If more to life than meets the eye, what earthly use am I?

[Music] hello welcome back to Bakewell in the beautiful Peak District National Park for another conversation here with John Butler John today's topic is brought to us by one of our viewers on YouTube Rowan Daly and I'm simply going to read out their comment if there are so many people alive right now then how does what we do as individuals matter in the big picture oh that's a good quick a very good one sounds like a real cry from the heart that doesn't it which must be echoed by millions of perhaps particularly younger people it certainly was was in my young life well I was trying to answer it my son type well what immediately comes to my mind is that when we first come into this world we're actually very small not with a newborn baby not very big at all this is and then what happens it grows doesn't it it gets bigger this actually is a universal law and everything isn't taught life it gets bigger so the whole range of our life expands our experience expands we learn our mind broaden expands maybe our depth of our feelings expands also so these artists and herbal perhaps that perhaps that's not always so that as we grow older we understand more yes I suppose that is a fairly general thing to say to help let me come back to my own experience if you'll forgive me because then I'm speaking from surer ground and maybe from that we will get a better answer to this question because this question really tormented me as a young man what should I do and at one point when I was 26 I abandoned a life in business which didn't seem to me the right thing to do I went out to South America with the rather vague idea of making the world a better place I was a farmer and thought I would make the desert screen grow more food for a hungry world and after a year or so of attempting to do this with some small success but really nothing very much I was sitting on a mountainside and something seemed to say to me to make how be ho and I've told this many times before on these videos but it really was an important stage in my journey and so when I came home I looked for pound a school of meditation I started to meditate and almost immediately I began to get this sort of feeling Wow inside me was much more than I'd ever previously imagined and when we were told in school that spiritual work is all about the individual discovering the universal because I didn't really understand what that was then but after I got a began to get a grasp of something bigger than just me so I started to meditate and now almost 60 years later I'm still meditating and progressively because it didn't really happen all at once progressively I began to feel that this meditation was the most important thing I actually did it's certainly been one of the few things that I've continued to do throughout my life almost unfailingly every night morning since I was first taught as a young man of 26 as the individual become universal well from a rather lost young man as I say really almost obsessed with this question lot of Earth so I meant to be doing in this life do you know this morning from long before dawn this morning I was sitting in a seat over there where I always sit I closed my eyes meditated and you know three hours later almost three hours later without having had almost any sensation of my body all my thoughts throughout that period opened my eyes and I wrote in my notebook infinite completion infinite completion so I think I get from that mixed up young man to this well I've lived many years I've had many different experiences but the one thing I would really pinpoint in this process is the practice the daily practice of meditation and as I begin I've demonstrated many times one of the best ways to illustrate what meditation does is this you let go you see where my fist is closed it contains quite a small amount of space doesn't it almost no space at all the not much of anything very much can be held within a closed fist but when I open up my hand like that it can hold everything cutlet without limit so we go from limit to the unlimited from what you could call the universal that there are big important to the individual as me to the universal No what use is the individual well without repeating myself too much because we've gone over this many times the individual is really a product of separate existence way back in the beginning you see that is oh man is a spiritual creature and he falls from that into and ended course in spirit in this universality is not it one isn't it it's one again just a recap as it were this prescience that we're sitting in this stillness it may be in invisible but it's also indivisible isn't it it cannot be divided that's one what Universal press'll spiritual presently and we've already begun to realize that this is what I am when we let go the identity with the John Butler this there's a little bundle of Bones this is not God but longer to listen yes you could say the worldly task he's almost done I found oh I found that where it all originated so that really is the answer to your question you see the individual is is it abuse how is it useless is it just an impediment is it justice mistake is it just an error a child of darkness was the Christian Tissier scribes a child of sin sin being that turning away from home which is God which is the universal she the lost sheep so what use is that that's it's of no use at all it's just an impediment he's just a nuisance isn't it but he's up the works and makes the best in the world and irritates other people and of questionable use but you see once you what's that individual by my grace good fortune begins to turn toward something bigger begins they swear to put his foot on the first rung of the ladder we call the spiritual ascent and begins to work at this process of coming home of rediscovering what what he actually is then of course he begins to be of use even in a little degree even it used to himself he begins perhaps to get the begin to get the idea that that phrase to make Hobey ho actually depends on be sorting myself out first before I begin to worry about being of use to other people and then little by little by little and