The Concealing Power Becomes a Revealing Power

A man relays the experience of an enquiring voice in his head when he’s meditating. Rupert suggests that it’s just an old restless habit of the mind that is not accustomed to resting in pure awareness.

A man asks about the power of imagination to take us to places that the rational mind can’t go. Rupert suggests that each of our finite minds, during the waking state, would be a perforated circle on a white piece of paper. If we draw another circle around that one, that is that part of ourself that reveals itself in dreams. Another circle would contain the collective unconscious, the deepest regions of our mind that we all share. An artist is someone in the waking state that can travel into the deeper regions of the mind. That would be imagination.

A woman asks about what the world is like from Rupert's perspective. Rupert replies that he sees the same world you see, but the world has lost its capacity to veil its reality. It shines with the presence of God.

A woman asks about projection as it relates to a personal situation she has. Rupert suggests that she may be overthinking it. It’s true that it’s good to welcome the things that repel us but that doesn’t mean that we live with someone we don’t like as a spiritual exercise.

A woman had two spontaneous awakenings which became her natural state, but she didn't know anything about meditation nor understand what was going on. When it started to dissipate, she panicked, knowing she wouldn’t want to return to her previous state. Rupert guides her in self-enquiry to help her experience the 'I am' and then asks her to describe that. He suggests that the fact that the understanding disappeared should be a red flag; it is a temporary state. We can chase after that or go directly to the source of peace and happiness that is available now.

A woman cites the 'urge to outpour' and asks about creation from the infinite to the finite. Rupert suggests that it starts with the one, which vibrates within itself and is the mind. Meditation is the reversal of the creative process. The experience of beauty is the revelation of the one appearing as an object.

A man who considers himself a mystic asks what devotion to God looks like in the non-dual understanding since devotion feels like a relationship. Rupert responds that from the point of view of a separate self there is an outside world and we wonder what created it, so we project the idea of God at an infinite distance and devote ourself to that God. Self, world and God are a trinity that depends upon our belief in a separate self. The problem with that idea is that we stand apart, outside of God, which means we have displaced a part of God, so God is no longer God. In non-duality, the separate self is surrendered.

A man asks about the suffering that ensues when he is attracted to a woman as a vasana, a karmic imprint. Rupert asks him what would happen if he were softer with himself. Why not just be who you are and stop going to war with your ingrained tendencies. Just let them be. Do you go to war with everyone else’s vasanas? Why with your own? It is the resistance to them that is hurting you, not the vasanas.

A woman says she's run out of questions and feels more like a celebrant than a seeker, and asks about the statement, 'What was once a concealing power is now a revealing power’. Rupert suggests that it's like when we're watching a movie and become terrified, but then we see the screen and our fear disappears. Reality appears as ten thousand things that seem to be discrete, but ultimately we understand and feel that all objects share their being, the is-ness of everything. We see beauty, the one reality, shining in the appearance.

A man, who has experienced deep trauma, shares his struggle with unconditional love and wonders if love has been annihilated for him. Rupert suggests that he need not let go of the resistance to keep his defences but perhaps maybe start with teeny acts of care for his partner. Spiritual practice takes place there.

A man describes a shift in his perception of reality, specifically around the idea of half perception, half created, which shook him to contemplate further. Rupert responds that our sense perception looks out and sees a reality, which is there prior to being perceived but derives its appearance from our perception. He uses the metaphor of looking at snow through orange-tinted glasses. The snow is there; the orange is created by our perception. Reality exists outside the finite mind, but inside consciousness.

A man asks how one can guarantee ethics and moral behaviour on the Direct Path. Rupert suggests that all ethical qualities are derived from the fact that we share our being. If we feel we share our being with everyone, it is impossible to do something to hurt another being because it is our being. There are moral implications to this understanding.

A man asks about why he sees through this particular mind. Rupert says because you are this mind. Through the act of consciousness putting on a VR set, it seems to localise itself. When you dream at night, you localise yourself in the dream world. Rupert uses the analogy of Mary and Jane to further explain.

A man asks about closing the eyes during meditation and how difficult he finds it to find his true nature when his eyes are open. He asks why the visual field is so entangling, and is there a way of contemplating with eyes open. Rupert responds that the illusion of multiplicity is most persuasive when our eyes are open. He points to the 'I am', the is-ness of all things in and outside the room.

A man who is expecting a child asks what the most important thing is when parenting , from a non-dual perspective. Rupert says that the most important thing is unconditional love and to nurture the qualities that we value: freedom, joy, creativity. And don’t have an agenda or vision for him other than to be happy and remember that he is the one infinite being.

A man who is interested in exploring the nature of his being says he’s not clear on the 'eternal part' after death. Rupert asks if he's ever experienced the disappearance of being. Perhaps the idea of the disappearance of being at death is more of an assumption. To believe our being disappears when our body disappears is materialism, the conditioning of our culture. What could emerge out of non-being? Thoughts like this can crack the foundation of materialist thinking.

A man asks about the relationship between falling into deep sleep and flowing down into every widening rings of being. Rupert suggests that flowing down into every widening ring of being would be like falling asleep whilst remaining awake.

