Ep. 30 – Flow: Symbolic Reality vs. Real Reality

Alan Watts Being in the Way

Be Here Now Network / Love Serve Remember Foundation

Zen, Eastern Philosophy, Dao, Spirituality, Tao, Education, Society & Culture, Buddhism, Alan Watts, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Self-improvement, Taoism, Being In The Way

4.9 • 748 Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2024

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In a lecture on symbolic reality versus real reality, Alan Watts explains the importance of total sensory awareness and looking at our motivations.

"Symbolic Reality vs. Real Reality" is part of Flow, a three-part session in the TAO for NOW series of talks that you can listen to in full over at the Alan Watts Streaming Channel

Today’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/alan and get on your way to being your best self.

This time on Being in the Way, Alan Watts discusses:

Being aware of all sensory inputs while meditating
Allowing oneself ‘to be’ in a non-conceptual way
Confusing the world of symbols for reality
The limits to what we can enjoy in a material sense
The uselessness of guilt
Money, tithes, and western religion versus gurus
Why our motivation and intention matters
Experiencing life naked and directly
The Taoist approach to letting go of your body-mind
Using all five of our senses to witness our surroundings

This series is brought to you by the Alan Watts Organization and Ram Dass’ Love Serve Remember Foundation. Visit Alanwatts.org for full talks from Alan Watts.

“The point is to be wide, wide awake and aware of your total sensory input without confusing it with the symbolic world of words and concepts so that you experience life naked and directly. Experience YOU naked and directly, without having in your head the concept of who you are a a role player, as a personality, as an ego.” – Alan Watts

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.
0:04.8	With the new year here, so many of us have made resolutions about things we'd like to change.
0:11.1	But life isn't about resolutions that fade by February.
0:15.9	Life is about picking up the pen and becoming the author of your own story.
0:24.0	So what do you want your 2025 story to be?
0:28.2	Maybe you're looking to introduce a new character in the form of a romance,
0:31.3	or you're ready for a surprising plot twist.
0:34.6	Think of therapy as your editorial partner,
0:39.5	helping you write new chapters and create the meaningful story you deserve to live.
0:45.4	Working with a therapist on a regular basis is a great way to improve communication skills.
0:52.2	Learn to resolve conflict, increase self-awareness, develop healthy coping strategies, alter negative behaviors, build stronger relationships, and much more.
0:58.0	Better help is entirely online, making therapy, affordable, and convenient.
1:04.0	You'll have access to a diverse network of more than 30,000 credentialed therapists with a wide range of specialties.
1:16.1	Plus, you can easily switch therapist anytime at no extra cost.
1:18.9	Write your story with BetterHelp.
1:24.7	Visit BetterHelp.com slash Allen today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp.
1:26.6	H-E-L-P.com slash Alan.
1:30.3	You all know what reality is, and it doesn't have to be explained to you. And if you try to define it, you'll become a professional philosopher,
1:48.0	and you will eventually shrivel up and die.
1:52.0	But you know what it is.
1:58.0	Welcome to the Alan Watts podcast, Being in the Way.
2:03.8	I'm your host, Mark Watts, and today we're going to be hearing more new material on Taoism.
	...

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