like a little spark within oneself the divine spark me grow we get to grow and of course because we all the influence each other literally if you know if you're angry or upset some people around you get caught up in it that day we favorite piece all the concrete people feel quarter feels comforted by your presence so I have no doubt that that we are we affect our surroundings gradually gradually gradually the less of me the more of God because you see in discovering that my uselessness I begin to realize that in submitting myself to this greater being this greater I am sudden you realize there is a higher authority there's one that knows better than me that's old tradition say God knows and I do not know I can't hold the whole world in my hand but as the old song goes God holds the whole world in his hand and as we rationally grow out of what we're not into what we are let me begin to realize that I don't I can never attain perfect completion or infinite completion because it's in the the death of me it's in the putting me out of the picture you see that without any Jordan Butler in the way like this morning in final completion and then you see you are not one of millions and millions and millions of lost souls washing around in this darkness of this world ride to figure out what to do you know what one that is complete there's no problems there's no more death or pain or suffering or poverty or darkness the infinite completion is the actual fact of the reality that we are does that include other people but where is their division [Music] so to come back to the question the answer is both what you sell I know you said he go okay but what we begin to get our teeth into something better and begin to grow towards what you may call truth then we begin to be of use and ultimately we may find the real work and the purpose of our whole mortal existence has been to find this ultimate perfection which embraces all things so when in a nutshell John what you're saying is that the answer to being a meaningful individual is to remove the individual seeking seeking meaning is a separate entity and just go for the bigger picture when you said that meaning full of course oh if only we could become fully meaningful just like that it's a long long process isn't it but we take a step a step in the right direction and well you know traditionally this was the purpose of a good education wasn't it up to set you along the right way towards a good and useful life and we start off with such simple basic things as unselfishness putting other people's first humility what practical steps then could you suggest particularly for younger people with less experience than yourself and taking these formative steps because we are all bombarded with messages of how special the individual's self is if not not only as a consumer but as a as a subject of selfie selfie rules well use your common sense my dear just observe and question the validity of that statement you know see what's the behavior of people or watch just look look people took in our Western world so often you know not only unhealthy but um shut up in their own lost world walking walking along like bananas with their heads bowed not prescient at all that just lost in some few parts store regretting sorry lost him rather in some of the imagined future or regretted past you know just saying well is this is this really what we eyes this really there's this individual really so important think of yourself what am I for goodness sake the one of my very first lessons was a young farmer was to realize how I couldn't walk on the grass without hurting it all crushing the insects or something I began to question whether by John Butler by really an asset to this world or am I just a nuisance there's nature want me course it doesn't I didn't think most people don't be honored they're not the slightest bit interested in me the only person who's interested it means me less people switch off as soon as I start talking people are just interested him themselves aren't they everybody is so we all talk talk talk talk and nobody is interested in anybody not really we just wait for them to stop so we can start talking again you question this Western assumptions which is only an assumption that the individuals worth or something let me just take you back to a very interesting event in history you may know that to begin with the Christian Church was was or Jesus lived in the Middle East thing Palestine and the fan and the early Christian Church was founded in Constantinople Rome was then a sort of a you know a branch and at that time there was a great argument in the church Christianity some of you may know has something called the Creed in which it says spirit now spirit we've talked a lot about spirit proceeds from the father and the son now the biblical words in the Bible are slightly sort of ambiguous they can be read different ways and Eastern Church has always read that that the spirit proceeds from the father not the son the father the original and the Western and Rome would like to think of its proceeding from the father and the son and this developed into one of these great arguments which led to what's called the Great Schism when it 10:54 I know that date the Western Church separated from what they called the Eastern Church which is really authored oxi the Western Church developed into the west of familiar with in first of all you miss a solace s of Roman Catholicism based on the Rome with the Pope and then although there is Protestants sex arose from those who protested they didn't like the Pope but they wanted to run the show up more themselves so there we are so we have these greatly two branches of Christianity one in which you see the spirit which is the in a way the the you can call a sort of formative energy or off spirit proceeds through a man through Jesus whereas in Eastern Church it doesn't man is it comes straight from God so throughout a long slow evolution in the Wesley sense led to the to the glorification of man and the great emphasis on individuality which we have in the West with human rights and the rights of the individual and all this sort of thing now in the East it's not like