Beyond Existence and Non-Existence from the media We Should Remain Silent
A woman relays the experience of being lucid during a dream which transitioned into the waking state, and beyond. Rupert suggests that being is beyond existence and non-existence. When being localises itself as a finite mind, its primary experience is ‘I am’, but infinite being cannot reflect on itself. John Smith doesn't need to reflect on himself to know himself.
- Duration: 9 minutes and 10 seconds
- Recorded on: Nov 13, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Sunday 13th November
Whether I am anxious, upset, bored or excited, I am. Whatever I am experiencing, I am. Being is the common factor in all experience, sharing none of its qualities or limitations – no sorrow, shame, guilt, fear, no thinking or feeling. Whatever appears outside of ourself – a table, a world, a molecule – it is. Only from the perspective of an individual self is being divided into many things and people. From its own point of view, it is undivided, whole, perfect. Knowing nothing of time or space, lack or sorrow, birth or death, it is knowing and loving only itself. It is the place of peace, of refuge. Even the desire to meditate, be enlightened or unite with God, perpetuates the individual and denies God's presence. Stand utterly naked, seeking, wanting, resisting nothing. There is no one to practise and nothing to be practised; we should remain silent.
A man asks if the world is illusory, then why should we care about ourselves, others and the world. Rupert suggests that it is a big assumption that the world has no existence independent of our minds. An illusion is not something that is not real; it is real but is not what it appears to be. Things appear to be independent things, but what are they really? God’s infinite being. Love is all being knows.
A woman who works with dementia patients asks if our true nature is a default without the cognitive capabilities. Rupert responds that the screen remains the screen, regardless of the movie being played. He relates his experience of following his mother's mind wherever it goes.
A man says that he has lost the ‘honeymoon’ phase of non-duality. Rupert suggests that the ‘I’ was never lost or assaulted or wondered what to do. Does being have to do anything to be? Rupert suggests this has nothing to do with doing something. Being is already being. You are looking in the movie for the screen, yet all there is to the movie is the screen.
A man asks how to go back to happiness. Rupert suggests that he simply recognise his true nature. How does King Lear overcome his sorrow and find happiness? By recognising, ‘I am John Smith’. John Smith is himself. You are already your self. We don’t have to get rid of darkness, it will gradually be outshone by the sunlight.
A woman tries to do the right thing without concern for the result but gets befuddled because fears and disappointments still arise. She asks, ‘How to make decisions without regret?’ Rupert suggests rather than thinking about the consequences of her actions that she thinks about from where her motivations are arising. Does it arise from love or fear?
A woman asks if there is an intelligence in the mind of God that discriminates. Rupert suggests that yes, the intelligence that is our mind has to discriminate between actions such as dropping a bomb on a city and giving a friend a hug. The love that our mind possesses allows us to discriminate on its behalf. It is like a ray of God's infinite intelligence shining in your mind.
A man who stutters says he fears public speaking, which he feels is a direct connection with his level of relaxation. His wish to be constantly fluent creates more stuttering. Rupert responds that he also had a speech impediment around his father, who was the only person around whom he stuttered, but it came up again around other powerful, authoritative men. The more firmly you are established in your being, the less daunted you'll feel by another's character.
A woman relays the experience of being lucid during a dream which transitioned into the waking state, and beyond. Rupert suggests that being is beyond existence and non-existence. When being localises itself as a finite mind, its primary experience is ‘I am’, but infinite being cannot reflect on itself. John Smith doesn't need to reflect on himself to know himself.
A man, referring to the Karmapa statement 'Nothing happens’, asks about dying in relation to this statement. Rupert replies that he might look at both the screen and image and see that whatever is happening, nothing is really happening, though there appears to be a lot going on. Both are true. We can be involved in the drama, feeling sorrow and so one, and remain as the screen.
A man asks, ‘Is infinite being divested of all content during deep sleep?’ Rupert suggests that even during the waking state, it only appears as a multiplicity and diversity of things. Infinite being is always infinite and indivisible, waking or sleeping. Even when focused on the content of experience, infinite being is always, only infinite being. There is only God's Being.
A woman says she thinks her ego rests in being for ease as she suffers around climate change. Rupert suggests that there is an impersonal grief that we feel in relation to the climate crisis or human or animal suffering. We turn towards it and feel ourself as this open loving being. Resting in being is not the ego appropriating; it is innate intelligence going back to rest in the peace of being.
A man asks about the Tantric path and some of its more extreme perspectives. Rupert responds that the word 'tantra' has been appropriated by the ego to mean so many different things. The essence of tantra is both the screen and the image, awareness and the content of experience. He suggests the books 'Know Yourself - An Explanation of the Oneness of Your Being' by Balyani, or 'The Recognition Sutras' by Christopher Wallis, or anything by Joel Goldstein.
