A Question About Renunciation in Advaita Vedanta Teachings from the media We Are Naked Being Clothed in Experience
A man asks about renunciation and describes how his spiritual history led to Advaita and this question. Rupert responds that classical Advaita Vedanta does require renunciation as a prerequisite. It is historically a part of Advaita, such as the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. But what we do here is the Direct Path; we go directly to being.
- Duration: 14 minutes and 8 seconds
- Recorded on: Nov 10, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Thursday 10th November
Imagine you are a new-born child. You have no idea that you have just been born, and you know nothing of the world. The room is quiet, so there is almost no experience. You simply have the experience of being. The experience of being is not qualified in any way by experience. As you get older, you open your eyes and experience the world, and thinking will begin, and so on. The awareness of being won't disappear but will fade into the background of experience. Meditation or prayer is simply the return to our being. Awareness of being is our natural state – always present, usually neglected. We are always naked being; it's just covered up with experience. Being is always at rest in itself – seeking nothing, wanting nothing, resisting nothing, knowing nothing.
A woman asks about being and effort. Rupert suggests that the only reason that he previously said ‘Imagine that you are a newborn infant’ is so that we go to the experience rather than just thinking about it. Once we’ve made that effort and it has served its purpose, we drop that effort. Being is being’s only experience; it doesn’t have to examine what it is not. Being is what we are.
A woman who listens to Bernardo Kastrup asks if we need metacognition when we are dying. Rupert says that it's only suggested for those who have lost themselves in the content of experience. King Lear should practise being aware of John Smith; that is metacognition. The best preparation for death is awareness of being. Bring more love to being rather than practice because it doesn't need to be practised. Don't wait until you're dying. Return to paradise now.
A man asks about what allows people to work together in harmony, referencing Rupert’s previous comments about his team. Rupert says that most of the team has come up through volunteering, so it’s true that most have explored this understanding. If there is an egoic problem, we talk about it right away. No personal psychology, no politics and no hierarchy.
A man asks about renunciation and describes how his spiritual history led to Advaita and this question. Rupert responds that classical Advaita Vedanta does require renunciation as a prerequisite. It is historically a part of Advaita, such as the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. But what we do here is the Direct Path; we go directly to being.
A man asks Rupert if he has meditations that help people enjoy being, as opposed to helping people contact being. Rupert suggests that the meditation arise spontaneously and are meant for all sorts of people. As you listen, when there is a passage that you don’t particularly like, just don’t pay attention. Instead, pay attention to being.
A man, who has let go of art and wants to abide in being, wonders about how to re-engage with the world while he is abiding and waiting for what’s next. Rupert suggests that he could think of money as the currency of love, how the world repays him for the love and understanding he gives. Maintain a balance between the inward and outward-facing path. The whole world is the platform for the outward-facing path. Don't place any limitations on what can be done.
A woman says that while sitting in meditation she felt joy like she felt in childhood. She asks, ‘Was this a glimpse of my true nature.’ Rupert suggests that she was tasting her being, peace and joy.
A man asks about meditation for a friend who is always angry and doesn’t trust most teachers. He's tried every field and path and ended up in medicine. Rupert responds that medicine is a beautiful way to help people, but he won't find truth there because we cannot know reality through the finite mind. Sooner or later, we have to investigate the nature of the mind and all the knowledge gained there.
A man, who says that abiding in being gives him no answers to his being, says he needs absolute certainty about the reality of time and space before being in the same state as Rupert. Rupert responds that some people are inquisitive and have minds that ask many questions. It's fine not to have any questions, abiding in being is enough, but if you do have questions, then explore them. Knowing your being does not depend upon time and space. There is no state to get to. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to discover the certainty of his being, 'I am'.
A man says certain questions make him think the person has ‘got it’. Rupert suggests that what he really values are the questions that touch his heart. They may know nothing about non-duality, but they ask a sincere question that comes from the heart. This doesn’t mean they have to be emotional questions; they can be intellectual, practical, but it’s the quality in the question that matters, where it comes from.
Imagine you are a new-born child. You have no idea that you have just been born, and you know nothing of the world. The room is quiet, so there is almost no experience. You simply have the experience of being. The experience of being is not qualified in any way by experience. As you get older, you open your eyes and experience the world, and thinking will begin, and so on. The awareness of being won't disappear but will fade into the background of experience. Meditation or prayer is simply the return to our being. Awareness of being is our natural state – always present, usually neglected. We are always naked being; it's just covered up with experience. Being is always at rest in itself – seeking nothing, wanting nothing, resisting nothing, knowing nothing.
A woman asks about being and effort. Rupert suggests that the only reason that he previously said ‘Imagine that you are a newborn infant’ is so that we go to the experience rather than just thinking about it. Once we’ve made that effort and it has served its purpose, we drop that effort. Being is being’s only experience; it doesn’t have to examine what it is not. Being is what we are.
A woman who listens to Bernardo Kastrup asks if we need metacognition when we are dying. Rupert says that it's only suggested for those who have lost themselves in the content of experience. King Lear should practise being aware of John Smith; that is metacognition. The best preparation for death is awareness of being. Bring more love to being rather than practice because it doesn't need to be practised. Don't wait until you're dying. Return to paradise now.
A man asks about what allows people to work together in harmony, referencing Rupert’s previous comments about his team. Rupert says that most of the team has come up through volunteering, so it’s true that most have explored this understanding. If there is an egoic problem, we talk about it right away. No personal psychology, no politics and no hierarchy.
A man asks about renunciation and describes how his spiritual history led to Advaita and this question. Rupert responds that classical Advaita Vedanta does require renunciation as a prerequisite. It is historically a part of Advaita, such as the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. But what we do here is the Direct Path; we go directly to being.
A man asks Rupert if he has meditations that help people enjoy being, as opposed to helping people contact being. Rupert suggests that the meditation arise spontaneously and are meant for all sorts of people. As you listen, when there is a passage that you don’t particularly like, just don’t pay attention. Instead, pay attention to being.
A man, who has let go of art and wants to abide in being, wonders about how to re-engage with the world while he is abiding and waiting for what’s next. Rupert suggests that he could think of money as the currency of love, how the world repays him for the love and understanding he gives. Maintain a balance between the inward and outward-facing path. The whole world is the platform for the outward-facing path. Don't place any limitations on what can be done.
A woman says that while sitting in meditation she felt joy like she felt in childhood. She asks, ‘Was this a glimpse of my true nature.’ Rupert suggests that she was tasting her being, peace and joy.
A man asks about meditation for a friend who is always angry and doesn’t trust most teachers. He's tried every field and path and ended up in medicine. Rupert responds that medicine is a beautiful way to help people, but he won't find truth there because we cannot know reality through the finite mind. Sooner or later, we have to investigate the nature of the mind and all the knowledge gained there.
A man, who says that abiding in being gives him no answers to his being, says he needs absolute certainty about the reality of time and space before being in the same state as Rupert. Rupert responds that some people are inquisitive and have minds that ask many questions. It's fine not to have any questions, abiding in being is enough, but if you do have questions, then explore them. Knowing your being does not depend upon time and space. There is no state to get to. Rupert guides him in self-enquiry to discover the certainty of his being, 'I am'.
A man says certain questions make him think the person has ‘got it’. Rupert suggests that what he really values are the questions that touch his heart. They may know nothing about non-duality, but they ask a sincere question that comes from the heart. This doesn’t mean they have to be emotional questions; they can be intellectual, practical, but it’s the quality in the question that matters, where it comes from.