Gratitude for Dinner with Rupert from the media We Are Always Here

A conversation about conscious co-creation and free will. Rupert explains that there is no co-creation because there aren't two entities that might or might not co-create. There is only one being, and it is this singular being that creates everything. The same applies to free will; for whom would it be free if there are no two entities present?

A woman describes her meditation process of inviting kindness and allowing her breath to bring her into her body, where she checks her internal weather, seeking advice on whether it is a good process. Rupert replies that it is good and advises her to keep going deeper. The woman describes her experience of going deeper until she fall silent to which Rupert replies: that’s it.

A man experiencing passivity while resting in awareness wonders if it's normal. Rupert replies that he can alternate between resting in awareness and doing the laundry, and in time, one may rest in awareness while engaging in daily activities. Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions become transparent to awareness.

A woman expresses her experience of being on the beach while traveling and feeling that she hasn’t gone anywhere, that she is always in the same place, here. Rupert replies that he totally understands because it is true, we are always here. This sense that we are always here is one of the reasons we travel; travel helps precipitate this recognition.

A man describes his metaphor for creation as being like opening a pop-up book. There is one piece of paper that appears as figures emerging when we open the book. Rupert says he likes this metaphor and encourages the man to continue developing it. He also adds, jokingly, that he might borrow this metaphor in the future.

A woman shares her experience of always being here and mentions finding a video on YouTube where Rupert describes the same recognition. She expresses her gratitude for Rupert and all the friends.

A conversation about there being no suffering in being. Rupert says that we normally think that suffering is in the present and we escape from it into the past and future, but it is actually the other way around. Here and now is the place of refuge, where there is always peace.

A conversation about the phrase, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.’ Rupert interprets these words as, ‘I am is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one reaches the ultimate reality of the universe but through the portal of ‘I am.’ We can never arrive at the Father, the ultimate reality, through the finite mind. ‘I am’ is the way to the ultimate reality. If ultimate reality, God, were to describe itself, it would say ‘I am.’

A man asks, based on Rupert's experience, how long it takes to reach the final stage of living understanding and what the process was like for him. Rupert replies that this process of aligning our lives with this understanding never ends. He hopes never to feel or believe that it has concluded. In his experience, fewer and fewer experiences have the capacity to obscure his being. Although intense experiences can sometimes veil his being, this occurs less frequently and lasts for shorter durations.

In a discussion about time and space, Rupert explains that from a philosophical perspective, being has no dimension. He suggests that when infinite being engages in the activities of thought and perception, it manifests differently: through thought, it appears as time, and through perception, as space. He likens thinking and perceiving to wearing a VR headset, where time and space represent how infinite being is perceived through these lenses.

A man enquires about expectations toward a teacher and their teachings. Rupert responds that having expectations is entirely natural, noting that he, too, has placed expectations on his teachers in the past. He explains that the projections we once had on our parents and teachers often transfer to spiritual teachers. Rupert tries not to conform to these projections. He observes that for anyone who regularly attends his retreats, the traditional teacher-student relationship gradually fades, leaving behind a deep friendship.

A man questions the concept of motion. Rupert replies by comparing it to a movie screen: the screen itself never moves, while the characters within the movie are always in motion, yet they are one and the same. Similarly, he explains, consciousness remains still, whereas the body and mind are always in motion. From the mind's perspective, there is movement; from the perspective of consciousness, there is stillness.

A woman, having learned that her elderly mother is dying, seeks advice on how to best support her. Rupert advises her to rest in her inner being, a place of peace, suggesting that this peace will emanate from her and be sensed by her mother, which is one of the greatest gifts she can offer. He emphasises that the other gift is love. He concludes that with peace on the inside and love on the outside, there is nothing more to say or do.

In a discussion about a yoga meditation session, a participant describes achieving a profound state of openness and questions if this sense of non-duality and unity was the intended outcome. He recounts how focusing on the body without conceptualising it led him to experience a mix of activity with being in the background. Rupert confirms that this experience aligns perfectly with the meditation's purpose and reassures him that his insights are correct. He clarifies that the meditation seeks to transcend, not deny, bodily awareness, thereby enhancing and celebrating the body's luminous and spacious nature in harmony with its environment.

