Rupert starts by explaining that consciousness cannot be accurately defined. He goes on to give a practical, working definition: consciousness is that in which all experience appears, with which all experience is known and out of which all experience is made. All we know of the universe is our experience of it. It follows that in order to understand the nature of the universe, we must first understand the nature of consciousness.
Rupert shows how we can taste that essential nature in the space between two thoughts. We see that consciousness has no limits and no objective qualities. It becomes clear that the consciousness with which each of us knows our experience is exactly the same Consciousness.
Materialists ask ‘how does consciousness arise out of matter?’ That is based on the presumption that matter is prior to consciousness, a presumption for which there is no evidence. The more interesting question is ‘how does matter arise out of consciousness?’
Rupert explores this question through a dream metaphor: Mary asleep in Titignano dreams she is Jane walking along the streets of New York. The dream metaphor is elaborated to illustrate how infinite, undivided consciousness (represented in the metaphor by Mary’s mind) appears as a multiplicity and diversity of objects from the limited point of view of the character in the dream (Jane). The same metaphor is used to describe the origin of suffering and to explain how love heals the suffering inherent in the sense of separation. We can find that innate love by investigating the nature of ourself, consciousness.
Rupert concludes his talk by reciting the poem ‘love is a place’ by E. E. Cummings. He then takes questions from the audience and leads the questioners in the exploration of their direct experience.
