The Way of Zen

Alan W. Watts

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Jan 26, 1999 - Philosophy - 256 pages

Alan Watts was one of the great teachers and philosophers of our time, and forty years after its first appearance his classic study The Way of Zen continues to make Western readers far more aware of, and responsive to, the richness of Zen Buddhism and its place within the context and variety of Eastern religion.

Of equal interest to the general reader and the serious student, The Way of Zen explores the origins and the history of Zen, then goes on to discuss its principles and practice, and its application to art and life. Watts saw Zen as "one of the most precious gifts of Asia to the world", and with his erudition and his infectious passion for the subject he made that gift wonderfully accessible. The Way of Zen is a definitive, and invaluable, overview.

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User Review  - Andrew Cutler - Goodreads

A personally paradigm shifting text, like a long drawn out koan, this text speaks to my personal cultural upbringing and 'woke me out of my dogmatic slumber'. Actually, I had audio tapes by Audio ...

Contents

• The Philosophy of the Tao: 3
• The Origins of Buddhism: 29
• Mahayana Buddhism: 57

About the author

Alan Watts was born in England in 1915 and received his early education at King's School, Canterbury. He received a master's degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Illinois and an honorary doctorate of divinity from the University of Vermont. He wrote his first book, The Spirit of Zen, at the age of twenty and went on to write over twenty other books including The Way of Zen, The Book, and Tao: The Watercourse Way, which though never fully completed was published after the author's death and introduced thousands of readers to Taoist thought.
In addition to being an acclaimed author and philosopher, Dr. Watts was also an Episcopalian minister, professor, graduate-school dean and reasearch fellow of Harvard University. By the early 1960s, he moved to Sausolito, California, and held seminars and lectures throughout the United States. Alan Watts died in 1973.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Way of Zen; Vintage Spiritual Classics
• Author: Alan W. Watts
• Edition: illustrated, reprint
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1999
• ISBN: 0375705104, 9780375705106
• Length: 256 pages
• Subjects: Philosophy / Eastern; Psychology / General