Finished Taoism: Way Beyond Seeking
Last night I finished reading Taoism: Way Beyond Seeking by Alan Watts. I really liked it, because it contained in text many of the ideas that I have heard him talk about in recorded lectures – but then again, this book is basically just transcripts from such talks, edited by his son, Mark Watts.
Perhaps this book would be too fragmentary to those who aren’t familiar with Watts. But I’d recommend this book to anyone that’s read about Taoism and Zen and want more. There are lots of stories and ideas in it that explain subtle aspects of both philosophies in an excellent way.
My favorite things in it are his explanations of the interdependence of all things (about how seemingly separate things really are “joined by space”) and the ideas of “uncarved block” and “unbleached silk” together with his writing about using “controlled accidents” in any creative process. The latter seems very close to chaords: where true creativity consists of skill fueled by inspiration.