Bathed in Silence

A woman connected to someone who underwent a ‘right-to-die’ death recently says she felt as if she had sinned because she didn't love enough the man who died. Rupert suggests she love him now in the way she wanted to have loved him.

A woman talks about going in and out of surrender and asks for an elixir to remain in God's being. Rupert responds that she is still seeing herself as a person apart from God's being who needs to make an effort to remain in God's being. He guides her in self-enquiry to discover God's presence, her essential being. Your being, God's being, is the only being there is, and is always present, even when dimmed by experience. Experience is the shining of being.

A man says everything is arising out of silence, which he understands, but there's still a lack of clarity, especially when it comes to the body. Rupert suggests there is a part of his self that doesn't want to accept that even his body arises from being, as it contradicts his experience. Everything is bathed in this silence and dissolves back into it. Give it attention more and more.

A man talks about inner contractions related to trauma issues which create dissociation, that he feels interfere with his spiritual journey. He asks if he needs therapy to deal with these contractions and trauma. Rupert says it's true that he can't get there, but not because he hasn't worked through the trauma. He can't get there because he is already that which he is trying to get to. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to experience the contractions as they are appearing in the space of awareness, and he suggests the man focus on being, rather than trauma.

A woman asks for comments on chronic illness, which she is experiencing and wishes to get rid of. Rupert tells her that what you are is not chronically ill. You must attend to the illness at the relative level, but the ultimate healing is to recognise your inherent wholeness.

A woman asks about a statement that the recognition of our true self happens outside the mind. Rupert responds that King Lear's mind is limited compared to John Smith's mind. King Lear's recognition that he is really John Smith is actually a realisation taking place in John Smith's mind.

A woman wonders if she breaks the habit of being herself, can she then look back and see she was not responsible for wrong ways of behaving. Rupert responds that yes, that negative programming loses power over us and subsides. When we attend to our being, the separate self dies of neglect.

A woman, who owns her own business, asks about motivation and where it comes from, as her drive has diminished. Rupert responds that the idea that once we embark on this journey, all motivation comes to an end is false. What does diminish, however, are things like the motivation to impress, the fear of not having money, and identification with what you do. There is often an interim period where motivation seems diminished, but then our understanding and love is used in service of this recognition.

A woman feels she has recognised her true nature and now nothing feels important. Rupert suggests she engage with the world from that place of fulfillment and, with whatever skills she has developed thus far, help give others a pathway to that fulfillment.

A man says he doesn't feel that an intellectual understanding is required. Rupert responds that the understanding takes place below the level of the intellect, but something more is taking place at the retreat.

A man asks about the distinction between 'oneness' and 'non-dual' as terms. Rupert says he cannot define 'non-duality', 'oneness' or 'reality'. All his definitions are evocations, not actual descriptions. Reality cannot be described or defined. Non-duality appeals to the mind but not to the heart. Oneness touches his heart.

A man asks about free will. Rupert suggests that the question is not whether a person has free will, but does the person actually exist. If we investigate, we won't find that person. King Lear is asking if he has free will when he should be investigating who he really is. John Smith is freedom itself.

A man says he finds it difficult to connect with other human beings, except for his experience in silent retreats, where he feels at home. He wants to experience feeling at home in his everyday life. Rupert responds that the reason it's easier to connect with animals and nature is because of their unfiltered being; there's nothing between us to interfere. People have thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviour, which make feeling connected more difficult. In Rupert's retreats, the interaction, the sharing of being, is part of the teaching and the experience.

A woman connected to someone who underwent a ‘right-to-die’ death recently says she felt as if she had sinned because she didn't love enough the man who died. Rupert suggests she love him now in the way she wanted to have loved him.

A woman talks about going in and out of surrender and asks for an elixir to remain in God's being. Rupert responds that she is still seeing herself as a person apart from God's being who needs to make an effort to remain in God's being. He guides her in self-enquiry to discover God's presence, her essential being. Your being, God's being, is the only being there is, and is always present, even when dimmed by experience. Experience is the shining of being.

A man says everything is arising out of silence, which he understands, but there's still a lack of clarity, especially when it comes to the body. Rupert suggests there is a part of his self that doesn't want to accept that even his body arises from being, as it contradicts his experience. Everything is bathed in this silence and dissolves back into it. Give it attention more and more.

A man talks about inner contractions related to trauma issues which create dissociation, that he feels interfere with his spiritual journey. He asks if he needs therapy to deal with these contractions and trauma. Rupert says it's true that he can't get there, but not because he hasn't worked through the trauma. He can't get there because he is already that which he is trying to get to. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to experience the contractions as they are appearing in the space of awareness, and he suggests the man focus on being, rather than trauma.

A woman asks for comments on chronic illness, which she is experiencing and wishes to get rid of. Rupert tells her that what you are is not chronically ill. You must attend to the illness at the relative level, but the ultimate healing is to recognise your inherent wholeness.

A woman asks about a statement that the recognition of our true self happens outside the mind. Rupert responds that King Lear's mind is limited compared to John Smith's mind. King Lear's recognition that he is really John Smith is actually a realisation taking place in John Smith's mind.

A woman wonders if she breaks the habit of being herself, can she then look back and see she was not responsible for wrong ways of behaving. Rupert responds that yes, that negative programming loses power over us and subsides. When we attend to our being, the separate self dies of neglect.

A woman, who owns her own business, asks about motivation and where it comes from, as her drive has diminished. Rupert responds that the idea that once we embark on this journey, all motivation comes to an end is false. What does diminish, however, are things like the motivation to impress, the fear of not having money, and identification with what you do. There is often an interim period where motivation seems diminished, but then our understanding and love is used in service of this recognition.

A woman feels she has recognised her true nature and now nothing feels important. Rupert suggests she engage with the world from that place of fulfillment and, with whatever skills she has developed thus far, help give others a pathway to that fulfillment.

A man says he doesn't feel that an intellectual understanding is required. Rupert responds that the understanding takes place below the level of the intellect, but something more is taking place at the retreat.

A man asks about the distinction between 'oneness' and 'non-dual' as terms. Rupert says he cannot define 'non-duality', 'oneness' or 'reality'. All his definitions are evocations, not actual descriptions. Reality cannot be described or defined. Non-duality appeals to the mind but not to the heart. Oneness touches his heart.

A man asks about free will. Rupert suggests that the question is not whether a person has free will, but does the person actually exist. If we investigate, we won't find that person. King Lear is asking if he has free will when he should be investigating who he really is. John Smith is freedom itself.

A man says he finds it difficult to connect with other human beings, except for his experience in silent retreats, where he feels at home. He wants to experience feeling at home in his everyday life. Rupert responds that the reason it's easier to connect with animals and nature is because of their unfiltered being; there's nothing between us to interfere. People have thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviour, which make feeling connected more difficult. In Rupert's retreats, the interaction, the sharing of being, is part of the teaching and the experience.