Recognising the Peaceful Emptiness Within

This meditation explores the essence of being and its relationship to emptiness and happiness. It encourages returning to the simple feeling of pure existence behind all experience. Being is inherently empty of objective content, distinct from the turbulent nature of the mind. Recognising this emptiness within ourselves unveils inner peace. Moreover, this meditation challenges the idea of being entirely empty, especially from the viewpoint of the mind that engages with thoughts and emotions. In the experience of being itself, it feels full and complete, giving rise to what we call happiness. The meditation suggests that happiness is not an experience of emptiness but rather a sense of fullness arising from the recognition of one's essential being. It concludes by highlighting the difficulty of defining being as either solely empty or full, emphasising its transcendent nature beyond such distinctions. Being tastes itself.

A man shares his pursuit of intimate relationships from a sense of lack and wonders what to do. Rupert suggests that he turn toward relationships again, but don’t expect that his intimate relationships be devoid of egoic behaviour. Make sure your relationship is a theatre that can include and explore these feelings of lack.

A man asks about how to deal with the sense of lack when it arises in relationships. Rupert suggests that whatever we acquire from a sense of lack will expand that sense of lack. When we identify a sense of lack in ourself, we should pause and go back to our being. Some desires come from the fullness of being, not a sense of lack, so it is important we pay attention.

A man asks if skin-to-skin contact is necessary. Rupert suggests that it is a part of the human experience. He cites the example of an infant who doesn’t even understand that its body is separate from its mothers.

A woman, who is new to the teaching, says she's seeing things differently and wonders if this is part of waking up. She's realised that she is not who she has thought she was, but she doesn't yet know how to live with this realisation. Rupert responds that she is beginning to recognise what she essentially is behind the content of her experience, which used to inform her identity. Her being is beginning to shine through, and she is recognising what is in the background of all experience. That's where all true peace and confidence come from.

A woman shares that her being is overwhelmed by emotions. Rupert suggests that the work she is doing with animals is beautiful, and he suggests joining a team of people who are doing the same kind of work. Use whatever sense of free will you’ve been given in the service of love.

A man asks about memory and discontinuity, and he wonders about the mind's capacity to hold one single thought at a time. If one thought is separate from another, how can there be consistency in the content of experience? Rupert explains that the consistency is in the medium in which all the separate thoughts appear. The space in which they appear connects them.

A woman relays her experience of things falling away. Rupert suggests that she is experiencing a dark night of the soul. He encourages her not to worry, she hasn’t been abandoned. And he explains that she is experiencing the aloneness of being, the one that knows no other.

A man asks about identity as a person related to identification with the body. Rupert suggests that if you actually look for that one, that person, you can't find it. He references a painting by Turner, in which the moon is the only object not actually painted in the picture but represented by the paper itself. Rupert guides the man in self-enquiry.

A man speaks of realisation that is without a teacher and a teaching; it is one singular thing playing. Rupert responds that it is the one thing appearing as many. Reality is the one infinite whole. The whole play of teachers and students doesn't pertain to reality.

A man shares that he is overwhelmed by emotions. Rupert invites him to let his emotions move through him. Give your mind what it needs to de-escalate these emotions, an intermediary practice, perhaps, and then explore the nature of your being. Rupert suggests that he may want to see a therapist.

A woman speaks of glimpses she's had of understanding being and asks how she can anchor herself in broader experiences. Rupert gets her to acknowledge that she can go back to her being easily when reading a book by a teacher, or having an expansive experience, but not so easy during everyday life. He suggests taking these glimpses as opportunities, memories to draw upon in more demanding circumstances, to help her find her way back to being.

A man shares an experience he had after a friend’s death in which he saw that she was everywhere. Rupert thanks him for sharing his beautiful experience and suggests that this is his friend’s parting gift.

A woman, who has just started at university, is having doubts. She wants to quit school and search for the truth instead because she thinks going to school doesn't matter in comparison. Rupert says he would encourage her to stay on course for at least a year. If you really still want to quit after a year, then make your decision. Gone are the days when you have to go to an ashram and give up your life.

A woman shares that the distinction between her waking and dreaming states has blurred. Rupert suggests that both the waking and dreaming states are dreams. The dream that takes place in dreams, takes place in a finite mind; the dream that takes place in the waking state, takes place in the universal mind.

A man thanks Rupert and describes how life has changed as a result of his teaching. Rupert thanks him and lets him know that he is very touched.

A man shares the internal difficulties he is facing. Rupert invites him to reach out to the community of followers where he lives. He also suggests that he find a therapist with whom to explore these difficult experiences.

A man asks about why difficulties have arisen in him after hearing a spiritual teacher lead an exercise. Rupert suggests that he find an intermediary step of putting his attention on something positive before endeavouring to go all the way back to true nature.

