thumbnail of Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life; 4; The Void
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Series
Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life
Episode Number
4
Episode
The Void
Producing Organization
KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.)
Contributing Organization
KQED (San Francisco, California)
Library of Congress (Washington, District of Columbia)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/55-78tb3njk
NOLA Code
EWML
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Description
Episode Description
Buddhism symbolizes its basic spiritual experience as a void, but this must be taken literally, explains Alan Watts. The void as a symbol of freedom and of a world-feeling which can be described poetically, though not logically as the "absolute rightness" of every moment, is one subject of discussion. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Series Description
This series deals with the themes of Eastern philosophy and their application to modern life. The episodes are illustrated by Chinese and Japanese paintings and other Asian objects of art. Photographs and physical demonstrations of various principles and processes are also incorporated in the presentation. Host Alan Watts uses Chinese ink and brush for drawings and diagrams he executes during the series. Alan Watts is a scholar, lecturer and the author of many books on comparative philosophy and religion. His special interest is in the thought and culture of the Far East and its relevance to modern problems. He is a member of the American Oriental Society and an associate editor of Pantheon Books, Inc. He conducts a weekly half-hour series, "Way Beyond the West," over radio station KFPA, in Berkeley, California. He is the former dean of the American Academy of Asian Studies in San Francisco, CA. Between 1951 and 1953, he held a research fellowship in Oriental Philosophy form the Bollinger Foundation. Watts is the author of more than a dozen books on comparative philosophy and religion. His most recent books are The Way of Zen, Pantheon, 1957, and Nature, Man and Woman, Pantheon, 1958. This series of 34 half-hour episodes was originally recorded on videotape and kinescope. (Description adapted from documents in the NET Microfiche)
Broadcast Date
1959-00-00
Asset type
Episode
Topics
Education
Philosophy
Media type
Moving Image
Credits
Host: Watts, Alan
Producing Organization: KQED-TV (Television station : San Francisco, Calif.)
Release Agent: KQED
AAPB Contributor Holdings
KQED
Identifier: KQ118_20385;20385 (KQED AAP)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Print
Duration: 00:25:00?
Library of Congress
Identifier: 2330495-1 (MAVIS Item ID)
Format: 16mm film
Generation: Copy: Access
Color: B&W
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Citations
Chicago: “Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life; 4; The Void,” 1959-00-00, KQED, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed July 16, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-55-78tb3njk.
MLA: “Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life; 4; The Void.” 1959-00-00. KQED, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. July 16, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-55-78tb3njk>.
APA: Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life; 4; The Void. Boston, MA: KQED, Library of Congress, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-55-78tb3njk