Are There Levels of Enlightenment? from the media Everyone Is Seeking Happiness

A man who was a homicide investigator in Vietnam and experiences sadness, asks about how deep this well of feeling is. Rupert responds that there is no end to the well’s depth, because the deeper we go, the more we encounter the interconnected mind of humanity, and it is not necessary to rid our self of these layers.

A man asks if the quality of in-person gatherings is an indication of a shift in Rupert or the group. Rupert explains that we think that a teacher comes in with a body of knowledge and disseminates it, but that’s not how it happens. The teaching arises out of this shared field; we are all a part of the same happening.

A man comments that sometimes it feels like the ego is an entity. Rupert suggests that the ego is not an entity; it is an activity. The ego is an activity in consciousness which makes infinite consciousness seem to be finite. King Lear is the activity of John Smith.

A man who experiences anxiety asks if it possible to live without emotional resistance. Rupert responds that it is, and that the friendship we experience in retreat models the presence of awareness, which emerges from the background.

A man who experienced the fear of death as a child ask about this feeling. Rupert explained that for some the dissolution of sense of separation is felt intensely like a death, and for others it is a softer, more gradual dissolution of the unwinding of the activity of seeking and resisting that constitutes the apparently separate self.

A woman asks what to do when put in a situation that requires us to judge another person. Rupert shares a story about his experience of jury duty and how, whilst he did not judge the person, he did judge his actions with benevolent impartiality.

A man whose mind is always filled with controlling thoughts, references a feeling he had when asking his question. Rupert suggests that controlling thoughts are an avoidance of discomfort and that the next time this feeling emerges, turn around, face and welcome it.

A man asks about his ego in relation to bringing his artwork into the world. Rupert suggests that we can overthink this and suggested practical steps for connecting to art galleries.

A man, who had a panic attack and almost left the retreat, sat in awareness with disinterested affection and the attack dissipated. Rupert suggested that now he has a key for being with that experience, but that if it’s ever too much, it is fine to get up and move around.

A woman, who says she experiences glimpses of being as relief but not happiness, asks for clarification. Rupert suggests that whilst the word ‘happiness’ conjures a colourful experience, it is really the experience of peace and quite joy, in which nothing is missing.

A woman asks about what the soul is. Rupert suggests that the soul is the deeper aspect of the individual self that is not available to us in the waking state.

A woman asks about the tension she feels about not wasting her life. Rupert suggests that our life has two purposes: one is to find your true nature, and the second is to express its qualities with your unique capacities.

A man asks if grace is given or we need to put in effort to receive it. Rupert explains that we, as human beings, think we are seeking happiness, but the gravitational pull of happiness – our true being – on the individual is grace

A man asks about reconciling the path of devotion with the path of knowledge and whether it’s okay to pray to God to relieve suffering. Rupert suggests if we pray to an external God for something, we are not at the height of the path of devotion, which culminates in the recognition that our being is God’s being.

A man asks if the world, like him, is returning home to this understanding. Rupert says that whilst he can’t say whether everyone will come to this understanding, it is that toward which everyone is tending, as everyone is seeking happiness.

A man who was a homicide investigator in Vietnam and experiences sadness, asks about how deep this well of feeling is. Rupert responds that there is no end to the well’s depth, because the deeper we go, the more we encounter the interconnected mind of humanity, and it is not necessary to rid our self of these layers.

A man asks if the quality of in-person gatherings is an indication of a shift in Rupert or the group. Rupert explains that we think that a teacher comes in with a body of knowledge and disseminates it, but that’s not how it happens. The teaching arises out of this shared field; we are all a part of the same happening.

A man comments that sometimes it feels like the ego is an entity. Rupert suggests that the ego is not an entity; it is an activity. The ego is an activity in consciousness which makes infinite consciousness seem to be finite. King Lear is the activity of John Smith.

A man who experiences anxiety asks if it possible to live without emotional resistance. Rupert responds that it is, and that the friendship we experience in retreat models the presence of awareness, which emerges from the background.

A man who experienced the fear of death as a child ask about this feeling. Rupert explained that for some the dissolution of sense of separation is felt intensely like a death, and for others it is a softer, more gradual dissolution of the unwinding of the activity of seeking and resisting that constitutes the apparently separate self.

A woman asks what to do when put in a situation that requires us to judge another person. Rupert shares a story about his experience of jury duty and how, whilst he did not judge the person, he did judge his actions with benevolent impartiality.

A man whose mind is always filled with controlling thoughts, references a feeling he had when asking his question. Rupert suggests that controlling thoughts are an avoidance of discomfort and that the next time this feeling emerges, turn around, face and welcome it.

A man asks about his ego in relation to bringing his artwork into the world. Rupert suggests that we can overthink this and suggested practical steps for connecting to art galleries.

A man, who had a panic attack and almost left the retreat, sat in awareness with disinterested affection and the attack dissipated. Rupert suggested that now he has a key for being with that experience, but that if it’s ever too much, it is fine to get up and move around.

A woman, who says she experiences glimpses of being as relief but not happiness, asks for clarification. Rupert suggests that whilst the word ‘happiness’ conjures a colourful experience, it is really the experience of peace and quite joy, in which nothing is missing.

A woman asks about what the soul is. Rupert suggests that the soul is the deeper aspect of the individual self that is not available to us in the waking state.

A woman asks about the tension she feels about not wasting her life. Rupert suggests that our life has two purposes: one is to find your true nature, and the second is to express its qualities with your unique capacities.

A man asks if grace is given or we need to put in effort to receive it. Rupert explains that we, as human beings, think we are seeking happiness, but the gravitational pull of happiness – our true being – on the individual is grace

A man asks about reconciling the path of devotion with the path of knowledge and whether it’s okay to pray to God to relieve suffering. Rupert suggests if we pray to an external God for something, we are not at the height of the path of devotion, which culminates in the recognition that our being is God’s being.

A man asks if the world, like him, is returning home to this understanding. Rupert says that whilst he can’t say whether everyone will come to this understanding, it is that toward which everyone is tending, as everyone is seeking happiness.