Friends Draw Forth Rupert’s Inner Sufi from the media The Bubbling Up of Love
A man, expressing his gratitude, shares that he feels anchored in his heart, touched by the warmth found during the retreat, and wishes he might have a half-hour to speak with Rupert on these matters. Rupert acknowledges that while he has met with many during the meals, he cannot sit individually with everyone as he wishes. He apologises to those he hasn’t spoken with, explaining it is not personal but simply a limitation of time, and thanks the man, honouring the presence of the Sufis at the retreat, whose company draws forth his own inner Sufi.
- Duration: 3 minutes and 18 seconds
- Recorded on: Oct 25, 2024
- Event: Seven-Day Retreat at Mercy Center – 18 to 25 October 2024
Imagine you are in a sensory deprivation tank. As all sensations fade away, what remains? Only the pure awareness of being. You discover this wasn’t created by the experiment – it was always here, merely veiled by experience. As thoughts and sensations gradually return, you find this awareness remains unchanged, utterly peaceful. Moving back into daily life, you notice your experience has lost its power to veil your true nature. Walking home past your old meditation centre, you smile: why seek through practices what is effortlessly present as your very self? Your being, which is God's being, now shines through every experience. Before you even notice shapes and colours, you feel the pure isness of things, recognising how everyone and everything borrows their being from infinite being. What was an intimate philosophical insight becomes your living reality – peace on the inside, flowing as spontaneous love on the outside.
A woman shares her immense gratitude, yet notices moments where she cannot feel her heart. Rupert encourages her to keep returning to her primary experience of being, present before thoughts and feelings. He invites her not only to understand, but to taste the qualities of her being. In time, he suggests, the feeling of peace and plenitude will begin to burn through her feelings, like the sun through the mist.
A man expresses his gratitude and shares that everyone attending the retreats at the Mercy Centre loves Rupert, even though he will come only once next year. Rupert thanks him, affirming his deep love for everyone at the Mercy Centre. He says he feels at home there and that he considers all friends to be his family.
A man, expressing his gratitude, shares that he feels anchored in his heart, touched by the warmth found during the retreat, and wishes he might have a half-hour to speak with Rupert on these matters. Rupert acknowledges that while he has met with many during the meals, he cannot sit individually with everyone as he wishes. He apologises to those he hasn’t spoken with, explaining it is not personal but simply a limitation of time, and thanks the man, honouring the presence of the Sufis at the retreat, whose company draws forth his own inner Sufi.
A man shares that Rupert took him and friends on a wonderful tour from the place of being to the absolute. He envisions a ‘youth academy’ where young people could embark on a similar journey into non-dual understanding. Rupert suggests that the man could start such a project himself.
A man shares his gratitude, reflecting on how the teaching seems to dissolve into understanding. He observes that Rupert replies to each question from his own understanding. Rupert thanks the man for his sharing.
A man reflects on the concept of being prior to creation and wonders if there is time or not. Rupert suggests the man may be overthinking this. The man expresses gratitude that time and space exist because, through them, they are able to meet.
A man seeks clarity about Rupert's mention of the infinite wanting to know the streets of Paris. Rupert says that the only way the infinite could know the streets of Paris would be by imagining them within its own mind, simultaneously locating itself as an apparently separate subject on the streets of Paris, from whose perspective it knows itself as those streets. He adds that the infinite has no desire to know or create anything; that is why it is always at peace and happy.
A woman expresses gratitude and says that the light in her bows to the light in Rupert.
A man, sitting with Rupert for the first time, shares that earlier that morning, a question arose in him. During meditation, however, he was staggered to stillness and expresses deep gratitude, saying he tasted the Pathless Path.
A man expresses gratitude, sharing that this is his first time attending Rupert's retreat and that he feels deeply drawn to being here. He speaks of a renewed sense of wanting to stay in this world, something he hadn’t felt before.
A man shares just four words: ‘Thank you, useful friend.’
A man, with tears of gratitude, reflects on how the body’s first expression upon birth is to cry. He calls these ‘the tears of love’, recalling Rupert’s words that the pain of grief is made of the love for whom you long. Rupert, touched, mentions that the man reminds him of his mother.
A man expresses deep gratitude to Rupert for the spaciousness created in this gathering, allowing love to bubble up within him. He shares this love with friends here – those he has had the honour to sit and share with, as well as those he hasn’t yet met. He also speaks of his wife, with whom he will soon celebrate fifty years together, feeling how this retreat has deepened their connection.
A woman expresses feeling absolutely in love without an object, sharing that she is now entering into a sacred heart. She thanks Rupert for the beautiful opening during the retreat and for helping her know it directly. She feels deep gratitude for all friends who are present and the connection they share.
A man shares his gratitude, noting how, in a previous retreat, Rupert used less words creating more space in the meditation sessions, even joking about reaching complete silence. This week, he felt Rupert’s guidance return as more complete teaching yet still spacious, an experience others noticed as well. Rupert says he comes with no curriculum, letting what his friends bring out in him shape the gathering, and that this week, he felt a need to say more.
