A collection of contemplative essays and conversations, the purpose of which is to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it.

These contemplations lead us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. As such, it is nothing that can be experienced as an object, and yet it is undeniably present.

However, these contemplations go much further than this. As we take our stand knowingly as this conscious Presence that we always already are, and reconsider the objects of the body, mind and world, we find that they do not simply appear to this Presence; they appear within it. Further exploration reveals that they do not simply appear within this Presence but as this Presence.

Finally we are led to see that it is in fact this very Presence itself that takes the shape of our experience from moment to moment whilst always remaining only itself. We see that our experience is and has only ever been one seamless totality, with no separate entities or objects anywhere to be found.

‘A transparent book by a transparent being.’
– Francis Lucille, author of Eternity Now, The Perfume of Silence and Truth Love Beauty.

‘Recognition of our true nature does not need studious reading of spiritual texts, years of meditation practice, or deep devotion to a teacher. We need only the willingness to engage in a rigorously honest investigation into the nature of awareness itself—not an intellectual investigation, but a personal investigation into what we truly are. In The Transparency of Things, Rupert Spira not only distils the essence of this inquiry into everyday language; he does so without reference to any metaphysics or esoteric doctrines. He appeals only to our direct experience, encouraging the reader to dive into the personal investigation of what it means to be aware. If you do, you will find yourself tasting the realization enjoyed by the awakened ones throughout the ages’
– Peter Russell, author of The Global Brain and From Science to God.