Publisher's Synopsis
The works of Alan Watts have had an undeniably profound impact upon contemporary Western culture. More than any other person, he has inspired the continued widespread interest in Oriental thought. His interpretation of Eastern viewpoints, especially from Zen Buddhism, provides the background for his own unique philosophy, which centers around the quest for individual identity. His path demands the radical transformation from our fragmented ego-conscious state to genuine self-awareness. As long as we remain under the spell of the ego, we maintain a counterfeit relationship with self and others, perpetuating a life-long struggle against nature, time, and death. Only when we break the chains of the illusion of ego, can we set out on the bridge to self-realization and discover who we truly are.