Does John Smith Choose to Be King Lear? from the media Keep Coming Back to Yourself
A woman asks if John Smith chooses to lose himself in King Lear. Rupert explains that John Smith and King Lear are used as an analogy for consciousness and that the question of choice can only arise from the apparent separate self.
- Duration: 7 minutes and 25 seconds
- Recorded on: May 1, 2021
- Event: Five-Day 'Retreat at Home' – April
A woman says she experienced mental torture yesterday, and became aware that thought creates suffering. She asks how to get rid of the ego. Rupert responds that you cannot get rid of the ego because it doesn't exist, except as a belief and a feeling.
A woman asks if it is enough to continue to go back to the presence that she is, and if this is what is being recommended. Rupert's answer is, 'Yes,' keep going back to yourself'.
A man says that the more he gets caught up in experience, the more he is caught up in thoughts and feelings. He asks Rupert to help him see clearly. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry, leading him to experience his true nature.
A woman asks if her experience with another person is actually a mirror of her thoughts, and if it is enough to stand as awareness, or will she be taken advantage of. Rupert elaborates on the difference between egoic resistance and the resistancelessness of awareness.
A man who says he has an understanding of his true nature, says he still suffers from depression and difficult emotions. He asks how to allow his true nature to inform his experience, instead of the reverse. Rupert suggests he investigate the self that suffers from depression.
A woman, whose husband recently passed away, asks about the connection that exists between them, using Rupert's analogy of circles on a white sheet of paper. Rupert suggests that the love she feels is the knowing that she and her husband are not separate, but arise from the same paper.
A man from Mexico says he has an understanding of himself as awareness, yet at times awareness does not seem luminous. Rather, it is obscure and boring compared to his thoughts, which are more exciting. Rupert replies that he doesn't recommend awareness if what one is seeking is excitement.
A woman from Vancouver says she doesn't remember her dreams, so she feels afraid because she does not know where awareness goes when she falls asleep. Rupert asks her where the awareness she had when she was a child, or a year ago, has gone.
A man from Amsterdam says that although he has benefitted from Rupert's teachings, since the retreat began, he is feeling less love and more resistance. Rupert suggests he has allowed the appearance of others to veil our shared being.
A woman asks how to integrate what she has recognised with the sadness she has felt most of her life, as she does not feel at peace with 'what is'. Rupert suggests that her identity is invested in thoughts and feelings.
A man asks how we know if awareness, or 'I', is not imagined. Rupert asks him what his mind would be without awareness.
A man asks why, if the purpose of meditation is to rest our thoughts and perceptions, we are using thoughts and words in this teaching. Rupert suggests that the idea of resting thought might come from another teaching.
A man says that during meditation he experiences a pressure around the forehead and temple, and asks for help in understanding this reaction. Rupert suggests that it has to do with the sense of separation and localisation is being exposed, and coming into awareness.
A woman asks if awareness knows its destiny. Rupert responds that awareness has no destiny, it is already complete in itself now.
A woman asks if John Smith chooses to lose himself in King Lear. Rupert explains that John Smith and King Lear are used as an analogy for consciousness and that the question of choice can only arise from the apparent separate self.
A man from Niagara Falls, Canada, says that his awareness is only of his own experience and not that of others, and asks if awareness has parts. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to discover for himself that awareness has no parts.
A woman says she experienced mental torture yesterday, and became aware that thought creates suffering. She asks how to get rid of the ego. Rupert responds that you cannot get rid of the ego because it doesn't exist, except as a belief and a feeling.
A woman asks if it is enough to continue to go back to the presence that she is, and if this is what is being recommended. Rupert's answer is, 'Yes,' keep going back to yourself'.
A man says that the more he gets caught up in experience, the more he is caught up in thoughts and feelings. He asks Rupert to help him see clearly. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry, leading him to experience his true nature.
A woman asks if her experience with another person is actually a mirror of her thoughts, and if it is enough to stand as awareness, or will she be taken advantage of. Rupert elaborates on the difference between egoic resistance and the resistancelessness of awareness.
A man who says he has an understanding of his true nature, says he still suffers from depression and difficult emotions. He asks how to allow his true nature to inform his experience, instead of the reverse. Rupert suggests he investigate the self that suffers from depression.
A woman, whose husband recently passed away, asks about the connection that exists between them, using Rupert's analogy of circles on a white sheet of paper. Rupert suggests that the love she feels is the knowing that she and her husband are not separate, but arise from the same paper.
A man from Mexico says he has an understanding of himself as awareness, yet at times awareness does not seem luminous. Rather, it is obscure and boring compared to his thoughts, which are more exciting. Rupert replies that he doesn't recommend awareness if what one is seeking is excitement.
A woman from Vancouver says she doesn't remember her dreams, so she feels afraid because she does not know where awareness goes when she falls asleep. Rupert asks her where the awareness she had when she was a child, or a year ago, has gone.
A man from Amsterdam says that although he has benefitted from Rupert's teachings, since the retreat began, he is feeling less love and more resistance. Rupert suggests he has allowed the appearance of others to veil our shared being.
A woman asks how to integrate what she has recognised with the sadness she has felt most of her life, as she does not feel at peace with 'what is'. Rupert suggests that her identity is invested in thoughts and feelings.
A man asks how we know if awareness, or 'I', is not imagined. Rupert asks him what his mind would be without awareness.
A man asks why, if the purpose of meditation is to rest our thoughts and perceptions, we are using thoughts and words in this teaching. Rupert suggests that the idea of resting thought might come from another teaching.
A man says that during meditation he experiences a pressure around the forehead and temple, and asks for help in understanding this reaction. Rupert suggests that it has to do with the sense of separation and localisation is being exposed, and coming into awareness.
A woman asks if awareness knows its destiny. Rupert responds that awareness has no destiny, it is already complete in itself now.
A woman asks if John Smith chooses to lose himself in King Lear. Rupert explains that John Smith and King Lear are used as an analogy for consciousness and that the question of choice can only arise from the apparent separate self.
A man from Niagara Falls, Canada, says that his awareness is only of his own experience and not that of others, and asks if awareness has parts. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to discover for himself that awareness has no parts.