Drinking Caffeine to Stay Awake During Meditation from the media Aligning Life with This Understanding
A man who falls asleep during meditation asks if it’s alright to drink caffeine before meditating. Rupert suggests that it is fine, as long as it doesn't become an addiction.
- Duration: 52 seconds
- Recorded on: Aug 22, 2021
- Event: The Effortless Path to Happiness – Five Day Retreat at Home
A man says that the only thing that causes him irritation and suffering is his desire to understand the direct path. Rupert suggests that because we cannot bring the search to an end prematurely, we explore our experience and our resistance to it until understanding ends the search.
A woman says that she feels alone with her understanding and wonders how to approach her life. Rupert suggests that we align our life with this understanding and let it be an expression of it.
A man says that with this understanding he is less reactive than he was but feels that he is no longer evolving. Rupert elaborates that as the ego diminishes, so too does drama and suffering. He suggests that we be patient during this phase as old patterns fall away and new ones emerge.
A woman who is crying a lot since attending a retreat on difficult emotions asks about what she is experiencing. Rupert suggests that as the apparently separate self is exposed and dissolved in the understanding, tears are an expression of that dissolution at the level of the body.
A man says he is confused about how to deal with his emotions. Rupert suggests that we can approach this two ways. We can either investigate the self, the ‘I’, on whose behalf emotions arise, or we can take a stand as that presence of awareness and face our feelings.
A woman says that as her understanding increases, the egoic voice seems to be more insistent and frequent. Rupert suggests that the frequency has not increased, but that awareness of it has.
A Course In Miracles student asks about the distinction between forgiveness and allowing. Rupert suggests that to forgive is to understand that the one you blame or judge is not there, that there is no one and no thing to forgive. Allowing is the open loving presence that embraces all that appears.
A man whose search for God came to an end after listening to Rupert asks about how to handle religious conflict in relationships. Rupert elaborates on the message of Jesus as 'I am', rather than as a separate person, and that those who feel they are separate also see Jesus as a separate person.
A man asks for clarification about the term 'One with God'. Rupert elaborates that to know one’s being as God’s being is to be one with God, which is our shared being, not a personal self.
A woman asks whether she should withdraw from a full life or pursue truth. Rupert responds that living a full life and pursuing the truth are not mutually exclusive and provide opportunities to explore this understanding.
A man from Buckinghamshire has been suffering after taking psilocybin, which felt like a complete loss of self. Rupert makes the distinction between shattering the sense of self with psychedelics and the falling away of the self in self-enquiry and suggests the latter for putting his life back together.
A woman, who is ordinarily driven, says she has lost her drive. Rupert says that while it is good for the drive to peter out, it doesn’t mean that activity must cease and suggests that we pursue creative activities that would bring our love for truth into the world.
A man who falls asleep during meditation asks if it’s alright to drink caffeine before meditating. Rupert suggests that it is fine, as long as it doesn't become an addiction.
A man asks if his desire to eat ice cream is appropriate. Rupert suggests that we check to see if the desire for ice cream comes from a sense of lack.
A man asks if his desire to move to Asia, in order to share the understanding, is appropriate. Rupert suggests that we look at our life, in general, and ask if it is an expression of this understanding.
A woman asks if God needs her to know her self. Rupert says that the short answer is 'no' and the long answer is that the question implies that there are two, God and a person. Rupert uses the analogy of John Smith and King Lear to elaborate.
An 80 year-old woman who had a spontaneous awakening at age 22 asks if there is an end to post-awakening sadhana. Rupert responds that there is no end, and elaborates on the three stages of the search.
A man asks about what it means to be courageous in one’s spiritual search. Rupert suggests that being courageous is being devoted to the truth irrespective of the consequences that it may have for aspects of our personal life that may not align with the truth.
A man says that the only thing that causes him irritation and suffering is his desire to understand the direct path. Rupert suggests that because we cannot bring the search to an end prematurely, we explore our experience and our resistance to it until understanding ends the search.
A woman says that she feels alone with her understanding and wonders how to approach her life. Rupert suggests that we align our life with this understanding and let it be an expression of it.
A man says that with this understanding he is less reactive than he was but feels that he is no longer evolving. Rupert elaborates that as the ego diminishes, so too does drama and suffering. He suggests that we be patient during this phase as old patterns fall away and new ones emerge.
A woman who is crying a lot since attending a retreat on difficult emotions asks about what she is experiencing. Rupert suggests that as the apparently separate self is exposed and dissolved in the understanding, tears are an expression of that dissolution at the level of the body.
A man says he is confused about how to deal with his emotions. Rupert suggests that we can approach this two ways. We can either investigate the self, the ‘I’, on whose behalf emotions arise, or we can take a stand as that presence of awareness and face our feelings.
A woman says that as her understanding increases, the egoic voice seems to be more insistent and frequent. Rupert suggests that the frequency has not increased, but that awareness of it has.
A Course In Miracles student asks about the distinction between forgiveness and allowing. Rupert suggests that to forgive is to understand that the one you blame or judge is not there, that there is no one and no thing to forgive. Allowing is the open loving presence that embraces all that appears.
A man whose search for God came to an end after listening to Rupert asks about how to handle religious conflict in relationships. Rupert elaborates on the message of Jesus as 'I am', rather than as a separate person, and that those who feel they are separate also see Jesus as a separate person.
A man asks for clarification about the term 'One with God'. Rupert elaborates that to know one’s being as God’s being is to be one with God, which is our shared being, not a personal self.
A woman asks whether she should withdraw from a full life or pursue truth. Rupert responds that living a full life and pursuing the truth are not mutually exclusive and provide opportunities to explore this understanding.
A man from Buckinghamshire has been suffering after taking psilocybin, which felt like a complete loss of self. Rupert makes the distinction between shattering the sense of self with psychedelics and the falling away of the self in self-enquiry and suggests the latter for putting his life back together.
A woman, who is ordinarily driven, says she has lost her drive. Rupert says that while it is good for the drive to peter out, it doesn’t mean that activity must cease and suggests that we pursue creative activities that would bring our love for truth into the world.
A man who falls asleep during meditation asks if it’s alright to drink caffeine before meditating. Rupert suggests that it is fine, as long as it doesn't become an addiction.
A man asks if his desire to eat ice cream is appropriate. Rupert suggests that we check to see if the desire for ice cream comes from a sense of lack.
A man asks if his desire to move to Asia, in order to share the understanding, is appropriate. Rupert suggests that we look at our life, in general, and ask if it is an expression of this understanding.
A woman asks if God needs her to know her self. Rupert says that the short answer is 'no' and the long answer is that the question implies that there are two, God and a person. Rupert uses the analogy of John Smith and King Lear to elaborate.
An 80 year-old woman who had a spontaneous awakening at age 22 asks if there is an end to post-awakening sadhana. Rupert responds that there is no end, and elaborates on the three stages of the search.
A man asks about what it means to be courageous in one’s spiritual search. Rupert suggests that being courageous is being devoted to the truth irrespective of the consequences that it may have for aspects of our personal life that may not align with the truth.