Who Have You Always Been?

A man, who is new to this approach, asks about directing attention to being since he resides most of the time in his mind. Rupert suggests that the identification of self with true being makes the separate self. Most spiritual teachings are directed toward that person that we seem to be. Rupert uses the analogy of John Smith and King Lear to elucidate. Here, we don’t give King Lear something to do – focus on a mantra, the breath and so on – we just say to him, ‘Who have you always been?’

A man asks whether he has to direct his attention to being. Rupert suggests that the word attention comes from the Latin which means ‘to stretch towards’. But we can’t pay attention to our self in the same way we cannot take a step toward ourself. It is more a sinking back. Awareness comes back to itself.

A man asks how to live this understanding amidst conflict in the world. Rupert responds that we have two tasks as lovers of the truth. First, to recognise our true nature. Second, to share, express and communicate this love and understanding in the world, in whatever field we find ourselves in. There is no aspect in which there is not a need for this understanding.

A woman asks about the need to practise resting in the background. Rupert suggests that there are two steps. First, to understand what we are. Am I my thoughts, feelings and so on? No, they come and go. We recognise that we are, at the deepest level, the fact of being aware. Through force of habit, we are taken out again, so second, we practise of taking ourself back to our true nature.

A man asks about the words ‘being’, ‘awareness’ and ‘consciousness’. Rupert responds that he rarely uses the words 'consciousness' or 'awareness' because they are confused with something abstract, but it is clear that our essential nature is being. 'Aware being' is two words for 'awareness'.

A man says he stumbles on the use of the phrase 'substance of awareness' because it is objective. Rupert responds that language is inadequate, a clumsy tool. It is why we have art and poetry.

A woman references one of Rupert’s quotes: 'Being is utterly vulnerable and yet indestructible'. Rupert suggests that he is using the word ‘vulnerable’ in a specific way, like the space in the room, which has no power to resist whatever happens in it, but nothing that happens in it changes it in any way. Being is utterly open.

A woman asks about intuition from the non-dual perspective. Rupert suggests we imagine a piece of white paper, which represents infinite consciousness. Each of our minds are represented by little circles on that page. Everything inside the circle is finite mind; everything between the circles is infinite. However, material generated outside the finite mind leaks into the finite mind, so we have access to information outside of the limits of our finite mind. Meditation makes the container of the mind more porous, open and sensitive.

A woman shares that she is experiencing more glimpses of true nature in everyday life but references an intermittent state where she is witnessing. Rupert affirms that the witness is a necessary step on the way back to true nature. The first great recognition is, ‘I am awareness’. The second great recognition is ‘What is the nature of the awareness that I am?’ Peace on the inside, love on the outside.

A man, who is new to this approach, asks about directing attention to being since he resides most of the time in his mind. Rupert suggests that the identification of self with true being makes the separate self. Most spiritual teachings are directed toward that person that we seem to be. Rupert uses the analogy of John Smith and King Lear to elucidate. Here, we don’t give King Lear something to do – focus on a mantra, the breath and so on – we just say to him, ‘Who have you always been?’

A man asks whether he has to direct his attention to being. Rupert suggests that the word attention comes from the Latin which means ‘to stretch towards’. But we can’t pay attention to our self in the same way we cannot take a step toward ourself. It is more a sinking back. Awareness comes back to itself.

A man asks how to live this understanding amidst conflict in the world. Rupert responds that we have two tasks as lovers of the truth. First, to recognise our true nature. Second, to share, express and communicate this love and understanding in the world, in whatever field we find ourselves in. There is no aspect in which there is not a need for this understanding.

A woman asks about the need to practise resting in the background. Rupert suggests that there are two steps. First, to understand what we are. Am I my thoughts, feelings and so on? No, they come and go. We recognise that we are, at the deepest level, the fact of being aware. Through force of habit, we are taken out again, so second, we practise of taking ourself back to our true nature.

A man asks about the words ‘being’, ‘awareness’ and ‘consciousness’. Rupert responds that he rarely uses the words 'consciousness' or 'awareness' because they are confused with something abstract, but it is clear that our essential nature is being. 'Aware being' is two words for 'awareness'.

A man says he stumbles on the use of the phrase 'substance of awareness' because it is objective. Rupert responds that language is inadequate, a clumsy tool. It is why we have art and poetry.

A woman references one of Rupert’s quotes: 'Being is utterly vulnerable and yet indestructible'. Rupert suggests that he is using the word ‘vulnerable’ in a specific way, like the space in the room, which has no power to resist whatever happens in it, but nothing that happens in it changes it in any way. Being is utterly open.

A woman asks about intuition from the non-dual perspective. Rupert suggests we imagine a piece of white paper, which represents infinite consciousness. Each of our minds are represented by little circles on that page. Everything inside the circle is finite mind; everything between the circles is infinite. However, material generated outside the finite mind leaks into the finite mind, so we have access to information outside of the limits of our finite mind. Meditation makes the container of the mind more porous, open and sensitive.

A woman shares that she is experiencing more glimpses of true nature in everyday life but references an intermittent state where she is witnessing. Rupert affirms that the witness is a necessary step on the way back to true nature. The first great recognition is, ‘I am awareness’. The second great recognition is ‘What is the nature of the awareness that I am?’ Peace on the inside, love on the outside.