Watch Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life

1971
1 Season

Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life is an educational television series. It features information on Eastern religions and philosophy. Alan Watts was a philosopher and an expert on comparative religion. In this series he focuses on bringing the information about religious and spiritual philosophy of the East to viewers in the Western world. His series focuses on both the differences and similarities of these views. He explains the philosophies of Easterners to dispel misconceptions. East and West have very different religions, views on life and philosophies. This expert focuses on explaining those differences for better understanding of the subject.

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Seasons

18. Buddhism And Christianity

December 31, 1960

Alan Watts brings his expertise to bear in this presentation of Mahayana Buddhist and traditional Christian world views (he was once an Episcopal priest), and how to bring the two together.

17. Zen In Fencing And Judo

December 31, 1960

Alan Watts demonstrates how the Taoist influence in Aikido and Judo also influenced swordsmanship.

16. Zen In Gardens And Architecture

December 31, 1960

Alan Watts speaks about the remarkable integration of traditional Japanese homes and gardens within the rural landscape, and the celebration of natural forms of mountains and waters in Zen gardens.

15. Zen In Painting

December 31, 1960

This program focuses on Zen-inspired brush painting in the Chinese and Japanese traditions, and it looks at the approach of the contemporary artist Sabro Hasegawa in his inspired return to primitivity in the arts.

14. The Life Of Zen

December 31, 1960

A look inside Zen monastic life and practice reveals a culture of dialog and subtle humor between master and student.

13. Omnipotence

December 31, 1959

Watts explores the contrast between organic and mechanical world views and the difference between the growing process and the making process, and he explains why one corresponds to a democratic principle and the other to a monarchical hierarchy.

12. Law And Order

December 31, 1959

Alan Watts speaks on the contrast between organic and legalistic views of the order of nature, the former being based on visual pattern intelligence and the latter on verbal conventions.

11. On Being Vague

December 31, 1959

The idea of clear-cut "definiteness" reflects as a sharp and somewhat hostile attitude to life. In this talk, Alan Watts shows the value of the vague and gentle approach reflected in Far Eastern poetry and painting.

10. Nonsense

December 31, 1959

Sense or meaning is a property ascribed to symbols rather than the real word. Alan Watts uses this differentiation as a prelude to the Taoist and Zen Buddhist idea of the perfectly "purposeless" life and its parallels in Christianity.

9. Pain

December 31, 1959

Alan Watts discusses the Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist ideas about physical and moral pain, emphasizing the art of accepting pain by ridding it of its contextual associations.

8. Queries And Sources

December 31, 1959

Alan Watts reveals his research resources for the series of Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life thus far, and he answers questions about points in the previous programs. He recommends books for further study.

7. Recollection

December 31, 1959

This program focuses on the East Indian idea that we have forgotten who or what we really are through identifying ourselves with the individual personality. The person or "persona" is also discussed as the social or dramatic mask assumed in daily life.

6. On Death

December 31, 1959

Alan Watts explores Buddhist ideas of the value of death as the great renovator, including the Wheel of Life, and the idea of reincarnation as it is understood by philosophical Buddhists.

5. The Silent Mind

December 31, 1959

One who talks all the time can never hear what others say. And one who thinks all the time has nothing to think about except thoughts. Alan Watts examines the value of silent-mindedness or the practice of meditation in Hinduism and Buddhism.

4. The Void

December 31, 1959

Buddhism symbolizes its basic spiritual experience as a void, but Alan Watts explains this must not be taken literally. Watts explores the void as a symbol of freedom and of a world feeling which can be described poetically though not logically as the "absolute rightness" of every moment.

3. Time

December 31, 1959

This program looks at the East Indian concept of time and the illusion of living for the future as the tomorrow that never comes. Plans for the future are only useful for those able to live fully in the present.

2. Things And Thinks

December 31, 1959

Alan Watts presents an explanation of the East Indian idea of maya: the division of the world into separate things and events is a work of human thought and not a fact of nature. Watts examines the disastrous consequences of confusing thought with fact.

1. Man And Nature

December 31, 1971

Alan Watts speaks on the contrast between classical Chinese and historic Western attitudes in regard to man's place in nature. Do we see ourselves as nature's conquerors or collaborators?

Description

East and West have very different religions, views on life and philosophies. This expert focuses on explaining those differences for better understanding of the subject.

Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (18 episodes). The series first aired on December 31, 1971.

Where to Watch Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life

Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life is available for streaming on the Gaiam website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Alan Watts On Eastern Wisdom & Modern Life on demand at Amazon Prime, Amazon, Hoopla and Apple TV.

Genres

Documentary & Biography
Channel

Gaiam

Premiere Date

December 31, 1971

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