Zen and the Arts

Remastered Audio Series • 6 hrs, 22 min

• Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident Pt. 1 – 40:30

• Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident Pt. 2 – 55:39

• Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident Pt. 3 – 56:29

• Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident Pt. 4 – 45:32

• Uncarved Block – 40:36

• Democratization of the Esoteric - 55:48

• Landscape, Soundscape in Painting, Music, and Mystical Vision - 59:04

• Zenrin Poems – 28:47

In this profound and richly textured audio series, Alan Watts explores the intimate relationship between Zen and artistic expression. Moving fluidly between aesthetics and awareness, he examines how creativity becomes a gateway to presence - not through rigid technique, but through spontaneity, imperfection, and deep atunement to the moment.

Across eight immersive talks, Watts traces the democratization of the esoteric, the mystical resonance of landscape and soundscape, and the paradox of the Uncarved Block. In the centerpiece, Zen and the Art of the Controlled Accident (Parts 1–4), he dives deep into how Zen practice informs painting, music, and life itself—where accidents are not errors, but invitations to let go.

The series culminates in a meditation on Zenrin Poems, illuminating how poetry becomes both mirror and doorway to the ineffable.

Restored and remastered, these recordings offer more than philosophy - they are living transmissions, carrying Watts’ voice with clarity and renewed depth. A must-listen for artists, mystics, and seekers at the threshold of form and formlessness.