this at all it's quite different and I know this I speak from experience because I've lived several years in Russia and and when I realized this it immediately opened a great gate in my understanding as in Russia the individual is is of course acknowledge but it's he hasn't given that same emphasis this incidentally is why East and West never understand each other politicians are forever criticizing each other but they don't understand this fundamental difference in their culture in their outlook now I'm losing the thread of what I was saying um well that's what has arisen in Western culture you see I think you'll find that in certainly in Eastern Christianity and I think probably throughout much of the rest of the world without not so rooted in this humanistic tradition of the West they don't have this emphasis on the individual so what I just said to in the first part of this interview will be more easy to accept the individual is is more considered as a part of the whole it's not so much standing on his own individual rights but incorporated in a family or in the village in the community where everybody works for the good of the whole rather than the good of the individual in the West lists individual and because the emphasis is on the individuals is of course their ego it's selfish and this is the root of all selfishness this is so rampant now in Western society what's in it for me my rights what am I going to do you know and the aggression that flows from that I said it's coming back to my question what practices are can can young people in particular younger than us anyway adopt to counterbalance this and and open up to more than a separate little me into a broader understanding of the oneness well the first step is to recognize the disease isn't it to recognize that that that this almost are at least in political Perret political correct as this unquestionable emphasis on the individual is actually very questionable indeed so question that and then you begin to see that you don't have to live that way I mentioned unselfishness well instead of approaching life with what's in it for me attitude begin to think of how can I serve how can I serve the hole which maybe humanity it may be nature in my case it was nature that's how I thought of myself as a farmer the servant of the land to leave the land better than I found it not to worry about money sprightly enough I managed I got my reward you do you know it's very strange there are more laws then then one things that that govern what we receive in this world and study study the question think about it and you'll find openings it's more blessed to give than to receive you know culture is full of good advice do you want to talk a little bit about the the blessing of service giving rather than getting yes yes I can again I can speak a lot from personal experience because it led me through very much loneliness in my life because I didn't want to follow the peer group much scorn and misunderstanding you know it takes courage to stand on your own to clean all those around you and mocking you and saying you're wrong and why can't you just be like other people I had it I've got a older system I remember one time in my life looking across the table at me at home this was and with I won't say exactly what was in her tone of her voice but he wasn't very nice at all saying why can't you just be normal why can't you be like other people but no I couldn't some of us just can't again it takes courage she sees her to follow urine what you feel in your deep heart often you just feel that it's wrong you can't explain it you can't you know our minds aren't developed enough to give a rational explanation for it soo so people say well what's the matter with you and you can't tell them but you just know it's not what you want in life it's not right try to explain they'll said we can help you but you can't make up help you you just have to often just go away by yourself and then strangely enough doors open things happen follow your heart that's good advice well I didn't understand that when I was first told that I thought he was being selfish and I thought it was the last thing what'd you do follow your heart not your peer group for what society says you should do my dears I have known to have a recipe for you I can't say do this or do that be true to yourself this above all to thine own self be true and it will follow as the night the day thou canst not then be false to any man so said wise Shakespeare many years ago if I still hold but what on earth does it mean to be true to yourself I didn't understand it when I first heard those words well isn't that John the very nub of it this hankering that we all feel particularly when we are younger to be someone to to to accomplish to achieve where were encouraged to follow our dreams but isn't isn't the difference whether those dreams have been implanted there cuckoos in the nest dreams you want to be a famous celebrity or you want to be I don't know a video star or in any field you you want to become accomplished and recognized and you're saying by all means follow your heart but that's not necessarily the way of the world no it isn't at all well I suppose again we just have to learn by experience and um you know consider these stars are they really worth it what is it what are they I doubt too that they all come down to dust in the end just like you and me learn a bit about their lives are there's completers they seem to be that they got all the answers did it make them happy I came across some something that the the world Formula One racing champion driver Lewis Hamilton said just this week that he was disillusioned because the world was in a mess and no amount of his individual conscientious actions seemed to be enough to fix the mess and he was came across as quite despondent well that's marvelous efficient easy to reach that point is the beginning of maturity yes we all start off like that what tried to change and for example there's this new movement elimination know what's it called extinction rebellion well as a young man I would have joined that absolutely what you see yes you we can diminish the amount of plastic maybe and