0:00:00.000,0:00:04.880 author, philosopher, and self-proclaimed spiritual entertainer 0:00:05.000,0:00:07.997 Alan Watts 0:00:17.892,0:00:20.071 In the West, 0:00:20.191,0:00:22.881 we inherit the idea of law 0:00:23.001,0:00:26.654 from those ancient conceptions of God 0:00:26.774,0:00:29.241 and it is even passed down into science! 0:00:29.361,0:00:32.872 Where we discuss Laws of Nature 0:00:33.634,0:00:35.883 but one recognizes more and more in the sciences 0:00:36.003,0:00:38.881 that what we call Laws of Nature 0:00:39.001,0:00:43.089 are simply observed regularities[br]in the way things behave 0:00:44.000,0:00:46.882 And you,[br]in order to observe regularities 0:00:47.002,0:00:50.542 you must look at things[br]through something regular 0:00:51.233,0:00:54.410 that is to say[br]you must lay a ruler alongside them 0:00:54.530,0:00:58.597 or compare their behavior with the regular behavior of a clock 0:00:58.717,0:01:02.684 But clocks and rulers[br]are human inventions! 0:01:02.804,0:01:05.724 They are regular measures 0:01:05.844,0:01:09.240 which we use for comparing 0:01:09.360,0:01:11.003 the rates of change, 0:01:11.123,0:01:14.299 say a clock[br]is a measure of a rate of change 0:01:14.419,0:01:17.482 It's quite arbitrary! 0:01:17.602,0:01:21.968 But we very easily compare our 0:01:22.088,0:01:25.754 regulation measuring devices 0:01:25.874,0:01:27.881 with what makes things happen. 0:01:28.001,0:01:32.527 As if the sun rises[br]because it's 6 in the morning! 0:01:32.647,0:01:36.521 And that's being[br]completely backwards in one's thinking 0:01:36.641,0:01:38.485 And we get into the same confusion 0:01:38.605,0:01:42.087 when we imagine for example[br]that money is wealth! 0:01:42.917,0:01:45.582 Here we have fantastic wealth 0:01:45.702,0:01:49.258 and we have the technological possibility 0:01:49.378,0:01:52.117 of making everybody on Earth 0:01:52.448,0:01:55.394 the enjoyer of an independent income. 0:01:56.190,0:01:57.575 We can't do it 0:01:57.695,0:02:00.087 because people say where is the money gonna come from? 0:02:01.001,0:02:02.704 Because they think money makes prosperity 0:02:02.824,0:02:04.087 it's the other way around! 0:02:04.207,0:02:07.004 It's physical prosperity 0:02:08.001,0:02:10.725 which has money[br]as a way of measuring it 0:02:10.845,0:02:12.822 But people think[br]money has to come from somewhere 0:02:12.942,0:02:16.361 like hydroelectric power[br]or lumber or iron 0:02:16.481,0:02:18.648 and it doesn't![br]Money is something we invent! 0:02:18.768,0:02:20.585 Like inches 0:02:20.705,0:02:23.087 So you remember[br]The Great Depression? 0:02:24.001,0:02:27.028 When there was a slump 0:02:27.804,0:02:29.795 and what did we have a slump of? 0:02:29.915,0:02:31.201 Money 0:02:31.321,0:02:33.313 There was no less wealth,[br]no less energy 0:02:33.433,0:02:35.176 no less raw materials[br]than there were before 0:02:35.296,0:02:37.792 but it's like you came to[br]work on building a house one day, 0:02:37.912,0:02:40.444 and they said "Sorry![br]You can't build this house today," 0:02:40.564,0:02:42.087 "no inches." 0:02:43.143,0:02:45.549 What you mean "no inches"? 0:02:45.669,0:02:48.381 "Ah just inches! We don't mean... We got inches of lumber, yes" 0:02:48.501,0:02:51.588 "we got inches of metal,[br]we even got tape measures!" 0:02:51.708,0:02:54.340 "But there is a slump in inches!" 0:02:54.460,0:02:56.587 And people are that crazy! 0:02:56.707,0:02:58.404 They can have a depression 0:02:58.524,0:03:00.434 because they have no inches to go around 0:03:00.554,0:03:02.598 or no dollars 0:03:02.718,0:03:04.857 It's all a load of nonsense 0:03:04.977,0:03:07.261 But you see,[br]because we got thinking backwards 0:03:07.381,0:03:11.408 And making the[br]metaphysical tail wag the dog 0:03:11.528,0:03:14.122 making the law rule things 0:03:14.242,0:03:19.224 where it doesn't, it's merely a way of measuring what happens 0:03:19.344,0:03:21.308 And so, you see,[br]when you get into Buddhistic thought 0:03:21.428,0:03:24.003 you don't get that confusion.