This meditation explores the essence of being and its relationship to emptiness and happiness. It encourages returning to the simple feeling of pure existence behind all experience. Being is inherently empty of objective content, distinct from the turbulent nature of the mind. Recognising this emptiness within ourselves unveils inner peace. Moreover, this meditation challenges the idea of being entirely empty, especially from the viewpoint of the mind that engages with thoughts and emotions. In the experience of being itself, it feels full and complete, giving rise to what we call happiness. The meditation suggests that happiness is not an experience of emptiness but rather a sense of fullness arising from the recognition of one's essential being. It concludes by highlighting the difficulty of defining being as either solely empty or full, emphasising its transcendent nature beyond such distinctions. Being tastes itself.

A man shares his pursuit of intimate relationships from a sense of lack and wonders what to do. Rupert suggests that he turn toward relationships again, but don’t expect that his intimate relationships be devoid of egoic behaviour. Make sure your relationship is a theatre that can include and explore these feelings of lack.

A man asks about how to deal with the sense of lack when it arises in relationships. Rupert suggests that whatever we acquire from a sense of lack will expand that sense of lack. When we identify a sense of lack in ourself, we should pause and go back to our being. Some desires come from the fullness of being, not a sense of lack, so it is important we pay attention.

A man asks if skin-to-skin contact is necessary. Rupert suggests that it is a part of the human experience. He cites the example of an infant who doesn’t even understand that its body is separate from its mothers.

A woman, who is new to the teaching, says she's seeing things differently and wonders if this is part of waking up. She's realised that she is not who she has thought she was, but she doesn't yet know how to live with this realisation. Rupert responds that she is beginning to recognise what she essentially is behind the content of her experience, which used to inform her identity. Her being is beginning to shine through, and she is recognising what is in the background of all experience. That's where all true peace and confidence come from.

A woman shares that her being is overwhelmed by emotions. Rupert suggests that the work she is doing with animals is beautiful, and he suggests joining a team of people who are doing the same kind of work. Use whatever sense of free will you’ve been given in the service of love.

A man asks about memory and discontinuity, and he wonders about the mind's capacity to hold one single thought at a time. If one thought is separate from another, how can there be consistency in the content of experience? Rupert explains that the consistency is in the medium in which all the separate thoughts appear. The space in which they appear connects them.

A woman relays her experience of things falling away. Rupert suggests that she is experiencing a dark night of the soul. He encourages her not to worry, she hasn’t been abandoned. And he explains that she is experiencing the aloneness of being, the one that knows no other.

A man asks about identity as a person related to identification with the body. Rupert suggests that if you actually look for that one, that person, you can't find it. He references a painting by Turner, in which the moon is the only object not actually painted in the picture but represented by the paper itself. Rupert guides the man in self-enquiry.

A man speaks of realisation that is without a teacher and a teaching; it is one singular thing playing. Rupert responds that it is the one thing appearing as many. Reality is the one infinite whole. The whole play of teachers and students doesn't pertain to reality.

A man shares that he is overwhelmed by emotions. Rupert invites him to let his emotions move through him. Give your mind what it needs to de-escalate these emotions, an intermediary practice, perhaps, and then explore the nature of your being. Rupert suggests that he may want to see a therapist.

A woman speaks of glimpses she's had of understanding being and asks how she can anchor herself in broader experiences. Rupert gets her to acknowledge that she can go back to her being easily when reading a book by a teacher, or having an expansive experience, but not so easy during everyday life. He suggests taking these glimpses as opportunities, memories to draw upon in more demanding circumstances, to help her find her way back to being.

A man shares an experience he had after a friend’s death in which he saw that she was everywhere. Rupert thanks him for sharing his beautiful experience and suggests that this is his friend’s parting gift.

A woman, who has just started at university, is having doubts. She wants to quit school and search for the truth instead because she thinks going to school doesn't matter in comparison. Rupert says he would encourage her to stay on course for at least a year. If you really still want to quit after a year, then make your decision. Gone are the days when you have to go to an ashram and give up your life.

A woman shares that the distinction between her waking and dreaming states has blurred. Rupert suggests that both the waking and dreaming states are dreams. The dream that takes place in dreams, takes place in a finite mind; the dream that takes place in the waking state, takes place in the universal mind.

A man thanks Rupert and describes how life has changed as a result of his teaching. Rupert thanks him and lets him know that he is very touched.

A man shares the internal difficulties he is facing. Rupert invites him to reach out to the community of followers where he lives. He also suggests that he find a therapist with whom to explore these difficult experiences.

A man asks about why difficulties have arisen in him after hearing a spiritual teacher lead an exercise. Rupert suggests that he find an intermediary step of putting his attention on something positive before endeavouring to go all the way back to true nature.