Who Surrenders? from the media Relinquish Any Agenda with the Content of Experience
A man, who has experienced a great deal of oscillation between peace and suffering over the years, asks who it is that surrenders. Rupert suggests that with the oscillation between darkness and light, one is perceived as negative and undesirable and the other as positive and desirable, but what you're looking for is not what appears on the screen, but the screen itself that is always here regardless of the movie that is playing upon it. Continuing with that analogy in regard to surrender, the nature of awareness, or the screen, is surrender, acceptance, so 'who surrenders?' is not the right question.
- Duration: 15 minutes and 3 seconds
- Recorded on: May 29, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Sunday 29th May
Allow experience to be exactly as it is. Make no attempt to control or change experience, or to stop our thoughts. This approach has nothing to do with manipulating the content of experience; it has all to do with recognising ourself as the witnessing, spacious presence of awareness, and taking our stand as that. Relinquish any agenda with the content of experience. Give experience its freedom, and experience gives us our freedom. As the presence of awareness, we are utterly intimate with, and at the same time, independent of – one with and free from – all experience. Returning to our true nature is like returning home after a busy day at work. We close the door and let go of the entire content of experience – thoughts, feelings, sensations – and relax into the sofa of awareness, always comfortable, always welcoming. Make the world the place where you express this peace and happiness.
A question is asked about yoga meditations and recognising sensations as made of consciousness especially in regard to the experience of seeing and eating. Rupert responds that there are no sensations, or only subtle sensation in seeing and less with hearing. He leads a woman in self-enquiry to discover the nature of the experiences known as seeing and hearing. Rupert reads from Rilke's The Sonnets to Orpheus, Sonnet XIII, to illustrate this experience--of seeing and eating--from the point of view of a child.
A man asks a question about the ‘King Lear’ aspects of experience, and references 'the war against the world' that has dissipated in regard to France and his daughters, but there is still a war with the body, especially in the belly area. He asks how to release this energy that feels like it might explode. Rupert suggests thinking of the energy as a dense ball of love. In other words, having no negative connotation, and simply invite it to expand outward into the world. See where it wants to go and cooperate with it.
A woman asks about appearances, citing the example of a pen that creates a new appearance on a piece of paper, and wonders about natural appearances such as trees, that nobody is ‘doing’. Rupert responds that the trees are what the activity of consciousness looks like from a localised perspective. It doesn't matter if it comes from the localised or personal perspective, it's all the same activity of consciousness – mind on the inside, matter on the outside.
A man, who describes a spiritual teacher on YouTube who promises healing and a fulfilled future, asks Rupert how to think of this and whether these healings work. Rupert responds cautiously that 'yes' these healings can work,; there can be some truth in this perspective, but it’s difficult to advise another to follow or not follow such a teacher. The quickest way is to understand your true nature, your shared being with others, and live that understanding.
A woman asks a question about a quote from Rupert's book You Are the Happiness You Seek and how it relates to sickness and healing. Rupert responds that the quote takes us to the place that has never been hurt and is already whole, but this does not suggest that healing isn't sometimes necessary.
A man asks about confusion between changes in the witness and no change in awareness. Rupert responds that when the movie changes the screen remains the same. Awareness never changes in the same way that the aware screen never changes, but the content of the movie, or the appearance, is always changing.
A man, who has experienced a great deal of oscillation between peace and suffering over the years, asks who it is that surrenders. Rupert suggests that with the oscillation between darkness and light, one is perceived as negative and undesirable and the other as positive and desirable, but what you're looking for is not what appears on the screen, but the screen itself that is always here regardless of the movie that is playing upon it. Continuing with that analogy in regard to surrender, the nature of awareness, or the screen, is surrender, acceptance, so 'who surrenders?' is not the right question.
A woman says she finds it difficult to formulate her understanding with others. As a retired teacher, she asks about how best to comfort people around the most recent school shooting. Rupert suggests that it is difficult to formulate this understanding because it doesn't really fit into words, which can be frustrating. This is one reason why he is always reformulating answers with various analogies because no one formulation feels exactly right. He further suggests that she probably conveys this understanding better than she suggests. Just do your best. Regarding the recent school shooting, Rupert is reluctant to give specific words to share as it would be better for her to go into the school and speak from the heart, from the place of love and peace. That would be the most effective means of helping. Trust your understanding; trust your true nature.
A man describes reading 'Transparent Body; Luminous World' by Rupert, and how it opened everything up for him. He asks about Rupert's comments on angels in a recent podcast, as well as the malevolent residues or whirlpools. Rupert suggests the consciousness-only model allows for the appearance of angels and that there might be other kinds of formations in the whirlpool. Consciousness is infinite whilst the human mind is finite and cannot conceive of or perceive appearances outside those limitations.
