Alan Watts

[Mudhammam]

I have his book "On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are." My feelings on it are mixed. On the one hand, I don't dismiss his ideas as vapid and meaningless---I think to do so is probably to misunderstand him or be too simple-minded. There's a lot of truth to his insights and he always has an interesting take on things. On the other hand, while I like reading about mystics, I'd rather view the world as it "really is," as much as possible, and not what feels practical or merely "true for me," though I don't doubt there is a time and place for that. What I mean to say is that I think Watts is correct about the illusion of the ego but I also don't think objects "out there" in the world aren't really "out there."