Do You Do it or Does it Do You?: How to Let the Universe Meditate You

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.

Item received. Thank you.