Up@dawn 2.0

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Alan Watts 3 of 3 by: Brad Parsley


This is “What is the Meaning of God?”.  God is portrayed in a paternal image.  He is the father.  There are various conventions put in place by the church so everyone will conform to the same image.  However, Alan Watts proposes an idea of seeing God in an image that is different than that, an image where one would see God in an image that is totally personal to themselves.  Watts tells the audience to imagine seeing God as a woman instead of a man with a long white beard.  Watts says that image is a foundation for the substance or content, so once one has a better picture of God they would better understand God.  With all of the incredible senses humans possess, one should not cling to the tradition idea of God.  One should look within to find their own concept of God.


This is probably my favorite speaking.  It is called “We are God”.  Alan Watts tells of Jesus Christ saying he is God.  Watts claims Jesus Christ therefore had cosmic conscious or nirvana.  At that time, is was basically treason to say you were speaking as God, but it was alright to speak as an extension of God such as Moses.  However, If you believe God is the one cosmic monarch, then this introduces a form of democracy.  Everyone is a son of God.  “That to know you are God” is another way of saying that you know you are a part of this universe.  In every action you do, you are playing a part of the universe.

Here are some other great lectures on God by Alan Watts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1LzVN8nqg0 (Alan Watts plays the part of God, and he accepts questions from the audience.)


My first 2 installments can be found here:


Installment 2 : http://cophilosophy.blogspot.com/2015/12/alan-watts-2-of-3-by-brad-parsley-as-i.html

1 comment:

  1. "Everyone is a son of God" or no one is. Same message is explicit in Emerson's "Divinity School Address" and implicit in "Self-reliance"... Watts WAS great. Or IS (see the film "Her" to see what might have become of him).

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