Alan Watts discusses interesting topics such as the concept of nirvana and its relationship to ordinary life, the significance of accepting mortality, the illusion of the separate self, and the importance of the void in Buddhism. The podcast also explores the resistance to death in Western society and the connection between language doubling and anxiety.
Nirvana is not separate from ordinary life, but the viewpoint and attachment create the illusion of a separate self.
Embracing death as liberation allows individuals to find peace and facilitate a joyful transition.
Deep dives
The Importance of Embracing Change and Transience in Buddhism
Buddhism emphasizes the significance of change and transience to unsettle individuals who seek permanence in life. The concept of Mahayana Buddhism aims to understand the central notion of impermanence and seeking liberation from attachment to the ever-changing world. However, seeking a state beyond change still perpetuates the desire for permanence. Buddhists recognize the divide between the Theravada (Hinayana) and Mahayana schools of thought. The Mahayana school teaches that nirvana is not separate from ordinary life and that liberation comes from accepting the ever-changing nature of reality.
The Bodhisattva's Path and Resolving the Illusion of Self
The Mahayana school emphasizes the idea of the Bodhisattva, an awakened being who attains nirvana but returns to everyday life to deliver others. Bodhisattvas are revered in Tibetan, Chinese, and Japanese Buddhism as saviors who embody compassion and assist in liberating all beings. The Bodhisattva's path reveals that nirvana and ordinary life share the same essence, but it is the viewpoint and attachment to permanence that create the illusion of a separate self. Accepting change and relinquishing the resistance to it is crucial in finding liberation.
Changing Perspectives on Death and the Liberation it Offers
The Buddhist perspective on death challenges the Western tendency to avoid and fear it. Death is seen as a positive and natural event, marking the liberation from the burdens of existence. Accepting death opens the possibility of celebrating its inevitability rather than evoking fear and sadness. Embracing death as a liberation allows individuals to let go of possessions and express any unresolved thoughts or feelings. Creating a positive context for death can help individuals find peace and facilitate a joyful transition.
The Doctrine of the Void and the Middle Way
The doctrine of the void, a central concept in Mahayana Buddhism, asserts that reality eludes conceptualization and defies any fixed notions of existence. Embracing the void means embracing transience, recognizing the interconnectedness of all things, and relinquishing attachment to stable identities and concepts. This philosophy, taught by Nagajuna, addresses the limitations of clinging to ideas of permanence, including concepts of God and self. By understanding the void, one can experience liberation from anxiety, embrace change, and tap into the boundless potential of existence.
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Guest speaker: Alan Watts
Alan Watts
PROGRAM NOTES:
[NOTE: All quotations are by Alan Watts.]
"The Bodhisattva returns into the world, that means he has discovered that you don't have to go anywhere to find Nirvana. Nirvana is where you are, provided you don't object to it."
"But the main thing [about death] is the attitude that death is as positive as birth and should be a matter for rejoicing because death is the symbol of the liberation."
"The ordinary world and the Nirvana world they are the same worlds. But what makes the difference is the point of view."
"Everything you know is remembered."
"Always surround death with joyous rites because this is an opportunity for the greatest of all experiences when you can finally let go because you know there's nothing else to do."
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