Remain with the 'I Am'
- Duration: Video: 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 47 seconds / Audio: 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 47 seconds
- Recorded on: May 19, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Thursday 19th May
Normally, we emphasise experience and neglect our being. In meditation or prayer, we emphasise being and neglect experience. We let go of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and allow being to emerge from the background as the content of experience fades into the background. As we abide in being, it loses the qualities derived from experience – agitation derived from our thoughts, feelings of sorrow, upset, and guilt derived from our feelings and sensations from the body. Pure ‘I am’ begins to shine all alone, behind and in the midst of experience. Its nature is peace and quiet joy. Just remain with the ‘I am’. Everything vanishes, apart from aware being. When we let go of everything that we can let go of, that which never leaves us simply shines as it always is – inherently peaceful, unconditionally fulfilled, lacking nothing – the one infinite being from which everything and everyone derives its existence.
A man, who is translating 'I Am' to Chinese, asks about a couplet. Rupert suggests that just as time seems to be continuous, so space seems to be permanent. The apparent continuity of time is really the ever-presence of eternity refracted through thought. The apparent permanence of space is really the infinite nature of consciousness refracted through perception. Rupert suggests a good meditation is to ask oneself, ‘If I were to remove thinking and feeling from my experience, what would remain?'
A man, who is translating 'I Am' to Chinese, asks about a couplet. Rupert suggests that we never ask a poet to explain their lines. You just have to ‘get it’. When we analyse poetry, we dumb it down.
A man asks about how best to share the teachings. Rupert responds that when we are established in the peace of our true nature this understanding will communicate itself effortlessly in whatever circumstances we find ourself. There is no how-to; that would be the purview of the finite mind. The language you use doesn't matter.
A man asks about synchronicity and why it happens. Rupert suggests a synchronistic event is a synchronicity between a thought that you have in your mind and a physical event or object that appears in the world. In the consciousness-only model, thoughts that pass through our mind and physical objects or events in the world, are appearances of the same consciousness with a profound connection between the two.
A man says his greatest fear is that there is not enough time in this life to realise his true nature. Rupert suggests that his practices are geared towards getting rid of suffering or feelings, which doesn't work. He leads him in self-enquiry to realise the qualities of his true nature.
A man wonders about going to a monastery to further his understanding by minimising distractions. Rupert suggests that sometimes it is more advantageous to put oneself in the midst of distractions in order to become established in this understanding, rather than remaining in an environment that protects one from life.
A woman says that she is aware that her thoughts revolve around wanting to be in a better place in her life. Rupert suggests that we accept where we are and then do whatever we need to change our circumstances, so circumstances become more aligned with our understanding. Ask yourself, ‘What changes can I make in my life so that all aspects of my life are more in line with, and an expression of, this understanding?’
A woman asks about the activity of mind and seeing. Rupert suggests that the objects we see when we open our eyes are not just a creation of our personal mind. The world is not just a projection of the finite mind. The world borrows its appearance from the finite mind, but it owes its reality to infinite consciousness.
A man asks about one of the suggestions in the yoga meditations that involves directing one's breath. Rupert leads the man in self-enquiry so that he can experience the meaning of the instructions rather than be given a rational explanation.
A man who has gratitude for his teachers and teachings wonders about teaching himself but doesn't want to think he is 'special'. Rupert suggests that if he has loved the understanding for forty years, then sharing this is just an overflowing of your love. Rupert suggests that he start a group in his home and follow the impulse to share the teaching.
A man says 'there is no person inside this body', just energy. He asks how to reformulate this understanding. Rupert responds that there is no individual self in the body, but there is experience of the world through the body, or through the mind. You, awareness, are perceiving the world through the body and its faculties of perception.
A man relays his experience after asking himself the questions, ‘To whom is this happening?’ He saw that who he knew himself to be was not true. Rupert suggests that what happened was not really the answer to the question; it was the effect of the colourless answer on his mind and body. Rupert suggests that he ask, ‘What is it that knows or is aware of my experience?’, and allow that question to take him backwards or inwards towards that which is aware, rather than giving his attention to that which he is aware of.
