John Butler

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Richard Zen, modified 6 Years ago at 3/11/18 7:47 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/11/18 7:47 PM

John Butler

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
Good series of videos on Christian meditation that looks very similar to other kinds of meditation:

Parts 1 and 2 from Conscious TV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZXhPmHPoNo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXBV8IKtBYo

This was very enjoyable to watch. It will be a good selection of books to review in the future.
shargrol, modified 6 Years ago at 3/13/18 8:00 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/13/18 5:30 AM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 2410 Join Date: 2/8/16 Recent Posts
Thanks for the links. My wife and I watched Part 1 last night ---- wonderful (edit:  ) ...and somewhat curious about some of his needingness, but that's okay, looking forward to watching Part 2.
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Richard Zen, modified 6 Years ago at 3/13/18 1:06 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/13/18 1:06 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
It's fun to see the similarities between traditions. I also like how he understands, like many long-time meditators, that the need to escape to meditate eventually leads to adding spirituality to all areas of life.
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Stirling Campbell, modified 6 Years ago at 3/14/18 10:28 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/14/18 10:28 AM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 630 Join Date: 3/13/16 Recent Posts
That cat is the real deal. It's a joy to hear him speak, like a drink of clear water from a mountain stream.

Thanks for that. emoticon
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Richard Zen, modified 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 1:03 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 1:03 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
What's interesting is that when people get advanced enough they just look at it as: "Here's darkness and here's the light. This is away from God and here is God." Yet the path they got to was roundabout for a number of years.
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Stirling Campbell, modified 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 2:44 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 2:44 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 630 Join Date: 3/13/16 Recent Posts
What's interesting is that when people get advanced enough they just look at it as: "Here's darkness and here's the light. This is away from God and here is God." Yet the path they got to was roundabout for a number of years.

He does say that, but he uses that analogy as thinking mind vs. nature of mind, from what I can see. 

The "self" always needs some kind of practice or thing it is "doing" or sense of agency to get to the point where it can see that none of that exists. It's merely working within the "relative" framework that the thinking mind understands -  the "I" as a separate self with its own drive, determination and ability to create future actions. 

When the reality of unity is seen, it IS understood to be simplistic. Having it explained from that perspective can REALLY be annoying for those with overdeveloped intellects. emoticon
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 4:30 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 4:30 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 477 Join Date: 8/19/17 Recent Posts
It seems to me that God is just everyday reality.   I have not understood that quite so clearly before. This is it folks. 
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Stirling Campbell, modified 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 5:20 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/19/18 5:19 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 630 Join Date: 3/13/16 Recent Posts
seth tapper:
It seems to me that God is just everyday reality.   I have not understood that quite so clearly before. This is it folks. 

Yes, though I see even the idea of a God that isn't inseparable as "just this" still an illusory separateness, so I shy away from that as a terminology.

Indeed, as Watts said, "This is it". 

Or:

"It is right in front of you!"
- Huang Po

emoticon
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Lewis James, modified 6 Years ago at 3/20/18 4:06 AM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/20/18 4:06 AM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 155 Join Date: 5/13/15 Recent Posts
Very interesting. That church is actually just a short bus ride from me. I see he runs meditation classes there, I'd be interested in going along.
seth tapper, modified 6 Years ago at 3/20/18 3:58 PM
Created 6 Years ago at 3/20/18 3:58 PM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 477 Join Date: 8/19/17 Recent Posts
I would go. 
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Richard Zen, modified 5 Years ago at 8/18/18 12:18 AM
Created 5 Years ago at 8/18/18 12:18 AM

RE: John Butler

Posts: 1665 Join Date: 5/18/10 Recent Posts
Here's another interesting interview with John Butler on meditation perspectives and aging.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysjGfdZCij8