Summary of 🧙‍♂️ Alan Watts | Simple Solution To The Confusion In Your Mind | Full Lecture

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00:00:00 - 01:00:00

In this video, Alan Watts discusses the history and practice of Zen Buddhism. He talks about how it is a way of life that trains one's mind to be free from attachments and preconceptions, and how it is the ideal state of mind for Zen practice. He also discusses the concept of "mojo chu," or "going straight ahead," and how it is a principle that helps one to function without attachment.

00:00:00 Zen is a way of life that trains one's mind to be free from attachments and preconceptions. One of the masters once said that mountains are mountains and waters are waters, but when one understands Buddhism, mountains are no longer mountains and waters no longer waters.
00:05:00 Alan Watts discusses the difference between fan and noise, and how the world really is, not as a fan or a back scratcher, but in myriad other forms. This includes the Buddhist concept of vast emptiness and nothing holy, which can be difficult for people to understand. The emperor of China asked Bodhidharma what the first principle of the Buddhist religion was, and Bodhidharma replied "vast emptiness and nothing holy." This contradicted the popular understanding of buddhism at the time, which said that by doing good deeds and practicing religious rituals, one could become liberated and go to a better life in the future. Dogen wrote a book about this, which is called the Shobo Genzo. The zen master told me that it is a terrible book, because it explains everything so clearly and gives away the show. He said that one doesn't need any books to practice zen, and that it is this way of going about things that has fascinated the western world.
00:10:00 Alan Watts discusses zen, which is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism. He says that zen is a subdivision of mahayana, which is influenced by Taoism and Confucianism. He also says zen originated around the year 414, when a great Hindu scholar by the name of Kumar Rajeeva was translating the Buddhist sutras into Chinese. One of his students taught that all beings, even rocks and stones, have the capacity to become buddha. This idea was later brought to Japan by monks.
00:15:00 Alan Watts discusses the difference between living and stone buddhas, and how to be a clear-minded person. He teaches that while you are living, your mind is constantly changing and reacting to your environment; however, when you become a stone Buddha, your mind is still and unaffected. This is the ideal state of mind for Zen practice.
00:20:00 Alan Watts discusses the history and practice of zen Buddhism, which he believes is in its golden age. He notes that zen went through a period of decline in China after it was mixed up with other forms of Buddhism, but it has since regained its prominence in Japan.
00:25:00 This video lectures on the concept of "mojo chu," or "going straight ahead." Alan Watts describes this as the practice of having a mind that is not stopped at any point in its working, and is not fazed by any circumstance. This is in line with the concept of detachment, or not being bogged down by emotions and worries.
00:30:00 Alan Watts discusses the concept of simple solutions to the confusion and confusion in one's mind. He speaks of a man who doesn't depend on anything, a principle often referred to as the "zen principle." The principle helps one to function without attachment, which is difficult for humans to do because we've been raised to believe there are two selves: one the animal self and the civilized self. The problem with this dichotomy is that it's a facade, and one cannot escape from opinion in all matters of belief.
00:35:00 Alan Watts discusses the duality of self, the principle of the separate self, and the inherent problems of trying to resolve conflicts through vague principles.
00:40:00 Alan Watts discusses the importance of overcoming split-mindedness and the steps one can take to start moving in the right direction. He also discusses the idea of being spontaneously aware and how to overcome getting stuck in thought.
00:45:00 Alan Watts discusses how thoughts follow one another without interruption, and how this creates the illusion of a separate thinker controlling our thoughts. He also discusses how this creates inactivity and how to avoid it.
00:50:00 Alan Watts discusses the idea of feedback, how it can lead to confusion, and how human beings are particularly prone to it.
00:55:00 Alan Watts discusses the idea that duality, or the idea that there is an "internal" and "external" world, is an illusion. He says that true experience is a process, not a one-time event, and that it is important to get rid of the illusion of duality between thinker and thought. He suggests that one way to do this is to practice shouting, or "mu," until the person becomes adept at it. This concludes Session Seven of Out of Your Mind Essential listening from the Alan Watts audio archives.

01:00:00 - 01:15:00

Alan Watts discusses the philosophy of zen Buddhism, which emphasizes the importance of sitting meditation and the Four Duties of a Bodhisattva. He points out that while sitting is a key part of zen practice, there are other ways to practice zen as well. Watts advises people to "act when you act, or while you act," and to not get bogged down by the difficulties of life.