Normally, we emphasise experience and neglect our being. In meditation or prayer, we emphasise being and neglect experience. We let go of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and allow being to emerge from the background as the content of experience fades into the background. As we abide in being, it loses the qualities derived from experience – agitation derived from our thoughts, feelings of sorrow, upset, and guilt derived from our feelings and sensations from the body. Pure ‘I am’ begins to shine all alone, behind and in the midst of experience. Its nature is peace and quiet joy. Just remain with the ‘I am’. Everything vanishes, apart from aware being. When we let go of everything that we can let go of, that which never leaves us simply shines as it always is – inherently peaceful, unconditionally fulfilled, lacking nothing – the one infinite being from which everything and everyone derives its existence.
A man, who is translating 'I Am' to Chinese, asks about a couplet. Rupert suggests that just as time seems to be continuous, so space seems to be permanent. The apparent continuity of time is really the ever-presence of eternity refracted through thought. The apparent permanence of space is really the infinite nature of consciousness refracted through perception. Rupert suggests a good meditation is to ask oneself, ‘If I were to remove thinking and feeling from my experience, what would remain?'
A man, who is translating 'I Am' to Chinese, asks about a couplet. Rupert suggests that we never ask a poet to explain their lines. You just have to ‘get it’. When we analyse poetry, we dumb it down.
A man asks about how best to share the teachings. Rupert responds that when we are established in the peace of our true nature this understanding will communicate itself effortlessly in whatever circumstances we find ourself. There is no how-to; that would be the purview of the finite mind. The language you use doesn't matter.
A man asks about synchronicity and why it happens. Rupert suggests a synchronistic event is a synchronicity between a thought that you have in your mind and a physical event or object that appears in the world. In the consciousness-only model, thoughts that pass through our mind and physical objects or events in the world, are appearances of the same consciousness with a profound connection between the two.
A man says his greatest fear is that there is not enough time in this life to realise his true nature. Rupert suggests that his practices are geared towards getting rid of suffering or feelings, which doesn't work. He leads him in self-enquiry to realise the qualities of his true nature.
A man wonders about going to a monastery to further his understanding by minimising distractions. Rupert suggests that sometimes it is more advantageous to put oneself in the midst of distractions in order to become established in this understanding, rather than remaining in an environment that protects one from life.
A woman says that she is aware that her thoughts revolve around wanting to be in a better place in her life. Rupert suggests that we accept where we are and then do whatever we need to change our circumstances, so circumstances become more aligned with our understanding. Ask yourself, ‘What changes can I make in my life so that all aspects of my life are more in line with, and an expression of, this understanding?’
A woman asks about the activity of mind and seeing. Rupert suggests that the objects we see when we open our eyes are not just a creation of our personal mind. The world is not just a projection of the finite mind. The world borrows its appearance from the finite mind, but it owes its reality to infinite consciousness.
A man asks about one of the suggestions in the yoga meditations that involves directing one's breath. Rupert leads the man in self-enquiry so that he can experience the meaning of the instructions rather than be given a rational explanation.
A man who has gratitude for his teachers and teachings wonders about teaching himself but doesn't want to think he is 'special'. Rupert suggests that if he has loved the understanding for forty years, then sharing this is just an overflowing of your love. Rupert suggests that he start a group in his home and follow the impulse to share the teaching.
A man says 'there is no person inside this body', just energy. He asks how to reformulate this understanding. Rupert responds that there is no individual self in the body, but there is experience of the world through the body, or through the mind. You, awareness, are perceiving the world through the body and its faculties of perception.
A man relays his experience after asking himself the questions, ‘To whom is this happening?’ He saw that who he knew himself to be was not true. Rupert suggests that what happened was not really the answer to the question; it was the effect of the colourless answer on his mind and body. Rupert suggests that he ask, ‘What is it that knows or is aware of my experience?’, and allow that question to take him backwards or inwards towards that which is aware, rather than giving his attention to that which he is aware of.