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It's so important to consider this question: What do I desire?

Alan Watts

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Alan Watts
Age: 58 †
Born: 1915
Born: January 6
Died: 1973
Died: November 16
Anglican Priest
Author
Dramaturge
Musician
Philosopher
Theologian
Videographer
Writer
Kent
England
Question
Desire
Important
Consider

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To remain caught up in ideas and words about Zen is, as the old masters say, to stink of Zen.
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Increasingly, we're developing all kinds of systems for verifying reality by echoing it.
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Think about a piece of music - some great symphony - we don't expect it to get better as it develops, or that its whole purpose is to reach the final crescendo. The joy is found in listening to the music in each moment.
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Philosophy is man’s expression of curiosity about everything and his attempt to make sense of the world primarily through his intellect.
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It is interesting that Hindus, when they speak of the creation of the universe do not call it the work of God, they call it the play of God, the Vishnu lila, lila meaning play. And they look upon the whole manifestation of all the universes as a play, as a sport, as a kind of dance — lila perhaps being somewhat related to our word lilt
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For we have never actually understood the revolutionary sense beneath them – the incredible truth that what religion calls the vision of God is found in giving up any belief in the idea of God.
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And the attitude of faith is the very opposite of clinging to belief, of holding on.
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A person who thinks too much only ever thinks about his thoughts
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Enlightenment remains unrealized so long as it is considered as a specific state to be attained, and for which there are standards of success.
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Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.
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It is hard indeed to notice anything for which the languages available to us have no description.
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There is no formula for generating the authentic warmth of love. It cannot be copied.
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To the Taoist mentality, the aimless, empty life does not suggest anything depressing. On the contrary, it suggests the freedom of clouds and mountain streams, wandering nowhere, of flowers in impenetrable canyons, beautiful for no one to see, and of the ocean surf forever washing the sand, to no end.
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The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity and it is really impossible to tell whether something that happens in it is good or bad. Because you never know what will be the consequences of the misfortune. Or, you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.
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A paradox is only a truth standing on its head to attract attention.
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