Compelled to Create – Art and Life

A man asks if there is merit in investigating emotions and its impact on the lineage. Rupert says that if it is true that the mind doesn’t come to an end when the body does, and if it is true that all our minds are connected, then whatever happens in one mind affects all other minds, in particular those that have been in direct contact with another. Rupert elaborates about the path of the individual and the pathless path.

A question is asked about creativity and the creative process; how does am-ness become is-ness? Rupert responds that it happens for no reason; it is the nature of being without form to manifest itself in form. It could be said to be an overflowing of being in and of itself. The individual is the instrument through which the creativity takes place, which is felt as the desire to create. He suggests that the desire to have a child is a similar compulsion to create.

A woman asks how Rupert’s art practice informed his spirituality, and vice versa. Rupert says that it took time for him to realise that what he was looking for in his work was the same thing that he was looking for in his spiritual life – that the experience of beauty, which he was exploring in his workshop, was the same elusive experience of happiness, which he was exploring in his meditation. His spiritual apprenticeship followed very closely with his apprenticeship as an artist, which involved putting himself under the teacher, a master, and being utterly devoted without question.

A man talks about the evolution of Rupert's teaching and asks about where in his current teachings he would fit. Rupert responds that he began teaching influenced by the teachings he had been given, but eventually they started to blur together until the inward and outward meditation became more refined, less pedagogical.

A man asks a question about the differences between the inward and the outward path. Rupert responds that with our minds we know ten thousand things; with our hearts we know the one. The new form of the inward and outward path is abidance and friendship, respectively.

A newcomer asks if there is a way to ‘catch up’ if Rupert’s teaching is becoming more refined. Rupert says that he doesn’t come to these retreats in general or to meditations in particular, with an idea of where he's going. ‘I'm following you. You think you're following me, but actually, I'm following you.’ Rupert references the fact that the teaching has expanded because of COVID-19 through the online experiences now available. The online meetings get broader and wider, and in the retreats, he wants to go narrower and deeper.

A question is asked about abidance and friendship, in contrast with that which cannot be conceptualised, and what that shift is. Rupert responds that abidance is the inward-facing path, but that which cannot be conceptualised is all that's been spoken of throughout the retreat, not through description but by evocation. Abiding is a thin veil because there is no self that abides, there is only 'I am'.

A woman talks about the little big voice – intuition – and asks about where that voice comes from. Rupert says that though awareness doesn’t need anything, it is the natural condition of a human being to be an expression of that from which it emerges. That voice is a representation of the one from which we emerge in whose service our life is ideally lived. It’s important to be very quiet inside and try to listen to that deepest voice as the representative of the one. We override that voice at our peril.

A question is asked about feelings and how the direct path is involved when a life event takes place that we absolutely don't want, such as death. Rupert says that he would not suggest the direct path which would be a turning away from the sorrow and turning towards our true nature. Instead, utilise the outward, or Tantric, path where we turn towards the sorrow, and bring it close, rather than away.

A woman who participates in breakout rooms online says that they all sense something at work in them. Rupert says that the breakout rooms are meant to mimic what happens on retreat, eating meals together. Rupert says that the connection online far surpasses what he would have thought was possible. He says that the subliminal aspect of the teaching is becoming more prevalent and valuable.

A man asks about turning toward pain. Rupert says that ultimately there is nothing to do to recognise our true nature because we are already that, but we must do what we have to do to recognise that. Some kind of exploration is required to discover that we are that for which we are in search. The first thing to do is to stand as the presence of awareness, then as that, turn toward the feelings and face them.

A man who was raised as a Christian became disillusioned, found Taoism and non-duality, then became allergic to dogma, but is now interested in the triune of infinite being and how that relates to intuition as the holy spirit. Rupert responds that love is perverted by the sense of separation and expressed as hatred; the propellant is a restorative return to the natural state of equilibrium and harmony. The voice as the holy spirit comes from the knowledge of our true nature.

A man asks if there was a time for Rupert, in his work, in which he sensed that the work was already done in him. Rupert replies, yes. The artistic process carried him forward, with a new horizon always developing. Then he reached a point where there was nothing in front of him. That is when he wrote ‘The Transparency of Things’, and he slowly transitioned to making bowls out of words.

A question is asked about how Rupert's process, how he does this work and answers all the questions so clearly. Rupert responds that he does two things: first, he understands and feels the question for what it is, or waits for the question to become clear, and secondly, he waits for the answer to come and form itself to the question.

