No World, No Appearances

A woman asks why God's experience of itself is 'I am'? Rupert replies, that 'I am' is everything's experience of itself. In philosophy, there is no difference between being and existence. Strictly speaking, we don't exist, we are. We cannot have objective experience of our self. 'I am' is the blind spot in the centre of our experience. God's knowledge of itself is the same knowledge as our own knowledge of our self.

A man asks, should he abandon his desires? Rupert says that not all desires come from the conditioned mind. Some come from our love of truth, such as the desire to ask this question.

If one is aware of awareness without the content of experience, is that the same as deep sleep? Rupert responds that the awareness present in deep sleep is also present in waking and dreaming. We are in deep sleep now. We never enter into a state – it is a matter of thoughts and perceptions being present or not. It is as much a misnomer to say 'I fell asleep' as it is to say 'the sun has set'. From the perspective of the waking state, there seems to be three states. Deep sleep is not a state.

A man asks for clarification for new terms introduced: vivartavada and ajatavada. Rupert explains that these are perspectives on reality and appearances, the highest teachings, which propound that ultimately nothing ever appears; no world, no appearances.

What brings about the sense of freedom and openness? Rupert responds, quoting from Plotinus, 'It is because there is nothing but the one that all things are from it'. It's because the screen is inherently empty that all possible colours can appear on it, just as all possible beliefs can appear in awareness. Awareness is free to take on any appearance. When perceived by the finite mind, evil can appear in something inherently good.

A discussion on reconciling an all-loving God and all the suffering in the world engenders the question, 'What is the mechanism whereby the light reaches the dark?' Rupert responds that all that is necessary is to go to the light, recognise the light of being, and allow it to radiate through one's own being in order to outshine the darkness. We take that light with us and shine that light in whenever we do.

Are there pockets of ignorance in the world? And can this understanding be imparted to these pockets? Rupert responds, why shouldn't that be so? The world is founded on the presumption of separation, the all-dominating paradigm. He suggests that these times will be looked upon as the Dark Ages.

A man asks if he could have confirmed his experience of his true being? Rupert guides him in self-enquiry so that he can describe and experience his self, and confirm it himself.

A man says he is always looking for something to do during the long silences in the meditations. Rupert responds that this is the primary impulse of the mind. Your mind cannot bear the silence, the thought of not doing anything, so it's uncomfortable. It's just an old habit to fill that space, an old impulse.

What should I do, when the mind wants to do something? Rupert suggests tracing that impulse backward. Ask yourself where the impulse to do something comes from. Wherever you look, what we speak of here is always behind that. See what happens to your mind when you do that.

A woman describes a sage she had met who teaches that not only does nothing exist, nothing ever actually happened. She asks if this is correct? Rupert responds yes. When we're off in the clouds, nothing ever happens.

Rupert elaborates on 'nothing ever happens', 'nothing is ever changed or harmed', using the analogy of a dream.

A man asks about the Mary and Jane metaphor. Is the retreat a dream itself filtered through a larger finite mind? Rupert responds that you'd only be able to know that by investigating the knowing itself, to determine if it's finite or infinite. Rupert leads him in self-enquiry to investigate. Look within yourself to see if you find any finite qualities.

A man speaks of the apparent difference between our experience and God's non-experience, which he interprets as God cannot possibly be finite, and the Son of God is the highest finite mind. And he wonders about the perception of being cared for by a loving God. Rupert suggests that the gulf of which he speaks is an assumption. How much of a gulf is there between yourself and God's being? He uses the analogy of Mary and Jane, in terms of Jane's sense that there is some greater reality ouside of the streets of Paris. She knows there is something called 'Mary'.

Is Mary aware of Jane and the dream? Rupert responds that Mary is only aware of the dream as an appearance, but has no direct experience of Jane. Jane has a personal, very real, relationship with Mary, but Mary has no relationship with Jane, but Jane doesn't know that, so Mary has a relationship with Jane only from Jane's point of view.

A question is asked about the contradiction between going out in the world carrying the light, and ajatavada, which is the realisation that there is no world. Rupert responds, that is why we don't normally speak of ajatavada because it is legitimate to speak of our experience in the world. Ramana Maharshi, in response to a question about helping others, would say there are no others. And yet, he still behaved in a very compassionate, caring way. This is an example of having the highest understanding and yet not using it as an excuse to not behave with compassion.

A woman asks for clarification in regard to answers given having to do with shining our light in the world and about meditating on emptiness to bring about a more loving, peaceful world. Rupert says that could work if the world was just the manifestation of your individual mind. Which it is not.

The difference between illusion and unreal. Rupert explains that something unreal or nonexistent cannot possibly exist, like a square circle. The landscape you see in a movie is an illusion but is not unreal. It's not utterly non-existent. To call the world a dream does not mean it's a dream in a finite mind. The world does not happen in one finite mind, unless you're a solipsist. It's real as consciousness and unreal as matter.

A man describes a difficult childhood involving abandonment by his mother. He understands now that she is delusional and possible on her way out. He wants to spend time with her, and he asks how to do that. Rupert says to be completely loving with her. Be at peace on the inside, with love on the outside. Which means at the deepest level, you share your being with her, whatever happened in your childhood. The man asks if love is a feeling. Rupert responds that love is not a feeling, but it is expressed in feelings.

A man says he has difficulty with the idea of shared being, and the black hole, or blindspot, in himself. Rupert says, you'd have to verify that you have that in yourself. He leads him in self-enquiry to explore the matter further.

I don't know anybody else's experience. Rupert clarifies that you are not aware of other's thoughts or feelings, but the being itself is shared. If what you are is not your thoughts or feelings, then it can be clear that the being is the same. Rupert uses the analogy of the seemingly separate spaces in various locales; there is only one space – it is always the same.

