Enlightenment Is Not an Experience that Happens to Us

‘Awakening’ and ‘enlightenment’ are misnomers that lead to misunderstanding. To suggest we become enlightened is like suggesting the sun rises in the morning. Relative to the Earth, the sun seems to rise. Relative to the person, enlightenment seems to happen. We don't become or move towards our being. Like the sun, our being is always in the same place, always shining with the same brightness, with peace and quiet joy. Why do we not feel this? Because our being is coloured by experience, thoughts and feelings. Enlightenment is not a new experience that happens to us but the revelation of the being that each of us always is. Whenever you’re inclined to pick up a spiritual book or watch YouTube, ask ‘Why am I doing this?’ Notice the hope of becoming. Why go via the object? Go there directly. Put the book down; go straight to awareness of being. Sink deeply into it, into your self.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I have no meaning but impart meaning to all that I perceive’. Rupert suggests it is the finite mind that tries to find meaning in things. It seeks understanding. However, when understanding takes place, that understanding is the shining of consciousness in the finite mind.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I am always in the never’. Rupert suggests that when we refer to the ‘never’ instead of ‘always’, or the ‘that’ instead of ‘this’, we are referring to something that is non-existent because there is only ‘this’. There is nothing that is absent because there is nothing other than the ever-presence of consciousness. I am the now in the then; the always in the never. I am the yes in the no.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I am the true in the false’. Rupert suggests using the landscape and the movie metaphor. 'I am' is the screen in the landscape. There are degrees of the veiling of happiness. There is nothing other than the knowing of it. Even ignorance shines with truth. Ignorance is just a partial veiling of truth.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I gave away everything, but I am never diminished’. He asks why Rupert used the phrase ‘give away’. Rupert suggests we should never question a poet about the words they choose. We should read the words and allow them to sink into to us. Referring to the couplet, we continually and freely give our self away, like a tree that gives its flowers and its fruits.

A question is asked about Rupert's book ‘The Transparency of Things’ about objects and the veiling of consciousness. Rupert responds that understanding often first bypasses the mind, which later comes back and tries to understand. It is natural for objections to come up at this time, and they need to be met and answered satisfactorily.

Question whether you are a separate self, suggests Rupert in response to a question about practice in the face of doubts, questions and other mental activity. Understand that these apparently obscuring feelings and thoughts eventually dissipate in the face of these questions.

A woman who has a commitment to being a loving presence for all beings asks, ‘What is love?’ Rupert suggests that love is one of the many names that we give to reality. Reality is that which is true. We have three names this: truth, love and beauty. Some of approach reality by thinking; those are the intellectuals amongst us. Some of us are emotional; we approach reality through feeling. Some of us express beauty; we are the artists. When we approach reality through thinking, we call it truth; when we approach it through feeling, we call it love; when we approach it through the senses, we call it beauty. Love is the way we feel reality.

The world is real, but it is not what it appears to be. Its reality is the activity of consciousness vibrating within itself, elaborates Rupert in response to a question about the reality of objects and the role of consciousness. The universe owes its reality to consciousness, but its appearance comes from the finite mind, which is the relationship, or interaction, between perception and reality, which is consistent with quantum physics.

A man asks about where objects in memory reside since awareness does not have a past experience. Rupert responds that it's only a past experience from the perspective of finite mind. ‘Now’ is the dimensionless point at which time and eternity intersect.

A woman wants to explore what’s been arising in the knowing of self and yet, at the same time, there is a feeling of isolation. Rupert suggests that in the depths of our being, there is no loneliness or isolation, but at the relative level there can be a kind of divine loneliness. There is an impulse to share and give and celebrate our love and understanding. If you don’t have someone to share this with one may feel a divine loneliness. Usually, sooner or later the universe will provide a way to share this with others. Until then, feel that impulse to share, but don’t allow the ego to coop it and turn it into an ambition. Ask the universe/God to make you a transparent, empty vehicle for the sharing and understanding.

A man asks about the value of a healthy ego and, thus, of therapy on the non-dual path. Rupert suggests that a healthy ego is important because otherwise the realisation can be destabilising, especially in regard to an interaction with psychedelics such as ayahuasca.

The nature of our being is peace, suggests Rupert. A woman who is new to this understanding says she is aware of consciousness but feels fear constantly as a tight constriction. Rupert suggests that she has recognised the presence of awareness – that’s the first step. The reason why the fear remains is because she hasn’t yet understood the nature of awareness. As we feel and recognise that the nature of our being is peace, the understanding will have an effect on the fear. Fear is the consequence of feeling and believing that we are a separate self. The other consequence of this belief is a sense of lack.

A man asks if there is a chooser in the veiling or unveiling of consciousness. Rupert responds that there is no chooser of ignorance. Suffering is what brings us back to search for our true nature as consciousness, which might feel like a choice through seeking and the desire to meditate, practice, and so on. Though practices are given, all teachings are a concession, legitimate and compassionate, to the idea of the separate self.

