'but just' is what

Question

?He faced this problem: I have to kill you in war. He said, If I remain caught in the illusion of my ordinary reality, I perceive myself as an agent killing you. Then, he says, if you go through a Buddhist enlightenment, you see that you have no self. You became a passive observer of your acts and I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act [but just], as he puts it, my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it. Was he a psychopath or not? The main definition of psychopath for me is also a person who is too identified with what he is like, for example Jacques Lacan, my favourite dogmatic reference. He said something very nice. He said a madman is not only a begger who thinks he is a king. A madman is also a king who thinks that he is a king. (i.e., who perceives his symbolic mandate ‘king’ as directly grounded in the real of his being)?I don't know the meaning of 'but just'. I don't understand Why 'but just' is embeded.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act [but just]...my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance...

AnonymousI don't know the meaning of 'but just'.

You need 'but' for the grammar: a conjunction is required between the clauses.
'Just' is an adverb of concession meaning 'only'.

Anonymous'but just' is embedded.

It is not embedded; it is a part of the sentence grammar.

Anonymous · Answer

Mister MicawberYou need 'but' for the grammar: a conjunction is required between the clauses.'Just' is an adverb of concession meaning 'only'.

Many thanks. Reading your explanation, I searched a dictionary to see the entry 'but'.
Usually, 'a comma + but' is used to introduce a statement that adds sth to a previous statement and contrasts with it in some way. (I don't know her, but my husband does.) 'No comma + but' is also used in speech at the beginning of a sentence that expresses surprise, shock, etc. (But It's not fair for them to treat him this way! / They've arrived? But I thought they were coming Tuesday.) Thus, I don't understand your answering clearly.

Let us see the following sentences: (You became a passive observer of your acts and I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act but just, as he puts it, my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.)

My parsing are as follows:
a main clause 1 : You became a passive observer of your acts
a conjunction : and
a main clause 2 : I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act
a conjunction ? : but
a parenthesis (Adverbial clause) : ,as he puts it,
a subordinate clause (Adverbial clause) : (but just?) my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena,
a main clause 3 : your eye seems to stumble upon it.

You mean that 'but just' leads the subordinate clause? (my knife~ phenomena,) Then, Why 'no comma + but' is situated after 'my act'? I should think that "~as my act but just,~" should be paraphrased into "~as my act, but just,~" ( i.e., "a comma + but" is situated after "as my act")

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousLet us see the following sentences: (You became a passive observer of your acts and I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act but just, as he puts it, my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.)

That is a single sentence, which you have now punctuated differently: 'just, as' instead of 'just as,' in your original. Which do you mean?

Anonymous · Answer

First of all, I thank you for your input on this. As you can see, the original that I inquire of you is 'just, as' not 'just as,') From the beginning, I situated ,(a comma) between just and as. ? "as my act [but just], as he puts it"

I copied and paste it (I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act [but just], as he puts it, my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.)

Reading your reply, I'm sure the original sentence is not punctuated correctly. Am I clear? I think you said that only 'just as' is right. If it is 'just as he puts it', I can understand clearly.Then, how I understand "zero comma + but". Between act and but exists no comma (i.e, zero comma exists)

Is that also not punctuated correctly?

Mister Micawber · Answer

OK, well, let's just start again. This is your sentence, right?—

You became a passive observer of your acts and I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act but just, as he puts it, my knife is dancing around and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.

What we have, actually, is a transcription or pseudo-transcription of the spoken language, so the structure is not correct for a written version; the pronouns, verb tenses and structuring are inconsistent. Here is how it breaks up:

[You became a passive observer of your acts] and [ [ I no longer perceive me stabbing a knife into your eye as my act] but [just, as he puts it, [my knife is dancing around] and [in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.] ] ]

The first underlined 'and' sets off two independent clauses composing the whole of the sentence.
The underlined 'but' divides a compound predicate within the 2nd independent clause.
The second underlined 'and' sets off two independent clauses within the 2nd of the compound predicates.

If I were to prepare this text for a written version, it would be amended to something like this (omitting 'as he puts it'):

I become a passive observer of my acts, and I no longer perceive myself stabbing a knife into your eye as my act but just observe that...my knife is dancing around, and in the cosmic dance of phenomena, your eye seems to stumble upon it.

Now—what is your question?

Anonymous · Answer

The only thing I can say is that YOU ARE AN EXTRAORDINARY HERO. You saved me!

'but just' is what

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