Alan Watts - Ego

[Xanth]

I have been listening to some lectures by Alan Watts recently...

"The biggest ego trip going is... getting rid of your ego"

I absolutely LOVE this quote. 
Just thought I'd toss that out there.

[Jessica_Lynn]

-Interesting! I've read a fair bit of Eckhard Tolle, none of that guy though. Any serious recommendations? I can tell when my ego is having a hissy fit over something and just smile it tell it it's going to be okay

[Stillwater]

"The biggest ego trip going is... getting rid of your ego"

Yeah... I think that is a close cousin to the idea that willing for enlightenment is among the worst ways to obtain it, which runs through a lot of Buddhist thought.

I have often asked myself if striving to act with care, constraint, and patience in dealing with other people and creatures is just a way for me to feel good about myself.

Any serious recommendations? I can tell when my ego is having a hissy fit over something and just smile it tell it it's going to be okay

Western takes on Buddhism are what Alan Watts seems to be made for. I read a few of his books as a kid, and his coverage of Zen was very strong (and he did it before it was super fashionable, so there is a certain purity free from the overtones of the 60's and 70's that made Zen a pop-culture idea rather than a topic of sincere study. Enough Koans for anyone!

http://www.amazon.com/Way-Zen-Alan-W-Watts/dp/0375705104/ref=la_B000AP9KWO_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1403179154&sr=1-2