This is a fantastic collection of Watts later work, consisting of a selection of short essays and some of his public talks.
He presents the same message over and over (The menu is not the meal) and attempts to show that the organism and the environment are not separate and in fact are completely dependent on one and other.
Watts argues that if this point of view can be achieved there is no fundamental problem because dualism disappears. But in trying to obtain this point of you get further from it, because you’re still looking from the point of view of a separate self trying to get one up on nature. So there's nothing left to do but chuckle ha-ha.
My favourite essay was entitled: "What on Earth are We Doing?” This is where watts challenges the human system and assumptions inherent in your current culture. Watts argues that human beings, using Euclidean intellect of categorising everything, instead of using our organic brain, is progressively wrecking the earth.
Watts is also suggesting that we have priorities mixed up. We have created so many words which we use as goals, "but we have more words than experience for what we mean".
Most of the people from the west, whether knowingly or not seem to get most of their "goals" from a Judeo-Christian upbringing, which Watts suggest leads people to strive for a future goal of heaven, whilst feeling guilty until they get there. This is nicely summed up in a animation vid of a Watts Lecture I recently found on you tube:
I would highly recommend this book as an introduction to the legend Alan Watts, it covers a huge range of issues that, although written nearly 40 years ago, still hold relevance probably even more so today.
Chat to anyone who's listening soon,
Off for a Nap,
Hugs and Licks,
Wooski.
