You Already Know Where to Go

Referencing Rupert’s suggestion to imagine someone one loves and someone one dislikes, placing them both on the metaphorical mantlepiece of the mind and then going back and forth until the love felt for both is equal, a man shares that he cannot form mental images and asks for an alternative. Rupert invites him to feel the presence of the person rather than visualise them, and then ‘place the physical images’ of each on an actual mantlepiece.

A woman asks if animal minds and other inconceivable types of minds also return to the collective mind. Rupert says that all finite minds, including animal minds, are precipitated in the vast ocean of infinite consciousness. These minds, like ripples in the water, are simply vibrations of consciousness. He explains that they coexist with human minds and countless others, all returning to the same source.

A woman, expressing how profound the meditations have been during the retreat, wonders how to integrate her recognition of the nature of being into daily life, especially in mundane situations. Rupert shares that living from this awareness feels like peace within and is expressed outwardly as love and creativity. He acknowledges that conflicts and challenges will still occur, but they do not eclipse the underlying sense of shared being. He suggests that those with whom we experience conflict provide a unique opportunity to deepen and reveal the extent of our unconditional love.

A man asks what he can do in regards to his mind continuing to try to figure out the truth. Rupert suggests honoring the mind’s objections and continuing to explore these matters with the mind. He explains that this exploration will gradually, or sometimes suddenly, quieten the mind’s activity. Rather than silencing or crushing the mind, Rupert advises letting the mind bring itself to its own ending through understanding. It is this understanding that will naturally quieten the mind over time.

A man asks for clarification of two ideas: not bringing understanding into life, but rather raising life to it; and surrendering life to understanding. Rupert uses the example of attending a powerful concert. After experiencing something so vast, like a cosmic piece of music, one doesn’t try to use it in everyday life; instead, we surrender our finite mind to the vastness of the infinite.

A woman follows up on a previous question, referencing a passage from A Course in Miracles: ‘Don’t bring truth to illusion; take illusion to truth.’ She says Rupert has explained it so well that she no longer needs to ask her question and expresses her thanks for the clarity.

A woman’s deep, overwhelming longing feels to her like a pain connected to her own story of loss. Rupert invites her to recognise that her longing for God is God’s love manifesting in her. He tells her to thank God for the pain and to say, ‘God, I can’t bear this, you bear it for me.’ Let God take care of it, dissolve it according to God’s schedule.

A woman, acknowledging that the highest prayer is resting and being, contrasts it with the common transactional prayer seen in India. Rupert, agreeing that the highest prayer is just to be, explains there is an intermediate form of prayer. This prayer can express a desire, such as healing a relationship, while surrendering the outcome to God, trusting that the prayer arises on behalf of love instead of from personal desire, and seeks the unity between individuals to be made manifest.

A man asks if believing suffering exists in the world perpetuates collective suffering. Rupert suggests that suffering is not imposed by the world but is projected by the mind. The resistance to situations causes suffering, which we then attribute to the world. This resistance validates the paradigm of separation, contributing to collective sorrow. Conversely, by recognising our true nature, we contribute to the happiness of humanity. The recognition of our being is the highest contribution we can make to the world.

A man shares his grief over his father’s death and the journey toward finding closure. His mother, consumed by guilt, believes she is to blame for her husband’s passing. Rupert suggests that he share with his mother the process that led him to realise his father is with him for eternity. He advises asking her if she thinks her husband blames her, and suggests that out of her love for him, she could let go of this guilt, as her suffering would cause him pain.

A man says his fear of environmental changes threatening his home and business on a barrier island in Florida is growing. He’s uncertain whether to stay or leave and struggles with fear-based thoughts. Rupert distinguishes between two kinds of fear: legitimate concern for safety and psychological fear based on the illusion of a separate self. He suggests practical research for the former, while for the latter, enquiring into the nature of the self will dissolve the fears that arise from misidentification with the separate self.

A man expresses that he feels as if he’s living in a world without nouns, only verbs, where things dissolve into processes. Rupert agrees, saying that nouns describe what is not, and there are no separate entities – only one indivisible whole. He acknowledges the practical use of nouns but clarifies they don’t describe reality. Language, Rupert says, wasn’t designed to express truth but to facilitate daily life. The only truly accurate words are ‘I am’.