A man asks if there is merit in investigating emotions and its impact on the lineage. Rupert says that if it is true that the mind doesn’t come to an end when the body does, and if it is true that all our minds are connected, then whatever happens in one mind affects all other minds, in particular those that have been in direct contact with another. Rupert elaborates about the path of the individual and the pathless path.

A question is asked about creativity and the creative process; how does am-ness become is-ness? Rupert responds that it happens for no reason; it is the nature of being without form to manifest itself in form. It could be said to be an overflowing of being in and of itself. The individual is the instrument through which the creativity takes place, which is felt as the desire to create. He suggests that the desire to have a child is a similar compulsion to create.

A woman asks how Rupert’s art practice informed his spirituality, and vice versa. Rupert says that it took time for him to realise that what he was looking for in his work was the same thing that he was looking for in his spiritual life – that the experience of beauty, which he was exploring in his workshop, was the same elusive experience of happiness, which he was exploring in his meditation. His spiritual apprenticeship followed very closely with his apprenticeship as an artist, which involved putting himself under the teacher, a master, and being utterly devoted without question.

A man talks about the evolution of Rupert's teaching and asks about where in his current teachings he would fit. Rupert responds that he began teaching influenced by the teachings he had been given, but eventually they started to blur together until the inward and outward meditation became more refined, less pedagogical.

A man asks a question about the differences between the inward and the outward path. Rupert responds that with our minds we know ten thousand things; with our hearts we know the one. The new form of the inward and outward path is abidance and friendship, respectively.

A newcomer asks if there is a way to ‘catch up’ if Rupert’s teaching is becoming more refined. Rupert says that he doesn’t come to these retreats in general or to meditations in particular, with an idea of where he's going. ‘I'm following you. You think you're following me, but actually, I'm following you.’ Rupert references the fact that the teaching has expanded because of COVID-19 through the online experiences now available. The online meetings get broader and wider, and in the retreats, he wants to go narrower and deeper.

A question is asked about abidance and friendship, in contrast with that which cannot be conceptualised, and what that shift is. Rupert responds that abidance is the inward-facing path, but that which cannot be conceptualised is all that's been spoken of throughout the retreat, not through description but by evocation. Abiding is a thin veil because there is no self that abides, there is only 'I am'.

A woman talks about the little big voice – intuition – and asks about where that voice comes from. Rupert says that though awareness doesn’t need anything, it is the natural condition of a human being to be an expression of that from which it emerges. That voice is a representation of the one from which we emerge in whose service our life is ideally lived. It’s important to be very quiet inside and try to listen to that deepest voice as the representative of the one. We override that voice at our peril.

A question is asked about feelings and how the direct path is involved when a life event takes place that we absolutely don't want, such as death. Rupert says that he would not suggest the direct path which would be a turning away from the sorrow and turning towards our true nature. Instead, utilise the outward, or Tantric, path where we turn towards the sorrow, and bring it close, rather than away.

A woman who participates in breakout rooms online says that they all sense something at work in them. Rupert says that the breakout rooms are meant to mimic what happens on retreat, eating meals together. Rupert says that the connection online far surpasses what he would have thought was possible. He says that the subliminal aspect of the teaching is becoming more prevalent and valuable.

A man asks about turning toward pain. Rupert says that ultimately there is nothing to do to recognise our true nature because we are already that, but we must do what we have to do to recognise that. Some kind of exploration is required to discover that we are that for which we are in search. The first thing to do is to stand as the presence of awareness, then as that, turn toward the feelings and face them.

A man who was raised as a Christian became disillusioned, found Taoism and non-duality, then became allergic to dogma, but is now interested in the triune of infinite being and how that relates to intuition as the holy spirit. Rupert responds that love is perverted by the sense of separation and expressed as hatred; the propellant is a restorative return to the natural state of equilibrium and harmony. The voice as the holy spirit comes from the knowledge of our true nature.

A man asks if there was a time for Rupert, in his work, in which he sensed that the work was already done in him. Rupert replies, yes. The artistic process carried him forward, with a new horizon always developing. Then he reached a point where there was nothing in front of him. That is when he wrote ‘The Transparency of Things’, and he slowly transitioned to making bowls out of words.

A question is asked about how Rupert's process, how he does this work and answers all the questions so clearly. Rupert responds that he does two things: first, he understands and feels the question for what it is, or waits for the question to become clear, and secondly, he waits for the answer to come and form itself to the question.