Thy Will Be Done

A man who, during the meditations, experiences going back and forth between abiding in being and thinking, asks who is the one that observes this fluctuation. Rupert replies that if you go deeply into the ‘I’ that chooses between two possibilities, it will take you deeply into the abiding. Who is this ‘I’ that wants to go back to the abiding?

A woman asks about non-duality and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance or intuitive healing. Rupert replies that in the consciousness-only view, all our minds are precipitated within the same field of infinite awareness, and they are not sealed containers; our minds are permeable. There is communication between minds in the same way there is communication between bodies in space.

A man asks why Rupert is so convinced of his infinite-consciousness model, which the man equates with materialist and panpsychist beliefs. Rupert replies that deep investigation shows awareness is unlimited. His strong conviction stems from his own exploration, from having suffering from the belief in limited awareness, and subsequently realising his true nature of unlimited awareness. As he’s been living in alignment with this, the world’s response has confirmed his understanding.

A woman who, as a result of resting in being, has noticed an accelerated dissolving of all patterns of experience, asks if Rupert has noticed a similar dissolving on his path. Rupert replies that yes, there have been intense times and periods of realignment in his life, both inner and outer. Furthermore, we may experience some relationships falling away and changes in our activities in the world. Rupert found that surrendering to God was the most helpful during these times – ‘Thy will be done.’

A man who has been exploring since he was a child asks what is the fastest route to the end of the path. Rupert replies that what he is doing in his work is precisely trying to describe just that. He aims to distill his forty-eight years of study and practice into the shortest, simplest, most direct path to our true nature – being, or awareness.

A woman who, since childhood, has harboured a fear of teachers, apologised for her having felt like a little girl and acting ‘weirdly’ when Rupert sat at her dinner table the other day. Rupert replied that he hadn’t noticed it and that it had felt very sweet talking to her.

A woman who is anxious about going back to her daily life seeks advice on how to remain in touch with awareness outside of the retreat. Rupert advises her to asks herself: ‘What is it that is aware of this?’ For example, whenever you have a doubt ask yourself: ‘What is it that is aware of this doubt?’

A man shares his experience of feeling both asleep and awake during today’s meditation and asks if Rupert has felt the same. Rupert replies that, indeed, during this morning’s meditation, he felt as though he was drifting into sleep while their attention focused on simply being. It’s like being in a peaceful place between sleep and wakefulness, where nothing is lacking.

A woman describes her experience of annihilation, where even her consciousness seemed gone. Rupert replies that consciousness had to be present during that experience; it was the mind that was annihilated. He asks her, ‘What was aware of this annihilation? Who experienced this annihilation?’

A man shares that he was present during Rupert’s first-ever meeting, at the Science and Non-Duality (SAND) conference, after which he felt he was in the presence of a holy man. Rupert replies that it is sweet to meet him again.

A woman mentions that for some people on the retreat, the teaching serves as a clarification for the mind, while others are more on a path of the heart. She asks Rupert to elaborate on this. Rupert agrees that the retreat attendees vary in their inclinations: some are more intellectual, others more heartfelt or devotional, while some are artists who engage through perception. He explains that the teachings aim to cater equally to these three paths, which correspond to thinking, feeling and perceiving.

A man asks Rupert, is there any person, alive or dead, with whom he would like to have a podcast conversation, and what questions he would ask. Rupert replies that the first person would be J.S. Bach; he would ask him about the love of God. The second person would probably be William Wordsworth; he would ask him about his love of nature. The third person would be Meister Eckhart; they would just chat about the weather. He would also love to have a conversation with Roger Federer and work beside Brother Lawrence in the kitchen.

A man shares his experience of trauma resurfacing and asks how to be with the intensity of terror. Rupert advises being very sensitive to the urge to get rid of this feeling. He recommends the opposite approach: being with the terror and doing nothing about it. It’s an experience that surfaces; the fact that it presents itself in you indicates that your being has fully accepted it, just as the sky has to have fully accepted the clouds for them to form within it.

A man recounts that he was also with another at Rupert’s first-ever meeting fifteen years ago, and he describes how the quality of the questions and the teachings has matured over the years. Rupert says that the teaching is born out of a conjunction of all minds that gather around the teaching. Over the years, the maturity of the community has deepened so much, and he has matured along with all of the friends. The teaching arises out of the conversations.

