What Does Self -Abidance Mean? from the media Be, Know and Love Only the One Being
A man asks about the meaning of self-abidance. Rupert responds that it means to rest in being as being, give all your love and attention to simply being, or being aware, regardless of whatever else is going on.
- Duration: 59 seconds
- Recorded on: Jul 24, 2022
- Event: Webinar – Sunday 24th July
Be the openness that allows experience to be as it is from moment-to-moment, the peace that lies in the background of experience irrespective of content. Be the contentment that neither seeks, resists nor holds on to any particular experience, allowing whatever comes to come, whatever remains to remain and whatever goes to go. Be the love that knows no otherness, knowing all people and animals as itself. Be the beauty that feels itself in all things and in all of nature. Be the being from which everyone and everything borrows its existence without ever ceasing to be itself. Be sure that all your faculties are used in service of the impersonal, the means by which the qualities inherent in the one being – peace, joy and love – are expressed, shared and celebrated with humanity. Be only that one; know only that one and love only that one in every person, animal and thing you encounter.
A man asks about the free will and directing thoughts. Rupert suggests that he direct his thoughts towards whatever expresses truth, love or beauty. Use them, aside from practical purposes, to either explore or express these things. There are two alternatives for thought: either explore or express that one reality or overlook that reality and express on behalf of the separate self.
A man says he feels stuck waiting to be healed spiritually and emotionally, especially in trauma healing. Rupert suggests giving up all teachers and teachings and become interested only in the nature of his being.
A woman, who is taking care of her mother-in-law, struggles with difficult emotions and negative thoughts. She asks for guidance. Rupert suggests she has to discern between thoughts that are valid responses to the challenging situation from those that come from personal reactivity. If she can reduce the latter, then it will be clearer how to respond to the valid responses.
A man asks about the meaning of self-abidance. Rupert responds that it means to rest in being as being, give all your love and attention to simply being, or being aware, regardless of whatever else is going on.
A man asks about to apply this understanding in academic study such as economics. Rupert suggests applying his mind to his studies, and use the skills acquired to bring this understanding into the world. The world needs economists.
A man who is an artist asks about art and beauty. Rupert suggests that there are two aspects to being artist: one is the artist’s skill, the other is what it being expressed. The two must come together. The work of art is their intersection – the understanding and the form.
A man asks about how one teaches or demonstrates the understanding through art. Rupert suggests that is demonstrates itself. If you're doing that, as an artist, then it will communicate itself.
A woman who experienced panic attacks, which went away for many years after her husband comforted her, is experiencing them again and asks for help. Rupert responds that her husband's relaxed response is a hint to what is needed the response she now needs to give herself.
A man asks about what to do when thoughts and feelings take over. Rupert suggests that he investigate the self on whose behalf his thoughts and feelings emerge, but if he can’t ignore the thoughts and go directly to his being, then do something that takes him away from the thoughts and feelings, via an activity, to lift him out of the inertia.
A man asks about the discipline required to engage in actions that arise from understanding, as he has resistance in this regard. Rupert suggests not giving in to the resistance but giving his attention to what he loves. Don't worry about the resistance. Not all resistance is egoic. Align outer life as expressions of inner understanding, inherent in the one reality.
A man who is engaged in self-enquiry asks about how he finds himself thinking that nothing really matters. Rupert suggests that the purpose is to discover that while it’s true nothing affects awareness – it is always in the same condition – at the level of our mind and body, activities and relationships, things do matter. Make your life a celebration and expression of the understanding.
A man whose social anxiety is severe, asks how the non-dual understanding can help in such situations. Rupert recognised that he was able to ask the question in this group, which suggests his love for the truth overrides his social anxiety. This is a model for how to develop comfort in social situations. Don't think of it is courage but as remaining in touch with your being.
A man asks about where ‘back’ is located when Rupert suggests that we ‘go to the background of experience’. Rupert suggests that ‘back to your being’ is a metaphor, just as when watching a movie, it seems the movie is in the foreground and the screen is in the background, but the screen is not really behind the movie. The fact of being, or being aware, is in the background. All experience is pervaded by the fact of being aware.
A man asks about how to always make choices in alignment with oneness. Rupert suggests that the recognition does not put an end to conditioning. It takes years for the understanding to percolate into our minds and bodies, and then activities and relationships. It's a never-ending process.
A woman asks about the teacher–student relationship and how that helps or hinders the path. Rupert suggests that she think of the relationship as friendship and affirms that it is possible to have this friendship online, not just in person.
