Excerpts from the book “Does it Matter?”, by Alan Watts. Alan Wilson Watts (1915 - 1973) was a British philosopher, writer, lecturer and one of the pioneers in the dissemination of Eastern wisdom to the West. Drawing on a wide variety of traditions (such as Chinese philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and modern science), Watts synthesizes the main teachings that allow the individual to encounter his or her deepest nature. With great lucidity of thought and simplicity of language, Watts presents answers to the fundamental misunderstanding, the central mystery of existence, the reality of who we are. As a great interpreter of Eastern disciplines, Watts spread the idea that our conception of ourselves is a myth; that the entities we call “separate things” are merely aspects or characteristics of the same unity. ???? Get Alan Watts' books through our Amazon link: Become What You Are: https://amzn.to/3ySB9D3 Myth and Religion: https://amzn.to/3BnoQQt The Wisdom of Insecurity: https://amzn.to/3e9qb4j Alan Watts' book list: https://amzn.to/3yESbaL “In 1968, not long ago, Congress voted, with much patriotic rhetoric, to impose severe penalties on anyone who dared to burn the United States flag. Yet the very congressmen who passed that law are responsible, by act or omission, for burning, polluting, and looting the territory that the flag was supposed to represent. In this, they exemplified the peculiar and perhaps fatal fallacy of civilization: the confusion of symbol with reality.” Alan Watts. “The 'reality' is in fact mental, or spiritual. I am trying to talk about something inexpressible, and which words and other symbols only represent. As St. Augustine of Hippo said when asked about the nature of time: 'What then is time? If no one asks me, I know; if I want to explain it to someone who asks me, I do not know.' The point is that I am trying to focus attention on what is happening as distinct from the various ways in which it is described by words, numbers, and other symbols." Alan Watts. "When the individual is defined and felt as the personality or a separate ego, he remains unconscious of his real body. How, then, can the sense of self be changed? By scientific education? That convinces the intellect, but not the emotions. By religion? The records do not give us much hope. By psychotherapy? Too slow. If something is to be done about it, and done in time, I must agree with Aldous Huxley that our only recourse may be psychopharmacology, a chemical, a pill, which brings the mind to its senses. While I have much sympathy for these methods (LSD, etc.), I would be as reluctant to try to change the world with psychedelics as I would be to indiscriminately dose everyone with antibiotics. We do not yet know what ecological damage the latter may have caused, how profoundly they may have disturbed certain balances of nature. I have, therefore, another suggestion, perhaps equally unacceptable. That is, simply, that nothing be done about it.” Alan Watts. Songs: Benja - The Barrenness of a Busy Life ( • The Barrenness of a Busy Life ) Buddha Kid - Vacuum ( • Vacuum ) ======================================= ???? Corvo Seco is a study group on non-duality. ???? Help maintain our channel: PIX: [email protected] ???? Instagram: / corvoseco ???? Facebook: / corvoseco ???? Get in touch: [email protected] #AlanWatts #Self-knowledge