A man asks how much to use the finite mind in his journey and wonders about the role of affirmations in understanding ‘I am’. Rupert explains that ‘I am’ is not an affirmation but a recognition of one’s direct experience of being. Affirmations can be helpful, but they impose beliefs on oneself. The purpose is to move beyond words and into the experience of infinite being itself.

A woman expresses how beautiful this community is, and that it allows true nature to express through Rupert and everyone here. She talks about the incredible conversations and the sweet sorrow of not being able to meet everyone, seeing compassion, joy and wisdom in all. She says, ‘I’m so grateful, I can’t stand it’, and describes the meditation as melting with gratefulness. Rupert says that something very beautiful is happening, and they are all sharing in this gratitude together.

A woman asks if her meditation practice will eventually lead to enlightenment. Rupert guides her to seeing that enlightenment is simply the recognition of the nature of being, not an exotic experience. He encourages her to rest in the awareness of ‘I am’ and return to it whenever the mind arises, and that she already knows where to go.

A man asks if the deep experience of unconditional love and presence he felt in meditation is what Rupert refers to as intimacy. Rupert says that intimacy is the collapse of separation, a felt sense of oneness. In this experience, the person dissolves, revealing the unity of being. Love is impersonal and is not a relationship between two; it is the dissolution of ‘the two’.

A man asks about the possibility of humour in prayer, wondering if one can joke with God. Rupert explains that humour, like understanding, interrupts the normal flow of the mind. In this gap, one’s true nature shines through, and laughter arises from this release. Rupert confirms that humour can be a powerful and meaningful way to connect with being.

A man asks about how infinite consciousness can experience itself through the finite mind. Rupert explains that infinite consciousness cannot know itself through the finite mind because everything known through a finite mind shares the limitations of that mind. He says that consciousness knows finite experience through the finite mind, but it knows itself simply by being itself, without needing to look at itself. He compares this to the sun, which illuminates itself just by being itself without needing to shine on itself.

Referencing Rupert’s suggestion to imagine someone one loves and someone one dislikes, placing them both on the metaphorical mantlepiece of the mind and then going back and forth until the love felt for both is equal, a man shares that he cannot form mental images and asks for an alternative. Rupert invites him to feel the presence of the person rather than visualise them, and then ‘place the physical images’ of each on an actual mantlepiece.

A woman asks if animal minds and other inconceivable types of minds also return to the collective mind. Rupert says that all finite minds, including animal minds, are precipitated in the vast ocean of infinite consciousness. These minds, like ripples in the water, are simply vibrations of consciousness. He explains that they coexist with human minds and countless others, all returning to the same source.

A woman, expressing how profound the meditations have been during the retreat, wonders how to integrate her recognition of the nature of being into daily life, especially in mundane situations. Rupert shares that living from this awareness feels like peace within and is expressed outwardly as love and creativity. He acknowledges that conflicts and challenges will still occur, but they do not eclipse the underlying sense of shared being. He suggests that those with whom we experience conflict provide a unique opportunity to deepen and reveal the extent of our unconditional love.

A man asks what he can do in regards to his mind continuing to try to figure out the truth. Rupert suggests honoring the mind’s objections and continuing to explore these matters with the mind. He explains that this exploration will gradually, or sometimes suddenly, quieten the mind’s activity. Rather than silencing or crushing the mind, Rupert advises letting the mind bring itself to its own ending through understanding. It is this understanding that will naturally quieten the mind over time.

A man asks for clarification of two ideas: not bringing understanding into life, but rather raising life to it; and surrendering life to understanding. Rupert uses the example of attending a powerful concert. After experiencing something so vast, like a cosmic piece of music, one doesn’t try to use it in everyday life; instead, we surrender our finite mind to the vastness of the infinite.

A woman follows up on a previous question, referencing a passage from A Course in Miracles: ‘Don’t bring truth to illusion; take illusion to truth.’ She says Rupert has explained it so well that she no longer needs to ask her question and expresses her thanks for the clarity.