A man relays the experience of an enquiring voice in his head when he’s meditating. Rupert suggests that it’s just an old restless habit of the mind that is not accustomed to resting in pure awareness.

A man asks about the power of imagination to take us to places that the rational mind can’t go. Rupert suggests that each of our finite minds, during the waking state, would be a perforated circle on a white piece of paper. If we draw another circle around that one, that is that part of ourself that reveals itself in dreams. Another circle would contain the collective unconscious, the deepest regions of our mind that we all share. An artist is someone in the waking state that can travel into the deeper regions of the mind. That would be imagination.

A woman asks about what the world is like from Rupert's perspective. Rupert replies that he sees the same world you see, but the world has lost its capacity to veil its reality. It shines with the presence of God.

A woman asks about projection as it relates to a personal situation she has. Rupert suggests that she may be overthinking it. It’s true that it’s good to welcome the things that repel us but that doesn’t mean that we live with someone we don’t like as a spiritual exercise.

A woman had two spontaneous awakenings which became her natural state, but she didn't know anything about meditation nor understand what was going on. When it started to dissipate, she panicked, knowing she wouldn’t want to return to her previous state. Rupert guides her in self-enquiry to help her experience the 'I am' and then asks her to describe that. He suggests that the fact that the understanding disappeared should be a red flag; it is a temporary state. We can chase after that or go directly to the source of peace and happiness that is available now.

A woman cites the 'urge to outpour' and asks about creation from the infinite to the finite. Rupert suggests that it starts with the one, which vibrates within itself and is the mind. Meditation is the reversal of the creative process. The experience of beauty is the revelation of the one appearing as an object.

A man who considers himself a mystic asks what devotion to God looks like in the non-dual understanding since devotion feels like a relationship. Rupert responds that from the point of view of a separate self there is an outside world and we wonder what created it, so we project the idea of God at an infinite distance and devote ourself to that God. Self, world and God are a trinity that depends upon our belief in a separate self. The problem with that idea is that we stand apart, outside of God, which means we have displaced a part of God, so God is no longer God. In non-duality, the separate self is surrendered.

A man asks about the suffering that ensues when he is attracted to a woman as a vasana, a karmic imprint. Rupert asks him what would happen if he were softer with himself. Why not just be who you are and stop going to war with your ingrained tendencies. Just let them be. Do you go to war with everyone else’s vasanas? Why with your own? It is the resistance to them that is hurting you, not the vasanas.

A woman says she's run out of questions and feels more like a celebrant than a seeker, and asks about the statement, 'What was once a concealing power is now a revealing power’. Rupert suggests that it's like when we're watching a movie and become terrified, but then we see the screen and our fear disappears. Reality appears as ten thousand things that seem to be discrete, but ultimately we understand and feel that all objects share their being, the is-ness of everything. We see beauty, the one reality, shining in the appearance.

A man, who has experienced deep trauma, shares his struggle with unconditional love and wonders if love has been annihilated for him. Rupert suggests that he need not let go of the resistance to keep his defences but perhaps maybe start with teeny acts of care for his partner. Spiritual practice takes place there.

A man describes a shift in his perception of reality, specifically around the idea of half perception, half created, which shook him to contemplate further. Rupert responds that our sense perception looks out and sees a reality, which is there prior to being perceived but derives its appearance from our perception. He uses the metaphor of looking at snow through orange-tinted glasses. The snow is there; the orange is created by our perception. Reality exists outside the finite mind, but inside consciousness.

A man asks how one can guarantee ethics and moral behaviour on the Direct Path. Rupert suggests that all ethical qualities are derived from the fact that we share our being. If we feel we share our being with everyone, it is impossible to do something to hurt another being because it is our being. There are moral implications to this understanding.

A man asks about why he sees through this particular mind. Rupert says because you are this mind. Through the act of consciousness putting on a VR set, it seems to localise itself. When you dream at night, you localise yourself in the dream world. Rupert uses the analogy of Mary and Jane to further explain.

A man asks about closing the eyes during meditation and how difficult he finds it to find his true nature when his eyes are open. He asks why the visual field is so entangling, and is there a way of contemplating with eyes open. Rupert responds that the illusion of multiplicity is most persuasive when our eyes are open. He points to the 'I am', the is-ness of all things in and outside the room.

A man who is expecting a child asks what the most important thing is when parenting , from a non-dual perspective. Rupert says that the most important thing is unconditional love and to nurture the qualities that we value: freedom, joy, creativity. And don’t have an agenda or vision for him other than to be happy and remember that he is the one infinite being.

A man who is interested in exploring the nature of his being says he’s not clear on the 'eternal part' after death. Rupert asks if he's ever experienced the disappearance of being. Perhaps the idea of the disappearance of being at death is more of an assumption. To believe our being disappears when our body disappears is materialism, the conditioning of our culture. What could emerge out of non-being? Thoughts like this can crack the foundation of materialist thinking.

A man asks about the relationship between falling into deep sleep and flowing down into every widening rings of being. Rupert suggests that flowing down into every widening ring of being would be like falling asleep whilst remaining awake.