probably cut our carbon emissions maybe but so what we're all gonna still go and die is it going to make people any happier is he going to fulfill the ultimate goal of human existence oh we still going to be fighting each other we've been fighting each other long before a plastic was invented with motorcar verso invented and there's more to it than meets the eye literally and ultimately we need to find the ultimate well we start off with extinction rebellion and God bless lemon and may they do their good work but there is more beyond that you begin to realize that the greatest pollution in swirled is not plastic oak or carbon emissions it's actually me it is this ego mr. sin of me I am the greatest pollution in the world I John Butler this corrupt individual which is which in the thank God in the mercy of God is condemned to die I am the cause of the trouble in the world it's not plastic it's no good even the politicians are to blame it's me so this is where it starts from now then swallow that one my dears and you're on the way to something better that's the best thing you could do it with the knowledge of the fault lies fairly and squarely yeah now in right it's not nice to take that on board but even to a small extent you can begin to take that on board and now consider what twice people say just think what it might mean the less of me the more is God where is God look it's very very simple let me bring us back to here or now feet on the floor bottom of the chair just listen can you hear the motor cars on the road just watching Phil's eyes are blinking with the other side of the camera now that despite being prescient I won't be hold it and push up to this present it's this invisible indivisible spiritual presence which is the threshold you see what you couldn't open up into if a deeper understanding of what we may call God now then what happens to John Butler in this process now his body remains sitting on a chair but he gets forgotten doesn't he and shifts nurse simply expands into this greater country which embraces not only the little situation here but extends beyond the world beyond the walks into the valley and in fact contains the whole world in its infinite completion you see how immediate and practical it is and then you come back oh my god I forgot something uh what's for supper tonight Oh how did you get on with sound saying you see when you forget it you're back in the world of you and me now this is the work this is the work this is what I started to do when I was 26 years old I only just draw a few sort of tail tail and feathers at that time now I realize it is infinite completion now you're never really too young to begin to get some understanding that this something operating behind the scenes in this world which is bigger than me so at first there is this Intex loneliness and I am sort of no sex of failure because you're not like other people but there is soon one may begin to feel the comfort that probably comes with us more often being alone than with other people some people find it in comp communities with churches and things there is this greater thing and that you know in the Bible this is cool it's one of the names given to spirits which is what I'm talking about this the comforter and certainly a feature of this is it is very comforting it doesn't speak anything it is but the it puts there's nothing you can see or describe really but there is a sense of invisible arms that hold you but you're not alone in this world you have an invisible friend of course the weights secret begin with you try to talk about it to all the people that just laugh at you well these things develop slowly in the heart I was only a very little child when I began to feel this gradually as I moved more into the world of man and felt this loneliness and his estrangement really from all the most other people so I gradually learned to turn more to this invisible comforter which has gone on strengthening throughout my life and finally led me home but is now you read pick up certain books you may these a few individuals in life who encourage you often found list encouragement from animals you know it's amazing how comforting a dog could be you know and all the world's against you you'll find a dog will still take your hair the Sun will shine on you you know however horrible people are no these are called angels all these things in people will laugh with you I wouldn't advise you to go around speaking these out in public so I like for me and now people could laugh at me I don't mind but if you shot talking about them when you're a little boy people will probably think your party but you're not this invert these natural comforters one key is that they'll never criticize you don't if I judge you they'll never be unkind to you which people readiness ly like that aren't they so naturally turn to things as the kind you that love you and you find there the angels that help you go through life you understand this more as you grow older be not afraid the Lord is with you it's true [Music]

Channel: Spiritual Unfoldment with John Butler

Views: 1,071,871

Rating: 4.9144163 out of 5

Keywords: asmr, awakening, bakewell, bob ross, christian mystic, farmer, freedom, gentle, jesus, john butler, meditation, mr rogers, mystic, organic farmer, peace, relaxing, self realisation, sleep, soothing, spiritual awakening, spiritual healing, spiritual unfoldment, unintentional asmr, what is truth, whispering

Id: hqtPeMUMX4g

Length: 44min 1sec (2641 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 23 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/MiaMae]

Wow.. this is probably the best unintentional asmr I've ever watched.

[u/842734]

Amazing video, no idea what he’s been talking about because his voice is so soothing that I can’t focus.

[u/MangoyWoman]

I love listening to this guy. I disagree with him occasionally but it doesn't really matter.

[u/dude8462]

I do like this guy, but sometimes his thiestic stuff can get a little much for me. Are their any secular old man asmr people out there haha?

[u/Droma]

All I could think of when I watched this was: this man is human Treebeard!

[u/StormcloakBloke]

John Butler, king of calm