Beethoven and True Nature from the media From Being, Compassion Arises
A woman questions why Beethoven’s music isn’t experienced as taking one to true nature, despite hearing it multiple times at retreats. Rupert clarifies one doesn’t go to true nature through music; rather, one listens from true nature. He describes the music as an ecstatic overflowing of love into form, designed as a demonstration of creativity emerging from being, following his meditation as a prelude to this experience.
- Duration: 3 minutes and 7 seconds
- Recorded on: Mar 15, 2025
- Event: Seven-Day Retreat at Mercy Center, 9–16 March 2025
A woman shares a journey through psychoanalysis, which healed childhood wounds of not being fully met, yet revealed a deeper wound – separation from the divine source. She describes experiencing profound peace and stillness during retreats, glimpsing moments of falling into God, and recognises the path now involves knowing oneself as God’s being. Rupert responds that true liberation requires freedom from everything and everyone, including himself as teacher, emphasising genuine spiritual teaching must facilitate complete liberation.
A man describes experimenting with moving from ‘I am feeling . . .’ to just ‘I am’, finding it remarkably efficient. He questions whether this approach risks avoiding or perpetuating underlying emotions. Rupert affirms this method isn’t avoidance but rather the correct approach – one should go through experiences directly back to being rather than endlessly processing emotional content.
A man contemplates Krishnamurti’s statement ‘I don’t mind what happens’ while acknowledging a part of him still cares deeply. Rupert clarifies that the statement wasn’t meant as dismissive indifference but rather indicates one’s peace remains independent of circumstances. He explains Krishnamurti cared passionately about people and his teachings, but his wellbeing wasn’t contingent on external events – one can legitimately care while knowing one’s being transcends circumstance.
A woman shares a conditioned belief that men are more important than women and wants to stop projecting this outward. Rupert guides her through an exercise with closed eyes, comparing the experience of self with perception of him. Through this direct enquiry, she realises at the deepest level there’s no hierarchy – the experiential understanding that being is the same in everyone transcends superficial conditioning about gender importance.
A woman asks whether everything is really God’s dream, referencing Rupert’s childhood statement to his mother. Rupert confirms this understanding, acknowledging it as a profound question that resonates with his teaching.
A woman seeks clarification about the ‘kiss the toad’ approach for working with painful emotions, concerned it might be spiritual bypassing. Rupert explains that while welcoming difficult feelings can transform them (like kissing a toad reveals a prince), his teaching has evolved toward more direct approaches. He advises using whatever method serves best in the moment – sometimes embracing emotions, other times going directly to being.
A woman enquires about “lucid waking”—seeing, knowing, loving and being only being in the midst of experience. Rupert confirms this concise definition, adding it’s like watching a movie but seeing only the screen. The woman concludes by expressing love for everyone present.
A man, new to non-duality, asks about experiencing the teaching that “we share being with everyone and everything.” Rupert explains that love is the common name for the felt recognition that we share our being. He notes most people reserve this feeling for those closest to them, creating separation, while our “sacred duty” is to love everyone unconditionally. He identifies the world’s problems as stemming from leaders failing to realise their shared being with all.
A man asks what becomes possible when one knows life is a dream. Rupert explains this understanding allows us to override the erroneous evidence of sense perception that presents a world of multiplicity, seeing through the illusion of duality to the one reality. While the subject-object structure remains, our operating system upgrades from separation to unity, transforming how we think, feel, act and relate – the ultimate solution for humanity.
A woman questions why Beethoven’s music isn’t experienced as taking one to true nature, despite hearing it multiple times at retreats. Rupert clarifies one doesn’t go to true nature through music; rather, one listens from true nature. He describes the music as an ecstatic overflowing of love into form, designed as a demonstration of creativity emerging from being, following his meditation as a prelude to this experience.
A man asks why some can deeply connect with music while others cannot. Rupert identifies two main barriers: being too occupied with personal feelings leaving no space for the music, and lacking familiarity with the musical language or tradition. He observes that psychedelics can sometimes help penetrate into music’s heart by breaking down conditioning, while attentive listening can create an immersive experience akin to entering another universe.
A man explores the distinction between experiencing from infinite being versus the finite mind. Rupert clarifies the difference as “seeing with the mind” versus “seeing through the mind” – the former creates separation while the latter recognises being as the true seer. The man notes that while intellectually challenging, the experiential knowing feels whole. He describes how, from being, compassion naturally arises, even compassion for despicable figures, despite intellectual resistance.
A man asks about making Rupert’s teachings more centrally available. Rupert explains his preference for digital rather than physical institutions, describing his development of the Luminous meditation app designed to make teachings accessible worldwide. He details how the app will use AI to create personalised meditations from archive material, allowing users to specify topics, duration, and language, making wisdom accessible beyond those who can attend retreats.
A woman contemplates Rupert’s distinction between unconditional love (our nature) and personal preferences (like/dislike). They question whether truly living from love would dissolve preferences entirely. Rupert acknowledges like/dislike as personal mind functions while love is impersonal awareness. He shares his practice of sitting with images of people whose actions he deplores until he feels compassion for their being, explaining this as essential spiritual work – if we cannot extend love to those we despise, how can we expect them to change?