A man asks about being aware of being aware. Rupert says that thoughts and feelings are not themselves aware, they are objects, only awareness is aware. We, awareness, lose our self in the content of experience. When we are being aware of being aware, we have relaxed our focus form the content of experience and come back to our self. We can do that in the presence of thoughts and feelings.
Be the openness that allows experience to be as it is from moment-to-moment, the peace that lies in the background of experience irrespective of content. Be the contentment that neither seeks, resists nor holds on to any particular experience, allowing whatever comes to come, whatever remains to remain and whatever goes to go. Be the love that knows no otherness, knowing all people and animals as itself. Be the beauty that feels itself in all things and in all of nature. Be the being from which everyone and everything borrows its existence without ever ceasing to be itself. Be sure that all your faculties are used in service of the impersonal, the means by which the qualities inherent in the one being – peace, joy and love – are expressed, shared and celebrated with humanity. Be only that one; know only that one and love only that one in every person, animal and thing you encounter.
A man asks about the free will and directing thoughts. Rupert suggests that he direct his thoughts towards whatever expresses truth, love or beauty. Use them, aside from practical purposes, to either explore or express these things. There are two alternatives for thought: either explore or express that one reality or overlook that reality and express on behalf of the separate self.
A man says he feels stuck waiting to be healed spiritually and emotionally, especially in trauma healing. Rupert suggests giving up all teachers and teachings and become interested only in the nature of his being.
A woman, who is taking care of her mother-in-law, struggles with difficult emotions and negative thoughts. She asks for guidance. Rupert suggests she has to discern between thoughts that are valid responses to the challenging situation from those that come from personal reactivity. If she can reduce the latter, then it will be clearer how to respond to the valid responses.
A man asks about the meaning of self-abidance. Rupert responds that it means to rest in being as being, give all your love and attention to simply being, or being aware, regardless of whatever else is going on.
A man asks about to apply this understanding in academic study such as economics. Rupert suggests applying his mind to his studies, and use the skills acquired to bring this understanding into the world. The world needs economists.
A man who is an artist asks about art and beauty. Rupert suggests that there are two aspects to being artist: one is the artist’s skill, the other is what it being expressed. The two must come together. The work of art is their intersection – the understanding and the form.
A man asks about how one teaches or demonstrates the understanding through art. Rupert suggests that is demonstrates itself. If you're doing that, as an artist, then it will communicate itself.
A woman who experienced panic attacks, which went away for many years after her husband comforted her, is experiencing them again and asks for help. Rupert responds that her husband's relaxed response is a hint to what is needed the response she now needs to give herself.
A man asks about what to do when thoughts and feelings take over. Rupert suggests that he investigate the self on whose behalf his thoughts and feelings emerge, but if he can’t ignore the thoughts and go directly to his being, then do something that takes him away from the thoughts and feelings, via an activity, to lift him out of the inertia.
A man asks about the discipline required to engage in actions that arise from understanding, as he has resistance in this regard. Rupert suggests not giving in to the resistance but giving his attention to what he loves. Don't worry about the resistance. Not all resistance is egoic. Align outer life as expressions of inner understanding, inherent in the one reality.
A man who is engaged in self-enquiry asks about how he finds himself thinking that nothing really matters. Rupert suggests that the purpose is to discover that while it’s true nothing affects awareness – it is always in the same condition – at the level of our mind and body, activities and relationships, things do matter. Make your life a celebration and expression of the understanding.
A man whose social anxiety is severe, asks how the non-dual understanding can help in such situations. Rupert recognised that he was able to ask the question in this group, which suggests his love for the truth overrides his social anxiety. This is a model for how to develop comfort in social situations. Don't think of it is courage but as remaining in touch with your being.
A man asks about where ‘back’ is located when Rupert suggests that we ‘go to the background of experience’. Rupert suggests that ‘back to your being’ is a metaphor, just as when watching a movie, it seems the movie is in the foreground and the screen is in the background, but the screen is not really behind the movie. The fact of being, or being aware, is in the background. All experience is pervaded by the fact of being aware.
A man asks about how to always make choices in alignment with oneness. Rupert suggests that the recognition does not put an end to conditioning. It takes years for the understanding to percolate into our minds and bodies, and then activities and relationships. It's a never-ending process.
A woman asks about the teacher–student relationship and how that helps or hinders the path. Rupert suggests that she think of the relationship as friendship and affirms that it is possible to have this friendship online, not just in person.
A man asks about being aware of being aware. Rupert says that thoughts and feelings are not themselves aware, they are objects, only awareness is aware. We, awareness, lose our self in the content of experience. When we are being aware of being aware, we have relaxed our focus form the content of experience and come back to our self. We can do that in the presence of thoughts and feelings.