Emphasise Love, Not Fear

A woman shares her experience of the coming and going of pain during mediation while on retreat. Rupert suggests that if it doesn't have a specific cause, it’s just the existential ‘no’ to life, which is the core of the separate self. Since she is sinking into being during meditation, these resistances are gradually bubbling up from the well. No need to do anything about them.

A man asks whether there is an agenda or if there is free will. Rupert suggests that consciousness doesn't have an agenda, but its nature is freedom, which is reflected in the human mind as free will. Though it is limited by conditioning, the mind borrows its freedom from consciousness. King Lear feels that he has free will and he is right, because his mind is John Smith’s, though the part he plays is limited. There is no separate one here, but the one is here.

A man talks about the natural impulse to relieve suffering in others. Rupert suggests trying to do the one thing he may have not done yet, and that is to not have an agenda with it. Trying to fix others’ unhappiness is to collude with it, strengthening it. If we cease to have an agenda then we cease being frustrated from trying to fix it.

A woman asks what makes consciousness self-aware. Rupert suggests that consciousness is always self-aware, like the sun is always shining, always illuminated by itself. All the rooms full of sunlight have the same sunlight. All sunlight is light. All consciousness is self-aware. However, that self-aware consciousness is mixed with the qualities of the container in which it is contained. If a room is painted blue, the light seems to be blue.

A woman comments on manifestation and the subsequent longing for God and wonders if the same longing exists for a tree or a snail. Rupert uses the analogy of ripples across the surface of the lake gathering in different ways to clarify how finite minds then filters what it sees through its limitations. The human mind is bound by thinking and perceiving, so we don't see infinite consciousness when we look out, we see the world.

A woman references a comment about communing with a tree and wonders about that energy exchange. Rupert suggests that the tree magnifies our own being, so we get in touch with that element of our self. Love and safety.

A man references life force and energy and wonders about the transition from being an animate to an inanimate object at death. Rupert suggests that we experience ourself as a finite mind (thinking and feeling), but our body is how that finite mind appears to another point of view. The mind and body are two aspects of one thing. The life force is an intermediary phase between the two, an early manifestation of what you experience internally as mind.

A woman asks about Rupert’s saying – ‘God is a jazz musician’. Rupert says that jazz musicians don't play from a score, they improvise. Their music is not predetermined. God improvises.

A woman asks about the best way to give a gift to a friend who is dying. Rupert suggests that she think of her friend when she first met her and think of the being that she was then. Then think of her friend as she essentially is now. Is there a difference? Nothing has happened to being. That is the most important thing to convey to her friend now. She can do this by being in touch with this herself.

A woman asks about how the mind affects matter. Rupert suggests we regularly have the experience of thoughts affecting our emotions, which are two mental functions affecting each other. Consider the possibility that what happens on the outside, which is not ‘matter’ is affected in the same way.

A man asks about how to listen to the news in a way that supports life and wholeness. Rupert suggests that when we listen to the news about someone whose opinion we don’t hold, make sure the first thing we feel about them is love, then feel free to have any opinion we like. Make sure the opinion doesn't eclipse the love.

A woman shares her fear about attending an event because her retiring therapist will be. Rupert suggests that just behind the fear is love for her analyst. Go through it. Emphasise love, not the fear.

A man asks whether something like a chair is always in bliss because it doesn't have a separate self. Rupert suggests that you could say it is a manifestation of bliss and joy. Everything is a name and a form of the awareness of being whose nature is joy.

A woman shares about the loss of her good friend, for whom she wrote a song. Recently, she was asked to write another song for someone else who died. She shares how it feels good to be able to do this. Rupert suggests creating music for friends before they pass away, so you can share it with them.

A woman shares her experience of the coming and going of pain during mediation while on retreat. Rupert suggests that if it doesn't have a specific cause, it’s just the existential ‘no’ to life, which is the core of the separate self. Since she is sinking into being during meditation, these resistances are gradually bubbling up from the well. No need to do anything about them.

A man asks whether there is an agenda or if there is free will. Rupert suggests that consciousness doesn't have an agenda, but its nature is freedom, which is reflected in the human mind as free will. Though it is limited by conditioning, the mind borrows its freedom from consciousness. King Lear feels that he has free will and he is right, because his mind is John Smith’s, though the part he plays is limited. There is no separate one here, but the one is here.

A man talks about the natural impulse to relieve suffering in others. Rupert suggests trying to do the one thing he may have not done yet, and that is to not have an agenda with it. Trying to fix others’ unhappiness is to collude with it, strengthening it. If we cease to have an agenda then we cease being frustrated from trying to fix it.

A woman asks what makes consciousness self-aware. Rupert suggests that consciousness is always self-aware, like the sun is always shining, always illuminated by itself. All the rooms full of sunlight have the same sunlight. All sunlight is light. All consciousness is self-aware. However, that self-aware consciousness is mixed with the qualities of the container in which it is contained. If a room is painted blue, the light seems to be blue.

A woman comments on manifestation and the subsequent longing for God and wonders if the same longing exists for a tree or a snail. Rupert uses the analogy of ripples across the surface of the lake gathering in different ways to clarify how finite minds then filters what it sees through its limitations. The human mind is bound by thinking and perceiving, so we don't see infinite consciousness when we look out, we see the world.

A woman references a comment about communing with a tree and wonders about that energy exchange. Rupert suggests that the tree magnifies our own being, so we get in touch with that element of our self. Love and safety.

A man references life force and energy and wonders about the transition from being an animate to an inanimate object at death. Rupert suggests that we experience ourself as a finite mind (thinking and feeling), but our body is how that finite mind appears to another point of view. The mind and body are two aspects of one thing. The life force is an intermediary phase between the two, an early manifestation of what you experience internally as mind.

A woman asks about Rupert’s saying – ‘God is a jazz musician’. Rupert says that jazz musicians don't play from a score, they improvise. Their music is not predetermined. God improvises.

A woman asks about the best way to give a gift to a friend who is dying. Rupert suggests that she think of her friend when she first met her and think of the being that she was then. Then think of her friend as she essentially is now. Is there a difference? Nothing has happened to being. That is the most important thing to convey to her friend now. She can do this by being in touch with this herself.

A woman asks about how the mind affects matter. Rupert suggests we regularly have the experience of thoughts affecting our emotions, which are two mental functions affecting each other. Consider the possibility that what happens on the outside, which is not ‘matter’ is affected in the same way.

A man asks about how to listen to the news in a way that supports life and wholeness. Rupert suggests that when we listen to the news about someone whose opinion we don’t hold, make sure the first thing we feel about them is love, then feel free to have any opinion we like. Make sure the opinion doesn't eclipse the love.

A woman shares her fear about attending an event because her retiring therapist will be. Rupert suggests that just behind the fear is love for her analyst. Go through it. Emphasise love, not the fear.

A man asks whether something like a chair is always in bliss because it doesn't have a separate self. Rupert suggests that you could say it is a manifestation of bliss and joy. Everything is a name and a form of the awareness of being whose nature is joy.

A woman shares about the loss of her good friend, for whom she wrote a song. Recently, she was asked to write another song for someone else who died. She shares how it feels good to be able to do this. Rupert suggests creating music for friends before they pass away, so you can share it with them.