A man asks about courage when facing fear, particularly regarding a difficult situation with his mother where responding might perpetuate harmful patterns. Rupert affirms the man’s approach of not reacting from fear as genuinely courageous, suggesting waiting until able to respond from being rather than emotional reactivity. He extends this wisdom to political disagreements, noting that justice arises from felt shared being, but anger usually provokes resistance rather than resolution.
A woman shares a journey through psychoanalysis, which healed childhood wounds of not being fully met, yet revealed a deeper wound – separation from the divine source. She describes experiencing profound peace and stillness during retreats, glimpsing moments of falling into God, and recognises the path now involves knowing oneself as God’s being. Rupert responds that true liberation requires freedom from everything and everyone, including himself as teacher, emphasising genuine spiritual teaching must facilitate complete liberation.
A man describes experimenting with moving from ‘I am feeling . . .’ to just ‘I am’, finding it remarkably efficient. He questions whether this approach risks avoiding or perpetuating underlying emotions. Rupert affirms this method isn’t avoidance but rather the correct approach – one should go through experiences directly back to being rather than endlessly processing emotional content.
A man contemplates Krishnamurti’s statement ‘I don’t mind what happens’ while acknowledging a part of him still cares deeply. Rupert clarifies that the statement wasn’t meant as dismissive indifference but rather indicates one’s peace remains independent of circumstances. He explains Krishnamurti cared passionately about people and his teachings, but his wellbeing wasn’t contingent on external events – one can legitimately care while knowing one’s being transcends circumstance.
A woman shares a conditioned belief that men are more important than women and wants to stop projecting this outward. Rupert guides her through an exercise with closed eyes, comparing the experience of self with perception of him. Through this direct enquiry, she realises at the deepest level there’s no hierarchy – the experiential understanding that being is the same in everyone transcends superficial conditioning about gender importance.
A woman asks whether everything is really God’s dream, referencing Rupert’s childhood statement to his mother. Rupert confirms this understanding, acknowledging it as a profound question that resonates with his teaching.
A woman seeks clarification about the ‘kiss the toad’ approach for working with painful emotions, concerned it might be spiritual bypassing. Rupert explains that while welcoming difficult feelings can transform them (like kissing a toad reveals a prince), his teaching has evolved toward more direct approaches. He advises using whatever method serves best in the moment – sometimes embracing emotions, other times going directly to being.
A woman enquires about “lucid waking”—seeing, knowing, loving and being only being in the midst of experience. Rupert confirms this concise definition, adding it’s like watching a movie but seeing only the screen. The woman concludes by expressing love for everyone present.
A man, new to non-duality, asks about experiencing the teaching that “we share being with everyone and everything.” Rupert explains that love is the common name for the felt recognition that we share our being. He notes most people reserve this feeling for those closest to them, creating separation, while our “sacred duty” is to love everyone unconditionally. He identifies the world’s problems as stemming from leaders failing to realise their shared being with all.
A man asks what becomes possible when one knows life is a dream. Rupert explains this understanding allows us to override the erroneous evidence of sense perception that presents a world of multiplicity, seeing through the illusion of duality to the one reality. While the subject-object structure remains, our operating system upgrades from separation to unity, transforming how we think, feel, act and relate – the ultimate solution for humanity.
A woman questions why Beethoven’s music isn’t experienced as taking one to true nature, despite hearing it multiple times at retreats. Rupert clarifies one doesn’t go to true nature through music; rather, one listens from true nature. He describes the music as an ecstatic overflowing of love into form, designed as a demonstration of creativity emerging from being, following his meditation as a prelude to this experience.
A man asks why some can deeply connect with music while others cannot. Rupert identifies two main barriers: being too occupied with personal feelings leaving no space for the music, and lacking familiarity with the musical language or tradition. He observes that psychedelics can sometimes help penetrate into music’s heart by breaking down conditioning, while attentive listening can create an immersive experience akin to entering another universe.
A man explores the distinction between experiencing from infinite being versus the finite mind. Rupert clarifies the difference as “seeing with the mind” versus “seeing through the mind” – the former creates separation while the latter recognises being as the true seer. The man notes that while intellectually challenging, the experiential knowing feels whole. He describes how, from being, compassion naturally arises, even compassion for despicable figures, despite intellectual resistance.
A man asks about making Rupert’s teachings more centrally available. Rupert explains his preference for digital rather than physical institutions, describing his development of the Luminous meditation app designed to make teachings accessible worldwide. He details how the app will use AI to create personalised meditations from archive material, allowing users to specify topics, duration, and language, making wisdom accessible beyond those who can attend retreats.
A woman contemplates Rupert’s distinction between unconditional love (our nature) and personal preferences (like/dislike). They question whether truly living from love would dissolve preferences entirely. Rupert acknowledges like/dislike as personal mind functions while love is impersonal awareness. He shares his practice of sitting with images of people whose actions he deplores until he feels compassion for their being, explaining this as essential spiritual work – if we cannot extend love to those we despise, how can we expect them to change?
A man asks about courage when facing fear, particularly regarding a difficult situation with his mother where responding might perpetuate harmful patterns. Rupert affirms the man’s approach of not reacting from fear as genuinely courageous, suggesting waiting until able to respond from being rather than emotional reactivity. He extends this wisdom to political disagreements, noting that justice arises from felt shared being, but anger usually provokes resistance rather than resolution.