A woman asks about the essence of being in the heart of Christ. Rupert responds that Christ embodies infinite being, while Jesus exemplified a living understanding. Christ is the ‘I am’ within each of us.

A man shares his recent meditation experience where he shifted from perceiving solid matter to seeing objects as transparent waves. He asks if this is significant. Rupert responds that it exemplifies experience becoming transparent to being, where understanding overrides sensory perception evidence.

A man enquires about celebrating our humanity. Rupert agrees, stating that the more impersonal we become, the more human we are. He reflects on his past misunderstanding that discovering our impersonal nature could make us aloof and less human. However, as he ages, he finds the opposite to be true. Real humanity stems from embracing our divinity, making us truly human.

A woman raises a question about deep sleep and memory. Rupert explains that in deep sleep, there is no objective experience. When the mind enters sleep, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions cease, leaving nothing for the mind to remember. Yet upon awakening, we often say we slept well, as the experience of deep sleep is one of peace that remains upon waking. He likens meditation to falling asleep while remaining awake.

A woman recounts her experience of a glimpse, or kensho, in the Zen tradition she had 20 years ago and asks about the depth of experiences. Rupert guides her in an exercise by asking her, ‘Can she tell from her experience: 'I am,' and to what experience she refers when she says 'I am'? What experience enables her to say that?’ After a period of silence, Rupert explains to the woman that the experience of being she experiences now is the same as during her kensho experience 20 years ago.

A woman shares her experience of a premonition about certain animals she encountered in nature and asks about intuition. Rupert replies that he believes this experience was more than intuition; it was synchronicity, a magical correspondence between her finite mind and the infinite. Normally, we perceive ourselves as separate from the universe, and moments like these, when the universe seems to "wink" at us through such magical symbols, challenge that perception.

A woman enquires about the fate of the experience of localisation or embodiment after recognising our true nature. Does it dissolve? Rupert responds that it's natural for us, with open eyes, to feel located here, yet simultaneously sensing that what we truly are extends beyond the borders of our bodies. He compares this to how the space in a room appears to be confined to the room's dimensions but actually extends far beyond its four walls.

A conversation about conscious co-creation and free will. Rupert explains that there is no co-creation because there aren't two entities that might or might not co-create. There is only one being, and it is this singular being that creates everything. The same applies to free will; for whom would it be free if there are no two entities present?

A woman describes her meditation process of inviting kindness and allowing her breath to bring her into her body, where she checks her internal weather, seeking advice on whether it is a good process. Rupert replies that it is good and advises her to keep going deeper. The woman describes her experience of going deeper until she fall silent to which Rupert replies: that’s it.

A man experiencing passivity while resting in awareness wonders if it's normal. Rupert replies that he can alternate between resting in awareness and doing the laundry, and in time, one may rest in awareness while engaging in daily activities. Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions become transparent to awareness.

A woman expresses her experience of being on the beach while traveling and feeling that she hasn’t gone anywhere, that she is always in the same place, here. Rupert replies that he totally understands because it is true, we are always here. This sense that we are always here is one of the reasons we travel; travel helps precipitate this recognition.

A man describes his metaphor for creation as being like opening a pop-up book. There is one piece of paper that appears as figures emerging when we open the book. Rupert says he likes this metaphor and encourages the man to continue developing it. He also adds, jokingly, that he might borrow this metaphor in the future.

A woman shares her experience of always being here and mentions finding a video on YouTube where Rupert describes the same recognition. She expresses her gratitude for Rupert and all the friends.

A conversation about there being no suffering in being. Rupert says that we normally think that suffering is in the present and we escape from it into the past and future, but it is actually the other way around. Here and now is the place of refuge, where there is always peace.

A conversation about the phrase, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.’ Rupert interprets these words as, ‘I am is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one reaches the ultimate reality of the universe but through the portal of ‘I am.’ We can never arrive at the Father, the ultimate reality, through the finite mind. ‘I am’ is the way to the ultimate reality. If ultimate reality, God, were to describe itself, it would say ‘I am.’

