From Unreal to Real: Breaking Free from Worldly Conditioning
"After nearly a year's immersion in the wide open spaces of Australia and the wonder of a long sea voyage, it was very hard to come back. In fact, I don't think I ever have come back to what you might call conventional life. We become conditioned by worldly things—the news, social media, the constant noise of society—and this pulls us away from what is real into what is unreal." — John Butler
Description
In this spiritual discussion, John Butler reflects on the difficulty of returning to ordinary life after experiencing profound stillness and connection with nature. He explores how modern society conditions us through constant exposure to news, social media, and cultural expectations, which can disconnect us from our authentic selves and spiritual reality. Butler suggests that what we often consider "normal" or "conventional" life may actually be a form of unreality—a conditioned existence that keeps us from experiencing the deeper truth of our being. The journey from "unreal to real" involves recognizing and stepping back from these worldly influences to rediscover our natural state of peace and presence.
Related Quotes
The Real Enemy: Ego as the Root of Our Troubles
"At the center of it is this thing called the ego, which is me—John Butler....
You Are the Average of the Five People Closest to You
“There’s an old saying that you are the average of the five people closest...
When You Seek It, You Lose It: The Zen Secret to Letting Go
"When you seek it, you lose it. The very act of searching for enlightenment,...