The book "The Book On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" explores an unseen yet powerful taboo - our silent alliance to ignore who or what we truly are. Alan Watts, a central figure in Western Zen Buddhism, explains how to redefine our relationship with the world.

The urgency of realizing our existence is pressing, and it must align with the natural facts, overcoming the sense of alienation from the universe. In the book, Watts questions what causes the illusion of the self as a separate ego facing a universe of physical objects alien to it. In contrast, a person's identity connects them to the natural universe, creating relationships with the environment and other people.

The disintegration of the self and the natural world leads to the misuse of technology and the attempt to oppress the natural environment, leading to its destruction. Watts urges against the idea that we are separate from the world. This idea is most evident in the concept of cultural taboos. The greatest taboo of all is knowing who we truly are behind the mask of the self as it is presented to the world.

Through our focus on the ego and how it affects the world, we have developed a limited perception. Alan Watts guides us on how to open our eyes and see ourselves not as something that comes into the world, but from it. Understanding the true position of the individual in the universe, Watts offers a critique of Western culture and a therapeutic alternative.

Pages: 176, Publication Year: 1966, Dimensions: 12.8x12.8cm