A woman shares her gratitude, saying this is her first sitting with Rupert and the friends. As an introvert, she thought she might stay silent all week, yet the warmth and enjoyment of the group drew her in, and she feels a deep sense of belonging.
A man expresses heartfelt gratitude to Rupert and the community, describing the retreat as having a dream-like quality that almost makes him feel his entire life has been a dream. He shares a poem about his experience.
A woman expresses gratitude for the simplicity of the teachings, describing the retreat as a profound gift that revealed the unique depth of in-person connection. Rupert says, affirming the two poles of his teaching: a close, family-like intimacy at retreats and a global reach through online platforms. While online offerings share the teaching widely, he reflects that something special takes place in person – a quality of friendship and community that is a deep, essential aspect of the teaching.
A woman recalls feeling angry when she discovered Rupert would only come once to Mercy Centre next year. She recognises in this her own fear of abandonment, expressing how she wanted to abandon Rupert before he abandons her. Yet, in the depth of her heart, she knows that, no matter what, she still loves him. Rupert reflects, touched by woman's words, recalling when his son left home. He describes the palpable emptiness that fills the house after a child's presence is gone. Yet, he says, this feeling returns to peace; the relationship remains, the love unbroken, even as his son grows up.
A man having travelled a long way to be here, reflects on the journey Rupert has taken him on, saying it is a journey from his mind to his heart, a movement outside space and time. He shares a familiar saying, ‘we are not human beings seeking a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience’, and offers his own version, a ‘Rupertisation’, expressing, ‘we are one being having localised human experiences’. He asks if he has come close to Rupert’s perspective. Rupert says that sometimes, as infinite being, we are clothed in human experience, perceiving ourselves as the world. At other times, when we are undressed, we stand simply as naked being, free and at peace.
A man shares how, since his spiritual awakening, God’s grace has led him to Rupert’s teachings, which have calmed and satisfied his mind. His first retreat has been life-changing, bringing a sense of community and deep impact from meditation, leaving him in a state that endures. He plans to return, understanding Rupert’s words: ‘peace on the inside and love on the outside’.
A man shares that a year ago, during a spiritual crisis, he began watching Rupert’s YouTube videos and reading his book The Heart of Prayer, which had a profound impact on his life. He recounts a profound experience whilst working out at a public gym, listening to Rupert’s recording, where he felt perfection being poured into him.
A man shares deep gratitude, saying he came to the retreat expecting to wrestle with intellectual concepts but found himself ‘wrestling with not-wrestling’. In meditation the other day, Rupert's pointing to the reconciliation between being and experience cut the thread that was holding him back. He thanks Rupert for ‘helping this moth surrender to the flame’.
A woman shares her gratitude to everyone present for their generosity of heart and expresses how meaningful it is to feel part of a community like this. She speaks of an intuition that challenging times may lie ahead, and she senses that this community can hold everyone through it.
Imagine you are in a sensory deprivation tank. As all sensations fade away, what remains? Only the pure awareness of being. You discover this wasn’t created by the experiment – it was always here, merely veiled by experience. As thoughts and sensations gradually return, you find this awareness remains unchanged, utterly peaceful. Moving back into daily life, you notice your experience has lost its power to veil your true nature. Walking home past your old meditation centre, you smile: why seek through practices what is effortlessly present as your very self? Your being, which is God's being, now shines through every experience. Before you even notice shapes and colours, you feel the pure isness of things, recognising how everyone and everything borrows their being from infinite being. What was an intimate philosophical insight becomes your living reality – peace on the inside, flowing as spontaneous love on the outside.
A woman shares her immense gratitude, yet notices moments where she cannot feel her heart. Rupert encourages her to keep returning to her primary experience of being, present before thoughts and feelings. He invites her not only to understand, but to taste the qualities of her being. In time, he suggests, the feeling of peace and plenitude will begin to burn through her feelings, like the sun through the mist.
A man expresses his gratitude and shares that everyone attending the retreats at the Mercy Centre loves Rupert, even though he will come only once next year. Rupert thanks him, affirming his deep love for everyone at the Mercy Centre. He says he feels at home there and that he considers all friends to be his family.
A man, expressing his gratitude, shares that he feels anchored in his heart, touched by the warmth found during the retreat, and wishes he might have a half-hour to speak with Rupert on these matters. Rupert acknowledges that while he has met with many during the meals, he cannot sit individually with everyone as he wishes. He apologises to those he hasn’t spoken with, explaining it is not personal but simply a limitation of time, and thanks the man, honouring the presence of the Sufis at the retreat, whose company draws forth his own inner Sufi.
A man shares that Rupert took him and friends on a wonderful tour from the place of being to the absolute. He envisions a ‘youth academy’ where young people could embark on a similar journey into non-dual understanding. Rupert suggests that the man could start such a project himself.
A man shares his gratitude, reflecting on how the teaching seems to dissolve into understanding. He observes that Rupert replies to each question from his own understanding. Rupert thanks the man for his sharing.
