The Two Hands of God: The Myths of Polarity

The Two Hands of God: The Myths of Polarity

by Alan Watts
The Two Hands of God: The Myths of Polarity

The Two Hands of God: The Myths of Polarity

by Alan Watts

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Overview

The forgotten book on world mythology by Alan Watts

Alan Watts is today remembered as a trailblazing interpreter of Eastern philosophy, but The Two Hands of God reveals a different side of his multifaceted genius. In this ambitious work, Watts takes readers on a fascinating journey through the mythology of China, Egypt, India, the Middle East, and medieval Europe. His theme is the human experience of polarity, a condition in which opposing qualities define and complement each other. Light cannot exist without darkness, good cannot exist without evil, and male cannot exist without female. Chinese philosophy expresses this idea of universal polarity with the concepts of yin and yang, while other cultures express it through the symbolic language of myth, literature, and art. Watts illustrates the way great sages and artists across time have seen beyond the apparent duality of the universe to find a deeper unity that transcends and embraces everything.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781608686865
Publisher: New World Library
Publication date: 09/08/2020
Pages: 304
Sales rank: 650,726
Product dimensions: 5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Through his books and lectures, Alan Watts (1915–1973) introduced millions of Westerners to Eastern philosophies such as Vedanta, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism. Born in England, Watts immigrated to the United States in his twenties, worked as a chaplain and teacher, and wrote more than twenty books, including the bestsellers The Way of Zen and The Wisdom of Insecurity.

Table of Contents

List of Plates xi

List of Line Drawings xiii

Preface xv

Introduction 1

1 The Primordial Pair 51

2 The Cosmic Dance 75

3 The Two Brothers 115

4 Ultimate Dualism 151

5 Dismemberment Remembered 195

Acknowledgments 245

Notes on the Plates 249

Endnotes 259

Index 265

About the Author 285

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From the Publisher

“Perhaps the foremost Western interpreter of Eastern thought for the modern world.”
New York Times

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