A man who, during the meditations, experiences going back and forth between abiding in being and thinking, asks who is the one that observes this fluctuation. Rupert replies that if you go deeply into the ‘I’ that chooses between two possibilities, it will take you deeply into the abiding. Who is this ‘I’ that wants to go back to the abiding?

A woman asks about non-duality and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance or intuitive healing. Rupert replies that in the consciousness-only view, all our minds are precipitated within the same field of infinite awareness, and they are not sealed containers; our minds are permeable. There is communication between minds in the same way there is communication between bodies in space.

A man asks why Rupert is so convinced of his infinite-consciousness model, which the man equates with materialist and panpsychist beliefs. Rupert replies that deep investigation shows awareness is unlimited. His strong conviction stems from his own exploration, from having suffering from the belief in limited awareness, and subsequently realising his true nature of unlimited awareness. As he’s been living in alignment with this, the world’s response has confirmed his understanding.

A woman who, as a result of resting in being, has noticed an accelerated dissolving of all patterns of experience, asks if Rupert has noticed a similar dissolving on his path. Rupert replies that yes, there have been intense times and periods of realignment in his life, both inner and outer. Furthermore, we may experience some relationships falling away and changes in our activities in the world. Rupert found that surrendering to God was the most helpful during these times – ‘Thy will be done.’

A man who has been exploring since he was a child asks what is the fastest route to the end of the path. Rupert replies that what he is doing in his work is precisely trying to describe just that. He aims to distill his forty-eight years of study and practice into the shortest, simplest, most direct path to our true nature – being, or awareness.

A woman who, since childhood, has harboured a fear of teachers, apologised for her having felt like a little girl and acting ‘weirdly’ when Rupert sat at her dinner table the other day. Rupert replied that he hadn’t noticed it and that it had felt very sweet talking to her.

A woman who is anxious about going back to her daily life seeks advice on how to remain in touch with awareness outside of the retreat. Rupert advises her to asks herself: ‘What is it that is aware of this?’ For example, whenever you have a doubt ask yourself: ‘What is it that is aware of this doubt?’

A man shares his experience of feeling both asleep and awake during today’s meditation and asks if Rupert has felt the same. Rupert replies that, indeed, during this morning’s meditation, he felt as though he was drifting into sleep while their attention focused on simply being. It’s like being in a peaceful place between sleep and wakefulness, where nothing is lacking.

A woman describes her experience of annihilation, where even her consciousness seemed gone. Rupert replies that consciousness had to be present during that experience; it was the mind that was annihilated. He asks her, ‘What was aware of this annihilation? Who experienced this annihilation?’

A man shares that he was present during Rupert’s first-ever meeting, at the Science and Non-Duality (SAND) conference, after which he felt he was in the presence of a holy man. Rupert replies that it is sweet to meet him again.

A woman mentions that for some people on the retreat, the teaching serves as a clarification for the mind, while others are more on a path of the heart. She asks Rupert to elaborate on this. Rupert agrees that the retreat attendees vary in their inclinations: some are more intellectual, others more heartfelt or devotional, while some are artists who engage through perception. He explains that the teachings aim to cater equally to these three paths, which correspond to thinking, feeling and perceiving.

A man asks Rupert, is there any person, alive or dead, with whom he would like to have a podcast conversation, and what questions he would ask. Rupert replies that the first person would be J.S. Bach; he would ask him about the love of God. The second person would probably be William Wordsworth; he would ask him about his love of nature. The third person would be Meister Eckhart; they would just chat about the weather. He would also love to have a conversation with Roger Federer and work beside Brother Lawrence in the kitchen.

A man shares his experience of trauma resurfacing and asks how to be with the intensity of terror. Rupert advises being very sensitive to the urge to get rid of this feeling. He recommends the opposite approach: being with the terror and doing nothing about it. It’s an experience that surfaces; the fact that it presents itself in you indicates that your being has fully accepted it, just as the sky has to have fully accepted the clouds for them to form within it.

A man recounts that he was also with another at Rupert’s first-ever meeting fifteen years ago, and he describes how the quality of the questions and the teachings has matured over the years. Rupert says that the teaching is born out of a conjunction of all minds that gather around the teaching. Over the years, the maturity of the community has deepened so much, and he has matured along with all of the friends. The teaching arises out of the conversations.