Do You Do It or Does It Do You?: How to Let the Universe Meditate You Audio CD – Unabridged, December 1, 2005

Anyone who's read the work of Alan Watts will know that his message remains timely & timeless, asking us to pause, reflect, and consider what our lives really are -- who & what WE really are -- and how much of what we take for granted as "real" is no more than an agreed-upon illusion into which we were born. It's an ancient philosophy, present in more than one culture; but it has never been so joyfully & entertainingly presented than by Watts. His prose is supple, witty, accessible -- but hearing him speak simply amplifies those qualities, brings depth of personality in the ideas & words. Quite simply, he's one of those people you could happily listen to for hours, no matter what he might be talking about ... and as it happens, what he's talking about will make you stop the non-stop forward rush of everyday life for a time, make you look at it from the outside & see how much of it is essentially ridiculous & even damaging. The real questions he's asking are: What is the meaning of YOUR life? What are you doing with this precious & fleeting sliver of time & existence that's yours? When your life is over & you look back on it, what do what it to have been -- something you chose, or something that was chosen for you? All of this in that wonderful voice, drawing you in, making you feel utterly & completely at ease -- most highly recommended!

Having read Alan Watts decades ago, I was familiar with his work, but had forgotten just how brilliant and inspiring his writings are. One of the true (and vastly under-appreciated) stars of 20th Century philosophy, Watts' spoken essays are simply astounding.His voice is clear and soothing, with a soft British accent. His ideas are powerful and incredibly lucid. He strings together profound ideas gleaned from Buddhist and Hindu thought, weaving them into poetic braids of enlightenment and inspiration. Lest you worry these will be enigmatic zen-type teachings, rest assured they are conversational in tone and accessible to everyone. It's like listening to a favorite professor espousing lessons that are at once simple yet monumental.This is a perfect audio backdrop for meditative or shamanistic exploration, or for anyone wishing to reconnect with the power and glory of the universe. They're relaxing, and profound enough to be listenable over and over, reinforcing the positive mindset they generate. Unlike some modern philosophers and self-help gurus, Watts never stoops to maudlin reminiscing or cheesy pop philosophy.I was pleasantly surprised to find that it's a four-disk set when it arrived. Each disk is worth the price of the set. Watts' beautiful and elegant words come to life, even more impressive and inspirational than they are in written form... which is saying a lot.

I love Alan Watts and his very homey way of describing the most intricate aspects of Buddhism. It's so logical. And entertaining. His voice alone is soothing and enveloping. I've only listened to the first 2 hours of this recording so far. I like to take these tapes on long International airplane flights. They mellow me out and allow me to drift off to sleep. But then I have to relisten to catch up with his thought process. Still, he is an enlightened and learned person with a lot of insight to share. And a great sense of humor.

How can one not feel calmed, inspired, joyful, intrigued and satisfied from listening to one of the greatest spiritual entertainers of our time. As ever, Alan Watts remains for me as perhaps the most useful spiritual and philosophical conveyers of information and knowledge I have ever had the great fortune to come across. Its not just the knowledge that makes it great, its the humanity and style of Alan Watts that lifts his work and gives it penetrating power for me. Maybe I am biased, maybe I am not as educated as many who may read this, but I have long pondered the mystery of life and I don't know of anyone who is as honest and direct and gentle as Alan Watts in my opinion. I love listening to him.

I've watched over 20 hours of his black and white videos and this audio book was all new information to me! Life changing stuff! Thank you Allan Watts!

Alan Watts is a poetic philosopher who was very popular in the sixties and still has a strong following. To you The Power of Now fans, his work is far beyond Eckhart Tolle - there is no comparison. Read Cloud Hidden, The Book, Zen and the Beat Way, Seeds of Genius, In My Own Way, Nature Man and Woman - and eventually, all of his books. You'll get addicted to his voice. He makes sense. He's comforting. He's wise. Listening to him speak is even better than reading the books. He speaks with an accent that fits his eloquence. Once you hear him, you'll be drawn in and want to read everything he's written.

Alan Watts was a non snobbish, intellectual giant, with a playful, humble way of delivering difficult 'non tangible' philosophical concepts. He's entertaining, fun to listen to and he will definitely take you on a journey. He might even wake you up to do so, if you're lucky.

This changed my life. There are so many gems, but these really helped me: that there is no difference between what you do and what happens to you, you always do what you want, nature of space, "self" and "other" as two sides of the same coin...so many more. If you get what he is saying, it will change your life.

Having loved the audio recordings "Out of Your Mind" by Alan Watts, I was keen to hear more of his lectures. This is a 4 CD set of exceptional quality, both in terms of content and audio quality. In view of the fact that there is a great deal of content online and because I already had listened to the 10 CD "Out of Your Mind" I hesitated a few seconds before purchasing this.Well, this collection is superb - I downloaded this onto a memory stick and listen to the recordings on the way to work in my car. One bonus is that Windows Media Player correctly recognises and labels all of the tracks (which, unfortunately, is not the case with Out of Your Mind).As other reviewers on Amazon.com have reflected, Alan Watts is lucid, wise and above all, completely human, with a mischievous sense of humour. He comes across as a fully realised, three dimensional spiritual teacher, having a depth of insight that many of those today simply lack. His background, first an Anglican priest and then his study of Zen, gives him an overview of religion and philosophy that is in my experience unmatched.The first 3 CDs are very much focused on understanding who you really are, drawing insights from Zen, Buddhism, Hinduism and other cultures. The 4th CD is devoted to meditation and includes several guided meditations. These are delivered with a very light touch, informed by somebody who actually has achieved a level of insight/ awakening that many people do not achieve. It is worth noting that Watts makes it clear that meditation is a useful thing to do if it is enjoyed. However, relying on meditation to achieve enlightenment is like polishing a brick to make a mirror. Consequently, when he was criticised about the fact that he did not put more store in siting zen (zazen), he answered with typically brilliant insight and honesty, "A cat sits until it is tired of sitting, then gets up, stretches, and walks away."This review is sounding slightly too serious and misses one crucial point - Alan Watts called himself a spiritual entertainer, being sincere but not serious. The recordings are a joy to listen to - not only will you be fascinated by Watts's wisdom and knowledge, you will laugh out loud and wish that he was still with us. A marvellous, funny and exceptionally wise man.

Great production quality. It is interesting to hear Mr. Watts speak. He travels through the concept of self in a fulfilling and knowledgeable way. Great to listen to. Did not regret purchase.

just what i was looking for!