The Ultimate Reality of Everyone and Everything
- Duration: Video: 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 58 seconds / Audio: 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 58 seconds
- Recorded on: Sep 9, 2021
- Event: Webinar – Thursday 9th September 4:00pm, UK
In this meditation, we step back from the content of experience and rest in the presence of awareness. We soften the focus of attention from the content of experience and allow attention to sink back into its source. This presence of awareness pervades all experience and yet is free and independent of experience. Just as the space of the room in which we each sit extends beyond the room, the presence of awareness that we essentially are extends beyond the limitations of our individual mind or body. Each of us is like a dreamed character, a localisation within infinite awareness. As we rest in, and as, the presence of awareness, we recognize its freedom and independence and open to the possibility that awareness is not just the reality of our self, but the ultimate reality of everyone and everything.
After a long break during which he spent a lot of time in meditation, a man who has returned to school says he feels like he has taken ten steps back and asks how to manage the intensity of this return. Rupert suggests that this is a necessary challenge for stabilisation in the peace that passeth all understanding.
A woman describes an experience of everything dropping away, and asks how to relax. Rupert responds that the body and mind relax as a result of understanding our true nature, which was glimpsed in the experience she described. He leads her in self-enquiry to help her confirm the understanding.
A man says that he can observe his thoughts and images but still has trouble with the collapse of perception, which he experiences as a shock to the system. Using the analogy of a screen and images, Rupert describes the process of first being lost in experience and then stepping back from experience, and the understanding of perception as permeated by awareness.
A woman says that as she focuses more on awareness and less on the content of experience, the mind becomes activated. Rupert explains that with this understanding there is usually a gradual dissipation of the mind or the ego's assertions.
A man says that meditation has helped with his addictions, but he feels they are still an obstacle to self-realisation. Rupert suggests that addictions are patterns that become hard-wired into the body/mind system that may continue after realisation, and he recommends some helpful practices.
A questioner asks about integrating this understanding into life, particularly in relationships. Ruperts suggests that difficulty in a relationship is not a failure in understanding and suggests observing the triggers and pausing to take a step back.
A man asks for more information about reactivity and its underlying emotional patterns. Rupert suggests that if the patterns are chronic then therapy might be needed.
A spiritual teacher and prosperity writer says that she has lost her words because they no longer reflect her understanding of non-duality, and asks how to teach from this understanding. Rupert suggests that it is good that she doesn't know how to teach from this perspective because that would mean her teachings were informed by the past.
A man asks about the priorities of earning a living, being responsible to others, and pursuing the truth. Rupert suggests that the pursuit of truth ultimately means being fully engaged in life.
A questioner asks about the complexity of awareness after death. Rupert responds that death is much like the space in a room that appears to become simpler as content is removed, yet remains as it always is.
In this meditation, we step back from the content of experience and rest in the presence of awareness. We soften the focus of attention from the content of experience and allow attention to sink back into its source. This presence of awareness pervades all experience and yet is free and independent of experience. Just as the space of the room in which we each sit extends beyond the room, the presence of awareness that we essentially are extends beyond the limitations of our individual mind or body. Each of us is like a dreamed character, a localisation within infinite awareness. As we rest in, and as, the presence of awareness, we recognize its freedom and independence and open to the possibility that awareness is not just the reality of our self, but the ultimate reality of everyone and everything.
After a long break during which he spent a lot of time in meditation, a man who has returned to school says he feels like he has taken ten steps back and asks how to manage the intensity of this return. Rupert suggests that this is a necessary challenge for stabilisation in the peace that passeth all understanding.
A woman describes an experience of everything dropping away, and asks how to relax. Rupert responds that the body and mind relax as a result of understanding our true nature, which was glimpsed in the experience she described. He leads her in self-enquiry to help her confirm the understanding.
A man says that he can observe his thoughts and images but still has trouble with the collapse of perception, which he experiences as a shock to the system. Using the analogy of a screen and images, Rupert describes the process of first being lost in experience and then stepping back from experience, and the understanding of perception as permeated by awareness.
A woman says that as she focuses more on awareness and less on the content of experience, the mind becomes activated. Rupert explains that with this understanding there is usually a gradual dissipation of the mind or the ego's assertions.
A man says that meditation has helped with his addictions, but he feels they are still an obstacle to self-realisation. Rupert suggests that addictions are patterns that become hard-wired into the body/mind system that may continue after realisation, and he recommends some helpful practices.
A questioner asks about integrating this understanding into life, particularly in relationships. Ruperts suggests that difficulty in a relationship is not a failure in understanding and suggests observing the triggers and pausing to take a step back.
A man asks for more information about reactivity and its underlying emotional patterns. Rupert suggests that if the patterns are chronic then therapy might be needed.
A spiritual teacher and prosperity writer says that she has lost her words because they no longer reflect her understanding of non-duality, and asks how to teach from this understanding. Rupert suggests that it is good that she doesn't know how to teach from this perspective because that would mean her teachings were informed by the past.
A man asks about the priorities of earning a living, being responsible to others, and pursuing the truth. Rupert suggests that the pursuit of truth ultimately means being fully engaged in life.
A questioner asks about the complexity of awareness after death. Rupert responds that death is much like the space in a room that appears to become simpler as content is removed, yet remains as it always is.