A woman asks Rupert about karma. Rupert suggests that the most important thing to know about karma is that it doesn’t affect our being. This is more important than understanding how it works. The woman mentions cases like child abuse. Rupert says that it is a violation of truth, but being remains intact. The being of a new-born is the same as the being of an 85-year-old on their deathbed.
Whether I am anxious, upset, bored or excited, I am. Whatever I am experiencing, I am. Being is the common factor in all experience, sharing none of its qualities or limitations – no sorrow, shame, guilt, fear, no thinking or feeling. Whatever appears outside of ourself – a table, a world, a molecule – it is. Only from the perspective of an individual self is being divided into many things and people. From its own point of view, it is undivided, whole, perfect. Knowing nothing of time or space, lack or sorrow, birth or death, it is knowing and loving only itself. It is the place of peace, of refuge. Even the desire to meditate, be enlightened or unite with God, perpetuates the individual and denies God's presence. Stand utterly naked, seeking, wanting, resisting nothing. There is no one to practise and nothing to be practised; we should remain silent.
A man asks if the world is illusory, then why should we care about ourselves, others and the world. Rupert suggests that it is a big assumption that the world has no existence independent of our minds. An illusion is not something that is not real; it is real but is not what it appears to be. Things appear to be independent things, but what are they really? God’s infinite being. Love is all being knows.
A woman who works with dementia patients asks if our true nature is a default without the cognitive capabilities. Rupert responds that the screen remains the screen, regardless of the movie being played. He relates his experience of following his mother's mind wherever it goes.
A man says that he has lost the ‘honeymoon’ phase of non-duality. Rupert suggests that the ‘I’ was never lost or assaulted or wondered what to do. Does being have to do anything to be? Rupert suggests this has nothing to do with doing something. Being is already being. You are looking in the movie for the screen, yet all there is to the movie is the screen.
A man asks how to go back to happiness. Rupert suggests that he simply recognise his true nature. How does King Lear overcome his sorrow and find happiness? By recognising, ‘I am John Smith’. John Smith is himself. You are already your self. We don’t have to get rid of darkness, it will gradually be outshone by the sunlight.
A woman tries to do the right thing without concern for the result but gets befuddled because fears and disappointments still arise. She asks, ‘How to make decisions without regret?’ Rupert suggests rather than thinking about the consequences of her actions that she thinks about from where her motivations are arising. Does it arise from love or fear?
A woman asks if there is an intelligence in the mind of God that discriminates. Rupert suggests that yes, the intelligence that is our mind has to discriminate between actions such as dropping a bomb on a city and giving a friend a hug. The love that our mind possesses allows us to discriminate on its behalf. It is like a ray of God's infinite intelligence shining in your mind.
A man who stutters says he fears public speaking, which he feels is a direct connection with his level of relaxation. His wish to be constantly fluent creates more stuttering. Rupert responds that he also had a speech impediment around his father, who was the only person around whom he stuttered, but it came up again around other powerful, authoritative men. The more firmly you are established in your being, the less daunted you'll feel by another's character.
A woman relays the experience of being lucid during a dream which transitioned into the waking state, and beyond. Rupert suggests that being is beyond existence and non-existence. When being localises itself as a finite mind, its primary experience is ‘I am’, but infinite being cannot reflect on itself. John Smith doesn't need to reflect on himself to know himself.
A man, referring to the Karmapa statement 'Nothing happens’, asks about dying in relation to this statement. Rupert replies that he might look at both the screen and image and see that whatever is happening, nothing is really happening, though there appears to be a lot going on. Both are true. We can be involved in the drama, feeling sorrow and so one, and remain as the screen.
A man asks, ‘Is infinite being divested of all content during deep sleep?’ Rupert suggests that even during the waking state, it only appears as a multiplicity and diversity of things. Infinite being is always infinite and indivisible, waking or sleeping. Even when focused on the content of experience, infinite being is always, only infinite being. There is only God's Being.
A woman says she thinks her ego rests in being for ease as she suffers around climate change. Rupert suggests that there is an impersonal grief that we feel in relation to the climate crisis or human or animal suffering. We turn towards it and feel ourself as this open loving being. Resting in being is not the ego appropriating; it is innate intelligence going back to rest in the peace of being.
A man asks about the Tantric path and some of its more extreme perspectives. Rupert responds that the word 'tantra' has been appropriated by the ego to mean so many different things. The essence of tantra is both the screen and the image, awareness and the content of experience. He suggests the books 'Know Yourself - An Explanation of the Oneness of Your Being' by Balyani, or 'The Recognition Sutras' by Christopher Wallis, or anything by Joel Goldstein.
A woman asks Rupert about karma. Rupert suggests that the most important thing to know about karma is that it doesn’t affect our being. This is more important than understanding how it works. The woman mentions cases like child abuse. Rupert says that it is a violation of truth, but being remains intact. The being of a new-born is the same as the being of an 85-year-old on their deathbed.