Be the Welcoming Space of Awareness

A woman who recently took refuge in Tibetan Buddhism asks Rupert to speak about awareness, compassion and wisdom. Rupert suggests that awareness is the essential nature of the mind, wisdom is its expression in the mind, and compassion is how that wisdom is expressed in life and demonstrated in society.

A woman asks Rupert to address the sense of not knowing what to do. Rupert suggests that if you don’t know what to do, unless your circumstances require something, don't take any action. He also says to just allow what you do understand to work inside you. You don't need to undertand everything.

A man asks, 'How essential are spiritual texts for the experience of being?' In theory, says Rupert, we can do without reading books or watching YouTube clips, but if we hadn’t done any of these, would we have found our way out of sorrow? Probably not. Accordingly, it’s not necessary to read spiritual texts, but on a practical level, it is helpful.

A woman shares about her quiet life at home and wonders if she is spiritually bypassing. Rupert suggests that the desire to make a difference in the world is a result of an impersonal anger. However, he encourages her to work to make change in the world with love, not anger.

A man asks about what consciousness is and why evil appears. Rupert defines consciousness and then suggests that in order for evil to manifest, consciousness must forget itself and localise as a separate self. The finite mind doesn’t realise it is a limitation of consciousness. It believes it is self-existing. And as it feels itself to be separate, it views everyone and everything as either a source of happiness or a threat. There is no sense of shared being.

A man talks about the suffering of those close to him, and asks about how to be at peace. Rupert suggests that the only way we can help anyone who is suffering is if we are at peace. Feel their suffering, but by remaining unaffected by their drama, you are modelling for them the place of peace within themselves.

A man asks if his loved ones' suffering and his peace in the face of it are illusions. Rupert suggests that on a practical level, we are touched by their suffering and are moved to do something about it.

A man expresses fear at the thought of returning home after the retreat and losing his sense of being. Rupert responds that he should reach out to others who are exploring non-duality and who live in Paris.

A woman shares her feeling that her son, who died last year, is entirely gone. Rupert suggests that if consciousness were personal then who her son is would have disappeared at death, but because it is impersonal, her son is not limited to his body. He is still present. ‘His being is your being.’

A man asks about how to make awakening experiences permanent. Rupert suggests that he ask himself, whatever he is experiencing, ‘What is it that is aware of the experience?’. That is who you really are; it is what is most essential to you. Everything is known by and in this awareness.

A woman shares that she has a tendency to lose herself in tending to others. Rupert suggests that she is all heart and flow, and that she should just bring in a little bit of measure and discrimination. Bring your mind to bear on your experience, and all that you do will improve and increase. Befriend your mind.

A woman asks about how to listen to words and then feel them with the heart. Rupert responds that we do this all the time. We know what it is like to have a conversation with someone. It is one thing to understand the words, but another when we really read each other’s expression. We can feel if they are open or defended. We can be sensitive to their feelings without taking it in to ourself.

A man asks about the concept of alignment and not consuming ‘trash’ through music and media. Rupert suggests that there is so much good music that’s not trash. Use your intuition when listening – does it come from hatred or does it come from love?

A man asks about the beauty of laughing and crying. Rupert suggests that laughing and crying are releases of tension in the body when the agitation of the mind comes to an end. Laughter and tears are the body’s response to that glimpse of our true nature.

A man asks about why, when we are totally open, it seems like suffering comes from some kind of resistance? He says he tries not to be too open in order to protect himself from other peoples' suffering. Rupert responds that you don't need to protect yourself from suffering. Like the space in the room, your true self is open and welcoming whatever arises. There's nothing to protect.

A man asks about investigating difficult emotions. Rupert suggests that these deep feelings tend to be immune to investigation. We need to take a more loving approach with them. Feel yourself as the open, empty, loving space of awareness and invite these feelings in that loving space. Surrender these feelings to that loving space. Be that welcoming space of awareness.

A man asks about 'homework' and wonders what drives him to practice, to continue this discipline, whilst often he feels like stopping. Rupert responds that he doesn't recommend imposing a discipline. Practice ought to from love and understanding, not because you should do it. Sit quietly and rest in being because you have a deep love of truth.

A woman shares her conviction that she should pick one tradition or practice. Rupert suggests that she stick to one practice; that is, the practice of the one. There is only one religion; the religion of the one.

A man asks Rupert to elaborate on his statement that we are here to learn how to die. Rupert explains that the best way to die is to find out what truly lives and to know yourself as that.

A man shares his gratitude for the community and the staff, and then asks about the concept of the three paths. Rupert suggests that there are three paths, which correspond to thinking (the way of knowledge), feeling (the way of devotion) and perceiving (the way of the artist). Ideally, our path would include all three.

A man, who is a scientist, speaks of always going to the mind when questions come up. He asks how to stay out of the mind. Rupert responds that he should spend time feeling and being the space of awareness, resting as that. Think of thoughts as a flock of birds. They fly through the sky, but you're not involved. Punctuate your day with these moments of feeling yourself as the space of awareness, and they add up, directing your attention behind the content of experience. Eventually you'll live there.

A man asks about a practice for concentration. Rupert responds that there are three kinds of meditation – objective, progressive (or subjective), and non-meditation, the highest practice, which is simply resting in being as being. This is Rupert's recommendation, to rest as being.

