The Two Hands of God

Another wonderful read by Alan Watts, this is a nice mix of quotes, his commentary, as well as his original elaboration on what the appearance of duality means and the many ways we can relate to this (non)duality. As always his commentary is very satisfying, Watts presents these ideas in a way that is both fascinatingly clear and consistently entertaining. Some of the excerpts he included in the book were confusing at times, such as the quotes from Hindu or Buddhist texts, but he goes on to explain the significance found in each passage.

Most of my exposure to Alan Watts has been through his recorded audio lectures, which are fantastic in their own right, but it’s very rewarding to read more of his written texts. He’s definitely one of my favorite historical figures, as he is able to talk eloquently about something that is typically considered mystical and esoteric all without creating the impression that this is something hidden and secluded away from the “everyday experience”. I do believe the focus of his works are some of the most important lessons we can learn in life, and even though he doesn’t have a monopoly on expressing these lessons he does so in a very unique and irreplaceable fashion.