Very Cool! Trey Parker and Matt Stone produced a few short animations for some classic Alan Watts lectures.
via del.icio.us and freshminds
I was turned on to Alan Watts back in college, by one of my favorite professors, Peng-Khaun Chong. I remeber that one of the texts for one of his courses was Tao: The Watercourse Way
Highly recommended- This was the book Watts was working on when he died, I believe. co-authored/edited by his friend Al Chung-liang Huang, who did the amazing calligraphy for the book.
not always so 
One problem I’ve always had with Watts is that while his philosophy may have had wings attached, his personal life and drinking problems make it hard to take him seriously as a spiritually gifted or enlightened individual. It’s the same with Trungpa–some notorious stories about him have come out of Naropa and I have a writer-friend who personally witnessed him (Trungpa) so drunk, he had to be escorted from the stage during one of his lectures/workshops. Spiritual figures/gurus should be made of stronger stuff, don’t you think?
I don’t know the origin of the quote, but I think it’s true that there are “no enlightened people, only enlightened actions”.
Watts seems to have been very open about his personal failings, and I think the people that do so are probably being more honest with themselves and with their audiences.
I don’t have a firm handle on all the controversies involving Trungpa, but it’s clear that some of what went on made people uncomfortable. (Wikipedia probably gives a good overview)
But in terms of people we have a good historical record for, how many spiritual teachers, philosophers, and religious leaders can we point to that never behaved badly, and never hurt another person in some way? Does it invalidate any good or true things thay may have to offer?
I like Suzuki Roshi’s reminder: “You are perfect as you are, and you could use a little work.”
Thank god no one looks to me to be the embodiment of all the things that I think are good qualities to emulate… (I need *rather more* than a little work.)