A woman’s deep, overwhelming longing feels to her like a pain connected to her own story of loss. Rupert invites her to recognise that her longing for God is God’s love manifesting in her. He tells her to thank God for the pain and to say, ‘God, I can’t bear this, you bear it for me.’ Let God take care of it, dissolve it according to God’s schedule.

A woman, acknowledging that the highest prayer is resting and being, contrasts it with the common transactional prayer seen in India. Rupert, agreeing that the highest prayer is just to be, explains there is an intermediate form of prayer. This prayer can express a desire, such as healing a relationship, while surrendering the outcome to God, trusting that the prayer arises on behalf of love instead of from personal desire, and seeks the unity between individuals to be made manifest.

A man asks if believing suffering exists in the world perpetuates collective suffering. Rupert suggests that suffering is not imposed by the world but is projected by the mind. The resistance to situations causes suffering, which we then attribute to the world. This resistance validates the paradigm of separation, contributing to collective sorrow. Conversely, by recognising our true nature, we contribute to the happiness of humanity. The recognition of our being is the highest contribution we can make to the world.

A man shares his grief over his father’s death and the journey toward finding closure. His mother, consumed by guilt, believes she is to blame for her husband’s passing. Rupert suggests that he share with his mother the process that led him to realise his father is with him for eternity. He advises asking her if she thinks her husband blames her, and suggests that out of her love for him, she could let go of this guilt, as her suffering would cause him pain.

A man says his fear of environmental changes threatening his home and business on a barrier island in Florida is growing. He’s uncertain whether to stay or leave and struggles with fear-based thoughts. Rupert distinguishes between two kinds of fear: legitimate concern for safety and psychological fear based on the illusion of a separate self. He suggests practical research for the former, while for the latter, enquiring into the nature of the self will dissolve the fears that arise from misidentification with the separate self.

A man expresses that he feels as if he’s living in a world without nouns, only verbs, where things dissolve into processes. Rupert agrees, saying that nouns describe what is not, and there are no separate entities – only one indivisible whole. He acknowledges the practical use of nouns but clarifies they don’t describe reality. Language, Rupert says, wasn’t designed to express truth but to facilitate daily life. The only truly accurate words are ‘I am’.

A man asks how much to use the finite mind in his journey and wonders about the role of affirmations in understanding ‘I am’. Rupert explains that ‘I am’ is not an affirmation but a recognition of one’s direct experience of being. Affirmations can be helpful, but they impose beliefs on oneself. The purpose is to move beyond words and into the experience of infinite being itself.

A woman expresses how beautiful this community is, and that it allows true nature to express through Rupert and everyone here. She talks about the incredible conversations and the sweet sorrow of not being able to meet everyone, seeing compassion, joy and wisdom in all. She says, ‘I’m so grateful, I can’t stand it’, and describes the meditation as melting with gratefulness. Rupert says that something very beautiful is happening, and they are all sharing in this gratitude together.

A woman asks if her meditation practice will eventually lead to enlightenment. Rupert guides her to seeing that enlightenment is simply the recognition of the nature of being, not an exotic experience. He encourages her to rest in the awareness of ‘I am’ and return to it whenever the mind arises, and that she already knows where to go.

A man asks if the deep experience of unconditional love and presence he felt in meditation is what Rupert refers to as intimacy. Rupert says that intimacy is the collapse of separation, a felt sense of oneness. In this experience, the person dissolves, revealing the unity of being. Love is impersonal and is not a relationship between two; it is the dissolution of ‘the two’.

A man asks about the possibility of humour in prayer, wondering if one can joke with God. Rupert explains that humour, like understanding, interrupts the normal flow of the mind. In this gap, one’s true nature shines through, and laughter arises from this release. Rupert confirms that humour can be a powerful and meaningful way to connect with being.

A man asks about how infinite consciousness can experience itself through the finite mind. Rupert explains that infinite consciousness cannot know itself through the finite mind because everything known through a finite mind shares the limitations of that mind. He says that consciousness knows finite experience through the finite mind, but it knows itself simply by being itself, without needing to look at itself. He compares this to the sun, which illuminates itself just by being itself without needing to shine on itself.