A woman who recently took refuge in Tibetan Buddhism asks Rupert to speak about awareness, compassion and wisdom. Rupert suggests that awareness is the essential nature of the mind, wisdom is its expression in the mind, and compassion is how that wisdom is expressed in life and demonstrated in society.

A woman asks Rupert to address the sense of not knowing what to do. Rupert suggests that if you don’t know what to do, unless your circumstances require something, don't take any action. He also says to just allow what you do understand to work inside you. You don't need to undertand everything.

A man asks, 'How essential are spiritual texts for the experience of being?' In theory, says Rupert, we can do without reading books or watching YouTube clips, but if we hadn’t done any of these, would we have found our way out of sorrow? Probably not. Accordingly, it’s not necessary to read spiritual texts, but on a practical level, it is helpful.

A woman shares about her quiet life at home and wonders if she is spiritually bypassing. Rupert suggests that the desire to make a difference in the world is a result of an impersonal anger. However, he encourages her to work to make change in the world with love, not anger.

A man asks about what consciousness is and why evil appears. Rupert defines consciousness and then suggests that in order for evil to manifest, consciousness must forget itself and localise as a separate self. The finite mind doesn’t realise it is a limitation of consciousness. It believes it is self-existing. And as it feels itself to be separate, it views everyone and everything as either a source of happiness or a threat. There is no sense of shared being.

A man talks about the suffering of those close to him, and asks about how to be at peace. Rupert suggests that the only way we can help anyone who is suffering is if we are at peace. Feel their suffering, but by remaining unaffected by their drama, you are modelling for them the place of peace within themselves.

A man asks if his loved ones' suffering and his peace in the face of it are illusions. Rupert suggests that on a practical level, we are touched by their suffering and are moved to do something about it.

A man expresses fear at the thought of returning home after the retreat and losing his sense of being. Rupert responds that he should reach out to others who are exploring non-duality and who live in Paris.

A woman shares her feeling that her son, who died last year, is entirely gone. Rupert suggests that if consciousness were personal then who her son is would have disappeared at death, but because it is impersonal, her son is not limited to his body. He is still present. ‘His being is your being.’

A man asks about how to make awakening experiences permanent. Rupert suggests that he ask himself, whatever he is experiencing, ‘What is it that is aware of the experience?’. That is who you really are; it is what is most essential to you. Everything is known by and in this awareness.

A woman shares that she has a tendency to lose herself in tending to others. Rupert suggests that she is all heart and flow, and that she should just bring in a little bit of measure and discrimination. Bring your mind to bear on your experience, and all that you do will improve and increase. Befriend your mind.

A woman asks about how to listen to words and then feel them with the heart. Rupert responds that we do this all the time. We know what it is like to have a conversation with someone. It is one thing to understand the words, but another when we really read each other’s expression. We can feel if they are open or defended. We can be sensitive to their feelings without taking it in to ourself.

A man asks about the concept of alignment and not consuming ‘trash’ through music and media. Rupert suggests that there is so much good music that’s not trash. Use your intuition when listening – does it come from hatred or does it come from love?

A man asks about the beauty of laughing and crying. Rupert suggests that laughing and crying are releases of tension in the body when the agitation of the mind comes to an end. Laughter and tears are the body’s response to that glimpse of our true nature.

A man asks about why, when we are totally open, it seems like suffering comes from some kind of resistance? He says he tries not to be too open in order to protect himself from other peoples' suffering. Rupert responds that you don't need to protect yourself from suffering. Like the space in the room, your true self is open and welcoming whatever arises. There's nothing to protect.

A man asks about investigating difficult emotions. Rupert suggests that these deep feelings tend to be immune to investigation. We need to take a more loving approach with them. Feel yourself as the open, empty, loving space of awareness and invite these feelings in that loving space. Surrender these feelings to that loving space. Be that welcoming space of awareness.

A man asks about 'homework' and wonders what drives him to practice, to continue this discipline, whilst often he feels like stopping. Rupert responds that he doesn't recommend imposing a discipline. Practice ought to from love and understanding, not because you should do it. Sit quietly and rest in being because you have a deep love of truth.

A woman shares her conviction that she should pick one tradition or practice. Rupert suggests that she stick to one practice; that is, the practice of the one. There is only one religion; the religion of the one.

A man asks Rupert to elaborate on his statement that we are here to learn how to die. Rupert explains that the best way to die is to find out what truly lives and to know yourself as that.

A man shares his gratitude for the community and the staff, and then asks about the concept of the three paths. Rupert suggests that there are three paths, which correspond to thinking (the way of knowledge), feeling (the way of devotion) and perceiving (the way of the artist). Ideally, our path would include all three.

A man, who is a scientist, speaks of always going to the mind when questions come up. He asks how to stay out of the mind. Rupert responds that he should spend time feeling and being the space of awareness, resting as that. Think of thoughts as a flock of birds. They fly through the sky, but you're not involved. Punctuate your day with these moments of feeling yourself as the space of awareness, and they add up, directing your attention behind the content of experience. Eventually you'll live there.

A man asks about a practice for concentration. Rupert responds that there are three kinds of meditation – objective, progressive (or subjective), and non-meditation, the highest practice, which is simply resting in being as being. This is Rupert's recommendation, to rest as being.