A woman asks why God's experience of itself is 'I am'? Rupert replies, that 'I am' is everything's experience of itself. In philosophy, there is no difference between being and existence. Strictly speaking, we don't exist, we are. We cannot have objective experience of our self. 'I am' is the blind spot in the centre of our experience. God's knowledge of itself is the same knowledge as our own knowledge of our self.

A man asks, should he abandon his desires? Rupert says that not all desires come from the conditioned mind. Some come from our love of truth, such as the desire to ask this question.

If one is aware of awareness without the content of experience, is that the same as deep sleep? Rupert responds that the awareness present in deep sleep is also present in waking and dreaming. We are in deep sleep now. We never enter into a state – it is a matter of thoughts and perceptions being present or not. It is as much a misnomer to say 'I fell asleep' as it is to say 'the sun has set'. From the perspective of the waking state, there seems to be three states. Deep sleep is not a state.

A man asks for clarification for new terms introduced: vivartavada and ajatavada. Rupert explains that these are perspectives on reality and appearances, the highest teachings, which propound that ultimately nothing ever appears; no world, no appearances.

What brings about the sense of freedom and openness? Rupert responds, quoting from Plotinus, 'It is because there is nothing but the one that all things are from it'. It's because the screen is inherently empty that all possible colours can appear on it, just as all possible beliefs can appear in awareness. Awareness is free to take on any appearance. When perceived by the finite mind, evil can appear in something inherently good.

A discussion on reconciling an all-loving God and all the suffering in the world engenders the question, 'What is the mechanism whereby the light reaches the dark?' Rupert responds that all that is necessary is to go to the light, recognise the light of being, and allow it to radiate through one's own being in order to outshine the darkness. We take that light with us and shine that light in whenever we do.

Are there pockets of ignorance in the world? And can this understanding be imparted to these pockets? Rupert responds, why shouldn't that be so? The world is founded on the presumption of separation, the all-dominating paradigm. He suggests that these times will be looked upon as the Dark Ages.

A man asks if he could have confirmed his experience of his true being? Rupert guides him in self-enquiry so that he can describe and experience his self, and confirm it himself.

A man says he is always looking for something to do during the long silences in the meditations. Rupert responds that this is the primary impulse of the mind. Your mind cannot bear the silence, the thought of not doing anything, so it's uncomfortable. It's just an old habit to fill that space, an old impulse.

What should I do, when the mind wants to do something? Rupert suggests tracing that impulse backward. Ask yourself where the impulse to do something comes from. Wherever you look, what we speak of here is always behind that. See what happens to your mind when you do that.

A woman describes a sage she had met who teaches that not only does nothing exist, nothing ever actually happened. She asks if this is correct? Rupert responds yes. When we're off in the clouds, nothing ever happens.

Rupert elaborates on 'nothing ever happens', 'nothing is ever changed or harmed', using the analogy of a dream.

A man asks about the Mary and Jane metaphor. Is the retreat a dream itself filtered through a larger finite mind? Rupert responds that you'd only be able to know that by investigating the knowing itself, to determine if it's finite or infinite. Rupert leads him in self-enquiry to investigate. Look within yourself to see if you find any finite qualities.

A man speaks of the apparent difference between our experience and God's non-experience, which he interprets as God cannot possibly be finite, and the Son of God is the highest finite mind. And he wonders about the perception of being cared for by a loving God. Rupert suggests that the gulf of which he speaks is an assumption. How much of a gulf is there between yourself and God's being? He uses the analogy of Mary and Jane, in terms of Jane's sense that there is some greater reality ouside of the streets of Paris. She knows there is something called 'Mary'.

Is Mary aware of Jane and the dream? Rupert responds that Mary is only aware of the dream as an appearance, but has no direct experience of Jane. Jane has a personal, very real, relationship with Mary, but Mary has no relationship with Jane, but Jane doesn't know that, so Mary has a relationship with Jane only from Jane's point of view.

A question is asked about the contradiction between going out in the world carrying the light, and ajatavada, which is the realisation that there is no world. Rupert responds, that is why we don't normally speak of ajatavada because it is legitimate to speak of our experience in the world. Ramana Maharshi, in response to a question about helping others, would say there are no others. And yet, he still behaved in a very compassionate, caring way. This is an example of having the highest understanding and yet not using it as an excuse to not behave with compassion.

A woman asks for clarification in regard to answers given having to do with shining our light in the world and about meditating on emptiness to bring about a more loving, peaceful world. Rupert says that could work if the world was just the manifestation of your individual mind. Which it is not.

The difference between illusion and unreal. Rupert explains that something unreal or nonexistent cannot possibly exist, like a square circle. The landscape you see in a movie is an illusion but is not unreal. It's not utterly non-existent. To call the world a dream does not mean it's a dream in a finite mind. The world does not happen in one finite mind, unless you're a solipsist. It's real as consciousness and unreal as matter.

A man describes a difficult childhood involving abandonment by his mother. He understands now that she is delusional and possible on her way out. He wants to spend time with her, and he asks how to do that. Rupert says to be completely loving with her. Be at peace on the inside, with love on the outside. Which means at the deepest level, you share your being with her, whatever happened in your childhood. The man asks if love is a feeling. Rupert responds that love is not a feeling, but it is expressed in feelings.

A man says he has difficulty with the idea of shared being, and the black hole, or blindspot, in himself. Rupert says, you'd have to verify that you have that in yourself. He leads him in self-enquiry to explore the matter further.

I don't know anybody else's experience. Rupert clarifies that you are not aware of other's thoughts or feelings, but the being itself is shared. If what you are is not your thoughts or feelings, then it can be clear that the being is the same. Rupert uses the analogy of the seemingly separate spaces in various locales; there is only one space – it is always the same.