A man asks, based on Rupert's experience, how long it takes to reach the final stage of living understanding and what the process was like for him. Rupert replies that this process of aligning our lives with this understanding never ends. He hopes never to feel or believe that it has concluded. In his experience, fewer and fewer experiences have the capacity to obscure his being. Although intense experiences can sometimes veil his being, this occurs less frequently and lasts for shorter durations.

In a discussion about time and space, Rupert explains that from a philosophical perspective, being has no dimension. He suggests that when infinite being engages in the activities of thought and perception, it manifests differently: through thought, it appears as time, and through perception, as space. He likens thinking and perceiving to wearing a VR headset, where time and space represent how infinite being is perceived through these lenses.

A man enquires about expectations toward a teacher and their teachings. Rupert responds that having expectations is entirely natural, noting that he, too, has placed expectations on his teachers in the past. He explains that the projections we once had on our parents and teachers often transfer to spiritual teachers. Rupert tries not to conform to these projections. He observes that for anyone who regularly attends his retreats, the traditional teacher-student relationship gradually fades, leaving behind a deep friendship.

A man questions the concept of motion. Rupert replies by comparing it to a movie screen: the screen itself never moves, while the characters within the movie are always in motion, yet they are one and the same. Similarly, he explains, consciousness remains still, whereas the body and mind are always in motion. From the mind's perspective, there is movement; from the perspective of consciousness, there is stillness.

A woman, having learned that her elderly mother is dying, seeks advice on how to best support her. Rupert advises her to rest in her inner being, a place of peace, suggesting that this peace will emanate from her and be sensed by her mother, which is one of the greatest gifts she can offer. He emphasises that the other gift is love. He concludes that with peace on the inside and love on the outside, there is nothing more to say or do.

In a discussion about a yoga meditation session, a participant describes achieving a profound state of openness and questions if this sense of non-duality and unity was the intended outcome. He recounts how focusing on the body without conceptualising it led him to experience a mix of activity with being in the background. Rupert confirms that this experience aligns perfectly with the meditation's purpose and reassures him that his insights are correct. He clarifies that the meditation seeks to transcend, not deny, bodily awareness, thereby enhancing and celebrating the body's luminous and spacious nature in harmony with its environment.

A woman asks about the essence of being in the heart of Christ. Rupert responds that Christ embodies infinite being, while Jesus exemplified a living understanding. Christ is the ‘I am’ within each of us.

A man shares his recent meditation experience where he shifted from perceiving solid matter to seeing objects as transparent waves. He asks if this is significant. Rupert responds that it exemplifies experience becoming transparent to being, where understanding overrides sensory perception evidence.

A man enquires about celebrating our humanity. Rupert agrees, stating that the more impersonal we become, the more human we are. He reflects on his past misunderstanding that discovering our impersonal nature could make us aloof and less human. However, as he ages, he finds the opposite to be true. Real humanity stems from embracing our divinity, making us truly human.

A woman raises a question about deep sleep and memory. Rupert explains that in deep sleep, there is no objective experience. When the mind enters sleep, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions cease, leaving nothing for the mind to remember. Yet upon awakening, we often say we slept well, as the experience of deep sleep is one of peace that remains upon waking. He likens meditation to falling asleep while remaining awake.

A woman recounts her experience of a glimpse, or kensho, in the Zen tradition she had 20 years ago and asks about the depth of experiences. Rupert guides her in an exercise by asking her, ‘Can she tell from her experience: 'I am,' and to what experience she refers when she says 'I am'? What experience enables her to say that?’ After a period of silence, Rupert explains to the woman that the experience of being she experiences now is the same as during her kensho experience 20 years ago.

A woman shares her experience of a premonition about certain animals she encountered in nature and asks about intuition. Rupert replies that he believes this experience was more than intuition; it was synchronicity, a magical correspondence between her finite mind and the infinite. Normally, we perceive ourselves as separate from the universe, and moments like these, when the universe seems to "wink" at us through such magical symbols, challenge that perception.

A woman enquires about the fate of the experience of localisation or embodiment after recognising our true nature. Does it dissolve? Rupert responds that it's natural for us, with open eyes, to feel located here, yet simultaneously sensing that what we truly are extends beyond the borders of our bodies. He compares this to how the space in a room appears to be confined to the room's dimensions but actually extends far beyond its four walls.