We Are the Presence of Awareness

Recognise your self as the presence of awareness within which all experience arises. We are this presence of awareness. We are so fascinated with, and lost in, the content of experience that we overlook our self. Relax the focus of attention from the content of experience, and simply come back to our self. Recognise and know our self again. This awareness of being is not some extraordinary, new experience. It is the most ordinary, intimate, and familiar experience we know, but overlooked in favour of the content of experience. Whenever we experience suffering, we escape into the content of experience—into objects, activities, and relationships—little realising that the place of peace and refuge lies in the depths of our self, the presence of awareness. All that is necessary is to take a step back from experience. Come back to the simple fact of being aware. Therein lies the peace for which we long.

A man from Toronto says that as he becomes more grounded he experiences more peace, but still feels pulled in by the demands of the separate self and the dominant culture. He asks for guidance in maintaining the presence of awareness. Rupert suggests he raise the volume of what is grounding, rather than engaging with the noise of the world, and the pull of the world will lose its hold without having to battle against it.

A woman describes an experience she had, prior to a serious illness, of timelessness and unity, but today she still feels identified with the body. She asks how to gain trust in this experience, as she doesn't have much time left. Rupert suggests that this experience was a gift, and finding her way back is her task in what life remains.

A woman from the Netherlands asks what is the non-dual perspective on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Rupert suggests that it is similar to the universal mind refracting itself into apparent separate selves.

A woman from Italy says with the question 'Am I aware?' she feels the spaciousness, but only in that moment, and briefly, during meditation. She asks how to maintain this knowing. Rupert describes the effect of the question as momentarily redirecting attention away from the content of experience, but when attention returns to experience, it seems to be veiled.

A woman describes the impulse to create, to express, but it seems to have no particular form as yet. Rupert responds that the impulse is causeless, and is an echo of that creative expression through which the universe comes into form.

A man from Staffordshire, UK, who veered from extroversion to introversion and into a preference for solitude, wonders if this should be overcome, if he should push himself towards rejoining the world by inviting his partner to live with him. Rupert responds that aversion and resistance need not be overcome, but investigated as to whether it comes from the separate self or from his true nature.

A man from Singapore, originally from India, who is also a scientist, asks how to practice science from the non-dual perspective. Rupert responds that if he were a scientist, his study would be consciousness, and that in order to know anything, there must be an understanding of that which knows.

A scientist asks a question about the study of science, and emptiness. Rupert speaks of science that, as a discipline, can only lead to emptiness, and will always be viewed within the limits of the finite mind, thought and perception, so the nature of self must be the first investigation.

A man describes the alignment he is seeing in the field of mental health and non-duality, and treatment for mental illness. Rupert agrees that the therapeutic community is tending in this direction.

A man who is a non-dual coach and therapist asks about the development of acceptance, and embodiment of the non-dual understanding. Rupert discusses the need to allow the understanding to inform how to convey that peace is the nature of our being, and our being is shared.

A man asks how to best convey the core message of this teaching. Rupert responds that the message is continually refined as it is given to different audiences in various circumstances, but the source of expression remains the same.

Recognise your self as the presence of awareness within which all experience arises. We are this presence of awareness. We are so fascinated with, and lost in, the content of experience that we overlook our self. Relax the focus of attention from the content of experience, and simply come back to our self. Recognise and know our self again. This awareness of being is not some extraordinary, new experience. It is the most ordinary, intimate, and familiar experience we know, but overlooked in favour of the content of experience. Whenever we experience suffering, we escape into the content of experience—into objects, activities, and relationships—little realising that the place of peace and refuge lies in the depths of our self, the presence of awareness. All that is necessary is to take a step back from experience. Come back to the simple fact of being aware. Therein lies the peace for which we long.

A man from Toronto says that as he becomes more grounded he experiences more peace, but still feels pulled in by the demands of the separate self and the dominant culture. He asks for guidance in maintaining the presence of awareness. Rupert suggests he raise the volume of what is grounding, rather than engaging with the noise of the world, and the pull of the world will lose its hold without having to battle against it.

A woman describes an experience she had, prior to a serious illness, of timelessness and unity, but today she still feels identified with the body. She asks how to gain trust in this experience, as she doesn't have much time left. Rupert suggests that this experience was a gift, and finding her way back is her task in what life remains.

A woman from the Netherlands asks what is the non-dual perspective on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Rupert suggests that it is similar to the universal mind refracting itself into apparent separate selves.

A woman from Italy says with the question 'Am I aware?' she feels the spaciousness, but only in that moment, and briefly, during meditation. She asks how to maintain this knowing. Rupert describes the effect of the question as momentarily redirecting attention away from the content of experience, but when attention returns to experience, it seems to be veiled.

A woman describes the impulse to create, to express, but it seems to have no particular form as yet. Rupert responds that the impulse is causeless, and is an echo of that creative expression through which the universe comes into form.

A man from Staffordshire, UK, who veered from extroversion to introversion and into a preference for solitude, wonders if this should be overcome, if he should push himself towards rejoining the world by inviting his partner to live with him. Rupert responds that aversion and resistance need not be overcome, but investigated as to whether it comes from the separate self or from his true nature.

A man from Singapore, originally from India, who is also a scientist, asks how to practice science from the non-dual perspective. Rupert responds that if he were a scientist, his study would be consciousness, and that in order to know anything, there must be an understanding of that which knows.

A scientist asks a question about the study of science, and emptiness. Rupert speaks of science that, as a discipline, can only lead to emptiness, and will always be viewed within the limits of the finite mind, thought and perception, so the nature of self must be the first investigation.

A man describes the alignment he is seeing in the field of mental health and non-duality, and treatment for mental illness. Rupert agrees that the therapeutic community is tending in this direction.

A man who is a non-dual coach and therapist asks about the development of acceptance, and embodiment of the non-dual understanding. Rupert discusses the need to allow the understanding to inform how to convey that peace is the nature of our being, and our being is shared.

A man asks how to best convey the core message of this teaching. Rupert responds that the message is continually refined as it is given to different audiences in various circumstances, but the source of expression remains the same.