A man reads poems on death and oneness written by a person he carpooled with who, prior to their discussions, never had any experience with non-duality. He asks if consciousness assumes the localisation of a finite mind in order to know the world, should we attempt to move towards this understanding or does this understanding ultimately reveal itself to itself. Rupert responds that consciousness has to localise as a subject in order to see objects. Our view of the world doesn't change in this journey, but the capacity of objects to veil reality diminishes. What we see remains the same; the way we see changes. It becomes possible to see through appearances to the reality behind all appearances.
Allow experience to be exactly as it is. Make no attempt to control or change experience, or to stop our thoughts. This approach has nothing to do with manipulating the content of experience; it has all to do with recognising ourself as the witnessing, spacious presence of awareness, and taking our stand as that. Relinquish any agenda with the content of experience. Give experience its freedom, and experience gives us our freedom. As the presence of awareness, we are utterly intimate with, and at the same time, independent of – one with and free from – all experience. Returning to our true nature is like returning home after a busy day at work. We close the door and let go of the entire content of experience – thoughts, feelings, sensations – and relax into the sofa of awareness, always comfortable, always welcoming. Make the world the place where you express this peace and happiness.
A question is asked about yoga meditations and recognising sensations as made of consciousness especially in regard to the experience of seeing and eating. Rupert responds that there are no sensations, or only subtle sensation in seeing and less with hearing. He leads a woman in self-enquiry to discover the nature of the experiences known as seeing and hearing. Rupert reads from Rilke's The Sonnets to Orpheus, Sonnet XIII, to illustrate this experience--of seeing and eating--from the point of view of a child.
A man asks a question about the ‘King Lear’ aspects of experience, and references 'the war against the world' that has dissipated in regard to France and his daughters, but there is still a war with the body, especially in the belly area. He asks how to release this energy that feels like it might explode. Rupert suggests thinking of the energy as a dense ball of love. In other words, having no negative connotation, and simply invite it to expand outward into the world. See where it wants to go and cooperate with it.
A woman asks about appearances, citing the example of a pen that creates a new appearance on a piece of paper, and wonders about natural appearances such as trees, that nobody is ‘doing’. Rupert responds that the trees are what the activity of consciousness looks like from a localised perspective. It doesn't matter if it comes from the localised or personal perspective, it's all the same activity of consciousness – mind on the inside, matter on the outside.
A man, who describes a spiritual teacher on YouTube who promises healing and a fulfilled future, asks Rupert how to think of this and whether these healings work. Rupert responds cautiously that 'yes' these healings can work,; there can be some truth in this perspective, but it’s difficult to advise another to follow or not follow such a teacher. The quickest way is to understand your true nature, your shared being with others, and live that understanding.
A woman asks a question about a quote from Rupert's book You Are the Happiness You Seek and how it relates to sickness and healing. Rupert responds that the quote takes us to the place that has never been hurt and is already whole, but this does not suggest that healing isn't sometimes necessary.
A man asks about confusion between changes in the witness and no change in awareness. Rupert responds that when the movie changes the screen remains the same. Awareness never changes in the same way that the aware screen never changes, but the content of the movie, or the appearance, is always changing.
A man, who has experienced a great deal of oscillation between peace and suffering over the years, asks who it is that surrenders. Rupert suggests that with the oscillation between darkness and light, one is perceived as negative and undesirable and the other as positive and desirable, but what you're looking for is not what appears on the screen, but the screen itself that is always here regardless of the movie that is playing upon it. Continuing with that analogy in regard to surrender, the nature of awareness, or the screen, is surrender, acceptance, so 'who surrenders?' is not the right question.
A woman says she finds it difficult to formulate her understanding with others. As a retired teacher, she asks about how best to comfort people around the most recent school shooting. Rupert suggests that it is difficult to formulate this understanding because it doesn't really fit into words, which can be frustrating. This is one reason why he is always reformulating answers with various analogies because no one formulation feels exactly right. He further suggests that she probably conveys this understanding better than she suggests. Just do your best. Regarding the recent school shooting, Rupert is reluctant to give specific words to share as it would be better for her to go into the school and speak from the heart, from the place of love and peace. That would be the most effective means of helping. Trust your understanding; trust your true nature.
A man describes reading 'Transparent Body; Luminous World' by Rupert, and how it opened everything up for him. He asks about Rupert's comments on angels in a recent podcast, as well as the malevolent residues or whirlpools. Rupert suggests the consciousness-only model allows for the appearance of angels and that there might be other kinds of formations in the whirlpool. Consciousness is infinite whilst the human mind is finite and cannot conceive of or perceive appearances outside those limitations.
A man reads poems on death and oneness written by a person he carpooled with who, prior to their discussions, never had any experience with non-duality. He asks if consciousness assumes the localisation of a finite mind in order to know the world, should we attempt to move towards this understanding or does this understanding ultimately reveal itself to itself. Rupert responds that consciousness has to localise as a subject in order to see objects. Our view of the world doesn't change in this journey, but the capacity of objects to veil reality diminishes. What we see remains the same; the way we see changes. It becomes possible to see through appearances to the reality behind all appearances.