‘Awakening’ and ‘enlightenment’ are misnomers that lead to misunderstanding. To suggest we become enlightened is like suggesting the sun rises in the morning. Relative to the Earth, the sun seems to rise. Relative to the person, enlightenment seems to happen. We don't become or move towards our being. Like the sun, our being is always in the same place, always shining with the same brightness, with peace and quiet joy. Why do we not feel this? Because our being is coloured by experience, thoughts and feelings. Enlightenment is not a new experience that happens to us but the revelation of the being that each of us always is. Whenever you’re inclined to pick up a spiritual book or watch YouTube, ask ‘Why am I doing this?’ Notice the hope of becoming. Why go via the object? Go there directly. Put the book down; go straight to awareness of being. Sink deeply into it, into your self.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I have no meaning but impart meaning to all that I perceive’. Rupert suggests it is the finite mind that tries to find meaning in things. It seeks understanding. However, when understanding takes place, that understanding is the shining of consciousness in the finite mind.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I am always in the never’. Rupert suggests that when we refer to the ‘never’ instead of ‘always’, or the ‘that’ instead of ‘this’, we are referring to something that is non-existent because there is only ‘this’. There is nothing that is absent because there is nothing other than the ever-presence of consciousness. I am the now in the then; the always in the never. I am the yes in the no.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I am the true in the false’. Rupert suggests using the landscape and the movie metaphor. 'I am' is the screen in the landscape. There are degrees of the veiling of happiness. There is nothing other than the knowing of it. Even ignorance shines with truth. Ignorance is just a partial veiling of truth.

A man who is translating ‘I Am’ into the Chinese asks for clarification on the couplet – ‘I gave away everything, but I am never diminished’. He asks why Rupert used the phrase ‘give away’. Rupert suggests we should never question a poet about the words they choose. We should read the words and allow them to sink into to us. Referring to the couplet, we continually and freely give our self away, like a tree that gives its flowers and its fruits.

A question is asked about Rupert's book ‘The Transparency of Things’ about objects and the veiling of consciousness. Rupert responds that understanding often first bypasses the mind, which later comes back and tries to understand. It is natural for objections to come up at this time, and they need to be met and answered satisfactorily.

Question whether you are a separate self, suggests Rupert in response to a question about practice in the face of doubts, questions and other mental activity. Understand that these apparently obscuring feelings and thoughts eventually dissipate in the face of these questions.

A woman who has a commitment to being a loving presence for all beings asks, ‘What is love?’ Rupert suggests that love is one of the many names that we give to reality. Reality is that which is true. We have three names this: truth, love and beauty. Some of approach reality by thinking; those are the intellectuals amongst us. Some of us are emotional; we approach reality through feeling. Some of us express beauty; we are the artists. When we approach reality through thinking, we call it truth; when we approach it through feeling, we call it love; when we approach it through the senses, we call it beauty. Love is the way we feel reality.

The world is real, but it is not what it appears to be. Its reality is the activity of consciousness vibrating within itself, elaborates Rupert in response to a question about the reality of objects and the role of consciousness. The universe owes its reality to consciousness, but its appearance comes from the finite mind, which is the relationship, or interaction, between perception and reality, which is consistent with quantum physics.

A man asks about where objects in memory reside since awareness does not have a past experience. Rupert responds that it's only a past experience from the perspective of finite mind. ‘Now’ is the dimensionless point at which time and eternity intersect.

A woman wants to explore what’s been arising in the knowing of self and yet, at the same time, there is a feeling of isolation. Rupert suggests that in the depths of our being, there is no loneliness or isolation, but at the relative level there can be a kind of divine loneliness. There is an impulse to share and give and celebrate our love and understanding. If you don’t have someone to share this with one may feel a divine loneliness. Usually, sooner or later the universe will provide a way to share this with others. Until then, feel that impulse to share, but don’t allow the ego to coop it and turn it into an ambition. Ask the universe/God to make you a transparent, empty vehicle for the sharing and understanding.

A man asks about the value of a healthy ego and, thus, of therapy on the non-dual path. Rupert suggests that a healthy ego is important because otherwise the realisation can be destabilising, especially in regard to an interaction with psychedelics such as ayahuasca.

The nature of our being is peace, suggests Rupert. A woman who is new to this understanding says she is aware of consciousness but feels fear constantly as a tight constriction. Rupert suggests that she has recognised the presence of awareness – that’s the first step. The reason why the fear remains is because she hasn’t yet understood the nature of awareness. As we feel and recognise that the nature of our being is peace, the understanding will have an effect on the fear. Fear is the consequence of feeling and believing that we are a separate self. The other consequence of this belief is a sense of lack.

A man asks if there is a chooser in the veiling or unveiling of consciousness. Rupert responds that there is no chooser of ignorance. Suffering is what brings us back to search for our true nature as consciousness, which might feel like a choice through seeking and the desire to meditate, practice, and so on. Though practices are given, all teachings are a concession, legitimate and compassionate, to the idea of the separate self.