The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Wilson Watts is a book of books. The Book not only touches on multitudes of Eastern philosophy but also magnificently ties all of its content to the west, and a modern so called civilized world. Watts, not only a writer but also a speaker and philosopher has an utmost diverse résumé. He moved to America from Great Britain and after slightly studying Zen, stepped back and earned a master’s degree in theology from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and later a doctorate in divinity. After being an Episcopal priest for five years he left the ministry and continued his Eastern religious and lifestyle studies. Publishing more than twenty five books beginning in 1936 and leading all the way up to his death in 1973, The Book was a final piece for his most clear and topical thoughts (McLeod). The Book should be approved for the Gilbert Public Schools Approved Reading List for its easily …show more content…
The chapters of The Book are divided into theoretical subjects that can be taught and discussed in a Senior Ap Literature classroom, either all as a whole or in a pick and choose matter. The best part of Watt’s writing in general is his target audience, a modern westerner or a day to day person. Watts was described as a rationalist and a man of the scientific method, “a guru for those who don’t trust gurus who believed that sitting cross-legged on a mountain would just give you a bad back” (Lott). So whereas an American high school classroom can be drawn in and relate to the references of science, music, business, and a modern advanced world. Not being entirely entrapped in ancient asian proverbs while talking
There are multiple ways to interpret the second scenario provided to us. In general, the Captain Kirks in scenario two are either identical or they are not. Since we know that anything can only be numerically identical to itself, we also know that the two Kirks are not numerically or perfectly identical to each other. Thus, the question we are left with is: how are the two Kirks identical and how are they not?
Yu, Han. “Memorial on Buddhism”. Making of the Modern World 12: Classical & Medieval Tradition. Trans. Richard F. Burton. Ed. Janet Smarr. La Jolla: University Readers, 2012. 111-112. Print.
Bibliography Suzuki, Shunryu. Zen Mind, Beginner Mind. New York & Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1982. Young, William A. The World’s Religions, Worldviews and Contemporary Issues.
In today’s world, we live in a society where we are subjected to follow rules, which are placed upon us by the society. Many people are faced with the dilemma of whether or not to follow the ideals of other people, or pursue their ideals and go against the prevailing conventions. In “Selections from Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, the author talks about a man named McCandless who went into the Alaskan wilderness in order to find his true self. His journey was also to escape from the societal norms of society. A person who goes into the wilderness believes that they can live their life with brute simplicity. This gives them little to no time with the complicated problems of modern society. Likewise, in “Waiting for a Jew” by Jonathan Boyarin, the author talks about one’s aspiration to find their identity and purpose in the community. He conveys that religious places, like shul, allow an individual to develop a cross- cultural self. The desires and expectations placed upon us by the society shape our strategies of personal identity; therefore, instilling fears that cause us to identify in opposition to our prevailing conventions.
they do not want to do. They will not always bear the impose roles on
Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide To Contemporary Literary Theory. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1993.
Robinson B.A. 29 Mar 2000 (last update), Buddhism, Hp. Online. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. Available:
It is predicted that in the 21st century there will be a jump in the number of people identifying themselves as Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. At the same time, in recent years, there has been a decl...
Identity, an ambiguous idea, plays an important part in today’s world. To me identity can be defined as who a person is or what differentiates one person from another. Identity would be a person’s name, age, height, ethnicity, personality, and more. A quote by Anne Sexton states “It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was”(Anne Sexton). This quote helps me define identity because I believe it is saying that identity is what people are remembered by. When some people think of identity, words such as, uniqueness, distinctiveness, or individuality may come to mind. However, I disagree with this because when I think of identity I think of mimicry, self-consciousness, or opinions.
The Yellow Walpaper. " The Norton Introduction to Literature, Shorter Eleventh Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2013. 478-489. Print.
How would it feel to be brought into the world where lives are predestined or real life situations are constructed to work in order to benefit society as a whole? Within the book, Brave New World and the movie, The Truman Show, the theme of sacrificing personal identity in order to benefit society runs throughout each work. The ideas and opinions of the public coincide harmoniously as the society they live in. Bernard Marx and John Savage are two predominant characters of Brave New World. Both are outcasts of the World State because of their differing opinions from the rest of the “conditioned” society. Truman, the protagonist of The Truman Show also is at loss because he was unaware of the false reality he was living. Marx, Savage and Truman have all had their personal identities sacrificed for specific reasons and prompts them to overcome their higher powers.
What is personal identity? This question has been asked and debated by philosophers for centuries. The problem of personal identity is determining what conditions and qualities are necessary and sufficient for a person to exist as the same being at one time as another. Some think personal identity is physical, taking a materialistic perspective believing that bodily continuity or physicality is what makes a person a person with the view that even mental things are caused by some kind of physical occurrence. Others take a more idealist approach with the belief that mental continuity is the sole factor in establishing personal identity holding that physical things are just reflections of the mind. One more perspective on personal identity and the one I will attempt to explain and defend in this paper is that personal identity requires both physical and psychological continuity; my argument is as follows:
Eastern enlightenment religions have been gaining popularity throughout the western world for the past few decades, with many people attracted to a "different" way of experiencing religion. As with many other enlightenment religions, Buddhism requires disciples to understand concepts that are not readily explainable: one such concept is that of no-self. In this essay I shall discuss the no-self from a number of modern perspectives; however, as no-self is difficult to describe I shall focus on both the self and no-self. Beginning with psychological aspects, and neurophysiological research on transcendental meditation, I shall discuss the impact of modern brain science on our understanding of the self and transcendence. Next I will outline the relationship between quantum physics and non-locality, as this gives a western scientific explanation for no-self. Returning to the original source of Buddhism, I will briefly outline the discussion between Siddhartha and Vaccha regarding atman, then discuss the mind and no-self and their relationship to liberation. Finally I will summarize a few issues that the western mindset may face approaching this topic.
Zora Neal Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, reveals one of life’s most relevant purposes that stretches across cultures and relates to every aspect of enlightenment. The novel examines the life of the strong-willed Janie Crawford, as she goes down the path of self-discovery by way of her past relationships. Ideas regarding the path of liberation date all the way back to the teachings of Siddhartha. Yet, its concept is still recycled in the twenty-first century, as it inspires all humanity to look beyond the “horizon,” as Janie explains. Self-identification, or self-fulfillment, is a theme that persists throughout the book, remaining a quest for Janie Crawford to discover, from the time she begins to tell the story to her best friend, Pheoby Watson. Hurston makes a point at the beginning of the novel to separate the male and female identities from one another. This is important for the reader to note. The theme for identity, as it relates to Janie, carefully unfolds as the story goes on to expand the depths of the female interior.
The authors Benner and Pennington, speak of the damaging nature of the false self in contrast with the freedom of the true self. The false self is described as the reliance upon the attachments we form, to the things we attribute to making us special or proud of who we are. The reliance on these attributes are likened to the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used for the purpose of hiding behind, out of fear of being ‘seen’. The idea is expressed that we hide, in fear of people seeing the things we have at some point cast out of our lives in shame.