An Atheist's Near-Death Experience from the media Liberation from Longing
A woman, who was an atheist, asks about the levels of perception, having explained her near-death experience which put her in touch with her true nature, but she was still aware of having perception and the thought that she would return. She asks if that was when the mind arose? Rupert said that there was an experience of being, then the impulse to return was the first arising of the mind. He suggests that she was still experiencing from a point of view, not the localised perspective of the body, but not fully as pure being.
- Duration: 10 minutes and 1 second
- Recorded on: Mar 31, 2022
- Event: Seven Day Retreat at Garrison Institute – 27th March to 3rd April
A woman, who was an atheist, asks about the levels of perception, having explained her near-death experience which put her in touch with her true nature, but she was still aware of having perception and the thought that she would return. She asks if that was when the mind arose? Rupert said that there was an experience of being, then the impulse to return was the first arising of the mind. He suggests that she was still experiencing from a point of view, not the localised perspective of the body, but not fully as pure being.
A woman had a dream about her mother who had passed and asks about recognising your true nature and dreaming. Rupert suggests that she's referring to the analogy he uses of Mary and Jane, with Mary as infinite consciousness and Jane as the dream character. Recognising one's true nature would be like Mary lucid dreaming and realising that she was the essence of Jane's mind. A more useful analogy would be that of John Smith and King Lear.
Who is it that prays, and who is being prayed to? Rupert suggests there are two types of prayer, one is to move from ourself towards God in devotion, which involves the subject–object relationship. The second and highest form of prayer doesn't direct our attention towards something or someone but is the relaxing or sinking of our devotion into its source which is love or pure consciousness.
A man asks about longing because he has a fondness for the longing for truth. Rupert suggests that, by definition, if there is any longing in us – even the most refined longing for the truth – it presupposes that your true nature is not there. Our longing is the last thing we have to give up, and often it is the most difficult because a sense of ourself is invested in our longing. All separate selves are, by definition, seeking. It is not what it does; it is what it is.
A woman expresses her gratitude for Rupert being Rupert, from which she draws great richness and delight and experiences the direct remembering the divine. Rupert responds that we all come to retreats for a reason, but after a while, there's no real reason for coming, but we still come.
A man reflects on satsang and home as expressions that he loves. He also shares that he has so much longing for home. Rupert says that the only place you can’t long for is where you are. What you really long for is your being; it is the only thing we cannot long for because it is where we are and what we are. Longing must come to end. King Lear cannot remain being King Lear and have the experience of being John Smith.
A former psychotherapist asks about psychological issues and non-duality and whether they can be obstacles to recognition. Rupert responds that the identification of ourself – John Smith – with the content of experience – King Lear –creates the sense of a separate self, and all psychological issues revolve around that separate self. However, they do not impede self-recognition because awareness shines in the midst of all experience regardless of circumstance. It can be an obstacle to its expression, but not its recognition.
A woman who has a difficult relationship with her adult son asks how to liberate herself from guilt and shame. Rupert suggests that the first thing to understand is that if you are feeling fear, guilt and shame, you are colluding with your son, legitimising his belief that you are somehow responsible for his anger. This infantilises him.
A woman, who was an atheist, asks about the levels of perception, having explained her near-death experience which put her in touch with her true nature, but she was still aware of having perception and the thought that she would return. She asks if that was when the mind arose? Rupert said that there was an experience of being, then the impulse to return was the first arising of the mind. He suggests that she was still experiencing from a point of view, not the localised perspective of the body, but not fully as pure being.
A woman had a dream about her mother who had passed and asks about recognising your true nature and dreaming. Rupert suggests that she's referring to the analogy he uses of Mary and Jane, with Mary as infinite consciousness and Jane as the dream character. Recognising one's true nature would be like Mary lucid dreaming and realising that she was the essence of Jane's mind. A more useful analogy would be that of John Smith and King Lear.
Who is it that prays, and who is being prayed to? Rupert suggests there are two types of prayer, one is to move from ourself towards God in devotion, which involves the subject–object relationship. The second and highest form of prayer doesn't direct our attention towards something or someone but is the relaxing or sinking of our devotion into its source which is love or pure consciousness.
A man asks about longing because he has a fondness for the longing for truth. Rupert suggests that, by definition, if there is any longing in us – even the most refined longing for the truth – it presupposes that your true nature is not there. Our longing is the last thing we have to give up, and often it is the most difficult because a sense of ourself is invested in our longing. All separate selves are, by definition, seeking. It is not what it does; it is what it is.
A woman expresses her gratitude for Rupert being Rupert, from which she draws great richness and delight and experiences the direct remembering the divine. Rupert responds that we all come to retreats for a reason, but after a while, there's no real reason for coming, but we still come.
A man reflects on satsang and home as expressions that he loves. He also shares that he has so much longing for home. Rupert says that the only place you can’t long for is where you are. What you really long for is your being; it is the only thing we cannot long for because it is where we are and what we are. Longing must come to end. King Lear cannot remain being King Lear and have the experience of being John Smith.
A former psychotherapist asks about psychological issues and non-duality and whether they can be obstacles to recognition. Rupert responds that the identification of ourself – John Smith – with the content of experience – King Lear –creates the sense of a separate self, and all psychological issues revolve around that separate self. However, they do not impede self-recognition because awareness shines in the midst of all experience regardless of circumstance. It can be an obstacle to its expression, but not its recognition.
A woman who has a difficult relationship with her adult son asks how to liberate herself from guilt and shame. Rupert suggests that the first thing to understand is that if you are feeling fear, guilt and shame, you are colluding with your son, legitimising his belief that you are somehow responsible for his anger. This infantilises him.