosophy said about…

• The nature of reality?• Is filled with suffering and impermanent.

• The nature of personal identity?• There is no permanent, separate self.

• Just a collection of experiences, sensations, and thoughts that change moment by moment.

• The nature of knowledge? Truth?• Knowledge is gained through personal experience.

• The most important knowledge is about how to live in the world.

BUDDHA’S PHILOSOPHY

TAOIST PHILOSOPHY

• Taoist philosophy originated in China 2500+ yrs ago.

• It’s primary text is short book of short words of wisdom entitled the Tao Te Ching

• The author is often referred to as Lao Tzu (“old master”).

LAO TZU’S

ORIGIN STORY

THE NATURE OF REALITY


what did he see?

1. The Tao

2. A World of Opposites

TAO: “THE WAY”TAO: “THE WAY”

From Ch.1 of the Tao Te Ching

The tao that can be toldis not the eternal TaoThe name that can be namedis not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.Naming is the originof all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

THE TAO

So what did he see?

1. There seems to be a natural intelligence to life.• Examples?

• Think of the growth of a person• Think of the body’s processes• Think of nature, and the web of life.

2. There seems to be natural ebbs and flows to life.• Examples?

The Tao is…-This natural intelligence-This natural flow of life

THE TAO

Ch. 30 of the Tao Te Ching

The Great Tao flows everywhere.

It may go left or right

All things depend on it for life.

and it does not turn away from them.

It accomplishes its task, but does not claim

credit for it.

It clothes and feeds all things

but does not claim to be master over them.

A WORLD OF OPPOSITES

The principle of Yin and Yang :

• No black without white, no hot without cold, no long without short, no creation without destruction.

YIN-YANG: INTERPLAY OF OPPOSITESYIN-YANG: INTERPLAY OF OPPOSITES

Ch. 2 of the Tao Ch. 2 of the Tao Ch. 2 of the Tao Ch. 2 of the Tao TeTeTeTe ChingChingChingChing

When people see some things as beautiful,other things become ugly.When people see some things as good,other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.Difficult and easy support each other.Long and short define each other.High and low depend on each other.Before and after follow each other.

YIN-YANG OF LIFE

Have you ever…

• Gotten in your own way?

• Thought too much about a decision?

• Missed an opportunity because you were too preoccupied or stressed to see it?

• Did something through brute force, and later realized there was an easier way?

• Felt like things came naturally?

• Felt as if something came “through you” rather than by you.

• Lost yourself in an activity?

• Felt as if everything was going right?

IN FLOW WITH THE TAO

What makes floating difficult?

HOW TO BE IN FLOW WITH THE TAO?

Wu-wei

Literally means “non-action.”

� Act without doing; Work without effort.--Chapter 63

� But it really means…

� to not force things.

� to let go of the need for control.

� to go with the flow.

� to align yourself with the Tao; be in harmony with the natural movement of the universe.

SIMPLE EXAMPLES OF

WU-WEI

WU-WEI AND THE FORCE

Obi-Wan: Use the Force, Luke.Luke looks up, then starts to look back into the targeting device. He has second thoughts.Obi-Wan: Let go, Luke.

True mastery can be gainedBy letting things go their own way.It can't be gained by interfering.--Chapter 48

Wu-wei means living simply, having patience, and going with the flow of the Tao.

WU-WEI AS

“GOING WITH THE FLOW”

THE POWER FROM WU-WEI:

BEING IN FLOW OR IN “THE ZONE”

GROUP DISCUSSION

What is the Taoist notion of wu wei and what specific examples can you think of when it may have been a useful approach to your own life?

As a result, what has Taoist philosophy said about…

• The nature of reality?• The Tao:

• Indescribable natural intelligence that ebbs & flows.

• Comprised of opposites in balance.

• The nature of knowledge? Truth?• True knowledge indescribable with language.

• Truth is the way of the Tao.

• The nature of free will?• Yes. You can choose to go with the current or against it.

TAOIST PHILOSOPHY

FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS

• Form groups of 3-6.

• In your groups, reflect on the possible final exam questions.

• Then vote on…

• 1) which question you would most like to answer on the exam and

• 2) which you would least like to answer.

PRACTICALITY OF TAOIST

PHILOSOPHY

Our view of reality is so perverse that we struggle to do what is simple, and make hard what is naturally easy.

• Practical Concern:

• Wisdom is knowledge how, rather than knowledge that.

• Not a philosophy of what things are, but a philosophy of how to live life.

• Paying attention to how things are, rather than stressing over how we desire them to be.

EASTERN PHILOSOPHY

• Eastern philosophy as practical philosophy.

• Eastern philosophy as experiential and very closely associated to observations of nature.

• Eastern philosophy as more metaphorical and hence more poetic.

• More poetic = more accurate?

• Can’t we take a more practical, experiential approach to western philosophy too?

review: alan watts reading - thinking differently · review: alan watts reading in the reading,...

Documents