John de Ruiter

John de Ruiter
Born Johannes Franciscus de Ruiter
November 11, 1959
Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation Philosopher, Spiritual Teacher
Language English
Nationality Canadian
Genre Metaphysics, Spirituality, Psychology, Philosophy
Website
www.johnderuiter.com

John de Ruiter (born November 11, 1959) is a Canadian-born philosopher and teacher, who conducts meetings and seminars at the College of Integrated Philosophy in Edmonton, Alberta.[1][2] He also teaches worldwide and has produced numerous CDs and DVDs.[3] He is the author of a book entitled Unveiling Reality (Oasis, Edmonton, 1999).[4]

Early life

John de Ruiter was born on November 11, 1959, one of two boys and two girls raised by Dutch immigrant parents in the town of Stettler in Alberta, Canada.[5] While still a boy, he was taught shoe repair by his father, who was from a long line of shoemakers from De Bilt in the Netherlands.[5]

Awakening

Raised in the town of Stettler in Alberta, Canada, de Ruiter remained indifferent to and unaffected by religious doctrine.[6] At age 17 he claims to have experienced, without preparation or warning, a state of awakening.[7] This state lasted a year, then left him as abruptly as it had come.[7] Following this experience, de Ruiter spent several years undertaking a gruelling investigation of many mystical and philosophical traditions in an attempt to regain what he had lost.[7] He found no existing system, religious dogma or technique that provided the means to truly answer the void within.[8] According to de Ruiter, only unconditional surrender returned him to the state of awakening.[7][9]

College of Integrated Philosophy

The College holds weekly meetings and four Seminars a year that attract visitors from around the world.[10] Participants come from all age groups, many nationalities, divergent spiritual or religious traditions, differing academic backgrounds and a wide range of careers and professions.[10]

The College website, johnderuiter.com,[11] provides details of seminar dates and costs, as well as information on regular meetings.[12] De Ruiter holds weekly meetings at the College in Edmonton on Monday and Friday evenings and Sunday afternoon and evening, except when he is travelling overseas or during the annual five-week summer break.[12][13] The website also provides details of international seminars, which are held principally in European and Australian cities.[12]

Meetings

In his public meetings, de Ruiter responds to questions on a one-on-one basis with individuals from the audience.[10] He rarely addresses the whole group, and he often answers questioners after long pauses or sometimes not at all.[10][13][14][15] During these periods of silence de Ruiter appears to be in a deep state of Samadhi.[3][16]

Teachings

De Ruiter practices and recommends inner quiet and integrity on all levels of life, from the profound to the superficial.[3] De Ruiter's teaching style has been compared to the centuries old oral-based teaching of Tibetan Buddhism.[13] Parallels have also been made between de Ruiter’s philosophy and Buddhism, where detachment and release are also key principles.[17][18]

“Okayness” is central to de Ruiter’s philosophy. It is best understood as “loving acceptance” and can exist even “in moments of intense sorrow or immense physical pain.”[17]

De Ruiter states that "Truth lives in each one of us," and that a high level of awareness, that can only come from "core splitting honesty," is required to understand that there is no necessity to search.[19]

Reception

Controversy of de Ruiter's movement arose when his ex-wife confronted him after learning that de Ruiter was involved with two sisters in 1999.[10] Further accusations have been made that de Ruiter is establishing a new religion or cult after some of his followers described odd conversation experiences such as seeing lights and auras, for example.[18]

Criticisms have also been made that silences in meetings are used by de Ruiter to inspire devotion in devotees.[10] The extended periods of silence and eye contact has led one critic to interpret this as an opportunity for audience members to "elicit projection, the psychological phenomenon in which we attribute certain thoughts or feelings to another.”[10][18] The silences in de Ruiter's meetings have given some the impression that his meetings are "doctrinally vacuous."[10]

Selected publications

Books

Audio CDs

References

  1. ↑ Brummelman, Niels (October 2010). "Honesty is the best policy". Paravisie 25: 59. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Christi, Nicolya (2011). 2012: A Clarion Call: Your Soul's Purpose in Conscious Evolution. Rochester, Vt.: Bear & Co. p. 207. ISBN 978-1-59143-129-9.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Willis Toms, Justine. "The Direct Route to Awakening with John de Ruiter". New Dimensions Radio. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  4. ↑ de Ruiter, John (1999). Unveiling reality. Edmonton: Oasis Edmonton. ISBN 1-894538-00-5.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Brummelman. pp. 59–60. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ Marvelly, Paula (2002). The teachers of one : living advaita, conversations on the nature of non-duality. London: Watkins Pub. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-84293-028-1.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Marvelly. p. 138. ISBN 978-8178221441. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ Parker, John W. (2000). Dialogues with emerging spiritual teachers (1st ed. ed.). Fort Collins, Colo.: Sagewood Press. p. 43. ISBN 0-9703659-0-X.
  9. ↑ Parker. p. 43. ISBN 0-9703659-0-X. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Eaves, Elisabeth (8 November 2006). "Leadership 101: Be Quiet". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  11. ↑ de Ruiter, John. "The official website of Author and Philosopher John de Ruiter". Retrieved 2 October 2012.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 de Ruiter, John. "The Official Website of John de Ruiter". Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Dann, G. Elijah (2007). Leaving fundamentalism : personal stories. Waterloo, Ont.: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. p. 93. ISBN 978-1-55458-026-2.
  14. ↑ Polster, Kaya (2011). In Search of Freedom: A Memoir. eBookIt.com. p. 312. ISBN 978-1-4566-0605-3.
  15. ↑ Smith, Ryan. "Study reveals religious leader's silent". Folio. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  16. ↑ Holeman. "John de Ruiter Introductory Leaflet". Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Brummelman. p. 61. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 McKeen, Scott (13 April 2007). "Disarming guru has his temple after bookstore start". The Edmonton Journal. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  19. ↑ Brummelman, Neils (17 January 2012). "Honesty is the Best Policy". Innerself. East/West 2012 (27): 6. Retrieved 7 September 2012.