8' - The Butterfly's Dream
Alchemy of Self | 1' - 10' Deep Dives - A podcast by Todd's High Impact Reading List
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"The Butterfly's Dream: In Search of the Roots of Zen" by Albert Low is a book exploring the fundamental nature of consciousness and the origin of human suffering. Low uses stories, parables, and philosophical arguments, drawing from Eastern and Western traditions, to illustrate the inherent ambiguity of our perception and the central role of "I" or "self" in shaping our experience. He challenges the notion of a separate "I" as a ghost in the machine, instead proposing a dynamic interplay of "me-as-center" and "me-as-periphery" which continually creates consciousness. The book ultimately points to the importance of awakening to our true nature, a state of pure awareness beyond the limitations of thought and dualistic perception.