A man reflects on the concept of being prior to creation and wonders if there is time or not. Rupert suggests the man may be overthinking this. The man expresses gratitude that time and space exist because, through them, they are able to meet.
A man seeks clarity about Rupert's mention of the infinite wanting to know the streets of Paris. Rupert says that the only way the infinite could know the streets of Paris would be by imagining them within its own mind, simultaneously locating itself as an apparently separate subject on the streets of Paris, from whose perspective it knows itself as those streets. He adds that the infinite has no desire to know or create anything; that is why it is always at peace and happy.
A woman expresses gratitude and says that the light in her bows to the light in Rupert.
A man, sitting with Rupert for the first time, shares that earlier that morning, a question arose in him. During meditation, however, he was staggered to stillness and expresses deep gratitude, saying he tasted the Pathless Path.
A man expresses gratitude, sharing that this is his first time attending Rupert's retreat and that he feels deeply drawn to being here. He speaks of a renewed sense of wanting to stay in this world, something he hadn’t felt before.
A man shares just four words: ‘Thank you, useful friend.’
A man, with tears of gratitude, reflects on how the body’s first expression upon birth is to cry. He calls these ‘the tears of love’, recalling Rupert’s words that the pain of grief is made of the love for whom you long. Rupert, touched, mentions that the man reminds him of his mother.
A man expresses deep gratitude to Rupert for the spaciousness created in this gathering, allowing love to bubble up within him. He shares this love with friends here – those he has had the honour to sit and share with, as well as those he hasn’t yet met. He also speaks of his wife, with whom he will soon celebrate fifty years together, feeling how this retreat has deepened their connection.
A woman expresses feeling absolutely in love without an object, sharing that she is now entering into a sacred heart. She thanks Rupert for the beautiful opening during the retreat and for helping her know it directly. She feels deep gratitude for all friends who are present and the connection they share.
A man shares his gratitude, noting how, in a previous retreat, Rupert used less words creating more space in the meditation sessions, even joking about reaching complete silence. This week, he felt Rupert’s guidance return as more complete teaching yet still spacious, an experience others noticed as well. Rupert says he comes with no curriculum, letting what his friends bring out in him shape the gathering, and that this week, he felt a need to say more.
A woman shares her gratitude, saying this is her first sitting with Rupert and the friends. As an introvert, she thought she might stay silent all week, yet the warmth and enjoyment of the group drew her in, and she feels a deep sense of belonging.
A man expresses heartfelt gratitude to Rupert and the community, describing the retreat as having a dream-like quality that almost makes him feel his entire life has been a dream. He shares a poem about his experience.
A woman expresses gratitude for the simplicity of the teachings, describing the retreat as a profound gift that revealed the unique depth of in-person connection. Rupert says, affirming the two poles of his teaching: a close, family-like intimacy at retreats and a global reach through online platforms. While online offerings share the teaching widely, he reflects that something special takes place in person – a quality of friendship and community that is a deep, essential aspect of the teaching.
A woman recalls feeling angry when she discovered Rupert would only come once to Mercy Centre next year. She recognises in this her own fear of abandonment, expressing how she wanted to abandon Rupert before he abandons her. Yet, in the depth of her heart, she knows that, no matter what, she still loves him. Rupert reflects, touched by woman's words, recalling when his son left home. He describes the palpable emptiness that fills the house after a child's presence is gone. Yet, he says, this feeling returns to peace; the relationship remains, the love unbroken, even as his son grows up.
A man having travelled a long way to be here, reflects on the journey Rupert has taken him on, saying it is a journey from his mind to his heart, a movement outside space and time. He shares a familiar saying, ‘we are not human beings seeking a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience’, and offers his own version, a ‘Rupertisation’, expressing, ‘we are one being having localised human experiences’. He asks if he has come close to Rupert’s perspective. Rupert says that sometimes, as infinite being, we are clothed in human experience, perceiving ourselves as the world. At other times, when we are undressed, we stand simply as naked being, free and at peace.
A man shares how, since his spiritual awakening, God’s grace has led him to Rupert’s teachings, which have calmed and satisfied his mind. His first retreat has been life-changing, bringing a sense of community and deep impact from meditation, leaving him in a state that endures. He plans to return, understanding Rupert’s words: ‘peace on the inside and love on the outside’.
A man shares that a year ago, during a spiritual crisis, he began watching Rupert’s YouTube videos and reading his book The Heart of Prayer, which had a profound impact on his life. He recounts a profound experience whilst working out at a public gym, listening to Rupert’s recording, where he felt perfection being poured into him.
A man shares deep gratitude, saying he came to the retreat expecting to wrestle with intellectual concepts but found himself ‘wrestling with not-wrestling’. In meditation the other day, Rupert's pointing to the reconciliation between being and experience cut the thread that was holding him back. He thanks Rupert for ‘helping this moth surrender to the flame’.
A woman shares her gratitude to everyone present for their generosity of heart and expresses how meaningful it is to feel part of a community like this. She speaks of an intuition that challenging times may lie ahead, and she senses that this community can hold everyone through it.