Karma and Nirvana from the media All There Is, Is God
A woman asks how karma fits into non-duality, which she feels has to do with nirvana. Rupert speaks of the Direct Path as opposed to the progressive path which takes many lifetimes. In this teaching, it is where we start, not where we progress towards. This is why the meditation started with the knowing of being, which is prior to our knowledge of ourself as a person. We lose ourself in experience and forget our being.
- Duration: 5 minutes and 46 seconds
- Recorded on: Oct 28, 2022
- Event: Seven Day Retreat at Mercy Center, CA – 23rd to 30th October
A woman asks about how to deal with others' projections onto her. She asks if she knows the other person or is having a relationship with her projection. Rupert responds that one of the best ways to stop projecting is to understand once and for all that no suffering is caused by another person. Our feelings are entirely our own responsibility.
A man asks about Rupert's statement that the universe has a beginning and end, which he cannot find evidence for. Rupert replies that only if we credit the existence of the universe to begin with. There is no universe, as we normally conceive of it, so on that level, there is no beginning and no end. However, if we understand that it does not exist, then the question of beginning or ending is moot.
A woman asks about the monkey-mind and the moth that longs for the light and the difficulty she has returning to awareness. Why is it taking so long? Rupert tells a story about two fish who are unaware of the water in which they swim. The wandering thoughts are already swimming in that which you are. A quiet mind is not a prerequisite. If you're looking for some kind of experience, you'll look forever and frustration will grow. There is no non-dual understanding. You don't have to understand anything to be.
A man mentions a quote by Elie Wiesel about the horror that exists in the world, and shares that he failed a person in his life. He asks how to bring love to suffering, like Mr. Wiesel. Rupert responds that the horrors are perpetrated by those who don't understand one, that happiness is the nature of their being, and two, that they share their being with everyone. This allows them to behave in ways that violate the true non-dual understanding, that reality is one.
A man says he has spent a lifetime suppressing emotions and now he's trying to choose to express them, but he hasn't been able to do that. Rupert responds that he wouldn't go as far as choosing emotions. Rather let them come up and express themselves freely. You don't have to try; just feel them. Expressing isn't the problem, it's feeling them rather than suppressing or denying that is. This allowing will help you to feel safe to express and feel emotions.
A woman asks about gratitude being the highest feeling of the separate self and wonders how that relates to the subject and object relationship. Rupert replies that there is a form of gratitude that is higher than the gratitude of the separate self, the gratitude that doesn't come from one to the other, but pure gratitude without any direction.
A woman speaks of the recognition that 'there is no one here that is that; there is only that'. There is no one who gets this. There's no true thing. Rupert says the 'I am' expresses this in a higher way than ‘I am that’. There's not one to be that. There is not only no true thing, there is nothing. There are no things. Reality is neither something nor nothing.
A question evokes a discussion on love and longing and how that relates to Jane, Mary's dream character, or the apparent separate self. Rupert suggests that desire is already made of the happiness that you seek. It is not the person that seeks for happiness. It is the love that is drawing all back to itself.
A man asks for elaboration on Rupert's statement about never having done anything or gone anywhere. Rupert responds that in relation to our everyday life this understanding is reflected in a human being as the feeling that all there is is God. Everything is that; there is no question of anyone doing anything.
A woman asks if there is such a thing as true justice, and if punishment is involved. Rupert replies that there is justice that arises on behalf of truth, justice that is founded on the principle of the unity of being. Punishment is based on the concept of the wounder and wounded. In this understanding, there is no wounder, or perpetrator, no separation between the two. The 'perpetrator' needs only some education.
A woman asks how karma fits into non-duality, which she feels has to do with nirvana. Rupert speaks of the Direct Path as opposed to the progressive path which takes many lifetimes. In this teaching, it is where we start, not where we progress towards. This is why the meditation started with the knowing of being, which is prior to our knowledge of ourself as a person. We lose ourself in experience and forget our being.
A man asks what progress looks like on the Direct Path. Rupert responds that progress on the Path looks like the end of questions about progress, where progress makes no sense. It is the end of the idea of progressing. There is no path from ourself to ourself, no path or practice, from the top of the mountain.
A woman says she doesn't understand the direct path not being progressive because she can definitely feel that things are changing during the retreat. A sense of expansion is happening. She asks if that will one day open up and not close again. Rupert speaks of the apparent experience of being as coming and going, based on the assumption that you the person are approaching something, which is fine. However, it's a concession to the idea of the separate self. We can talk about becoming, but at some point there is a shift of recognition of always having been that.
A woman says that the attack on Paul Pelosi engendered a sense of shock on a relative level. She asks how to participate in discussions about this without engaging in fear and conflict. Rupert responds that he, too, was shocked and hurt by the news. It is our ultimate job to bring people to the peace of their true nature. Take people to the place in themselves that is prior to their fear and hatred; just to give them a taste, no matter how brief, of the peace of their true nature. We must meet people where they are.
A woman asks for suggestions on what to do once she leaves the retreat. Rupert responds that at a retreat we're taken back again and again to our true nature, and then we go back to a sense of this being veiled. So we keep coming back until there is no difference between what happens at retreat and what happens in life.
A man asks about repressing feelings and emotions and if there is anything that can be done with those that are deep in the body. Rupert responds that we can wait, but we can also cooperate with the process of dealing with these emotions. Meister Eckhart speaks of uprooting; Rupert suggests dissolving.
A woman asks about distinguishing between a thought that arises on behalf of the separate self and one that arises on behalf of truth. Rupert responds that all three of the thoughts she mentioned arise from truth.
A man says he notices how tired his body is halfway through retreat and asks how to take care of our bodies during retreat. Rupert says he doesn't notice it whilst on retreat, but he speaks of a pattern of falling asleep even before the plane takes off when he leaves retreat.
A woman asks about how to deal with others' projections onto her. She asks if she knows the other person or is having a relationship with her projection. Rupert responds that one of the best ways to stop projecting is to understand once and for all that no suffering is caused by another person. Our feelings are entirely our own responsibility.
A man asks about Rupert's statement that the universe has a beginning and end, which he cannot find evidence for. Rupert replies that only if we credit the existence of the universe to begin with. There is no universe, as we normally conceive of it, so on that level, there is no beginning and no end. However, if we understand that it does not exist, then the question of beginning or ending is moot.
A woman asks about the monkey-mind and the moth that longs for the light and the difficulty she has returning to awareness. Why is it taking so long? Rupert tells a story about two fish who are unaware of the water in which they swim. The wandering thoughts are already swimming in that which you are. A quiet mind is not a prerequisite. If you're looking for some kind of experience, you'll look forever and frustration will grow. There is no non-dual understanding. You don't have to understand anything to be.
A man mentions a quote by Elie Wiesel about the horror that exists in the world, and shares that he failed a person in his life. He asks how to bring love to suffering, like Mr. Wiesel. Rupert responds that the horrors are perpetrated by those who don't understand one, that happiness is the nature of their being, and two, that they share their being with everyone. This allows them to behave in ways that violate the true non-dual understanding, that reality is one.
A man says he has spent a lifetime suppressing emotions and now he's trying to choose to express them, but he hasn't been able to do that. Rupert responds that he wouldn't go as far as choosing emotions. Rather let them come up and express themselves freely. You don't have to try; just feel them. Expressing isn't the problem, it's feeling them rather than suppressing or denying that is. This allowing will help you to feel safe to express and feel emotions.
A woman asks about gratitude being the highest feeling of the separate self and wonders how that relates to the subject and object relationship. Rupert replies that there is a form of gratitude that is higher than the gratitude of the separate self, the gratitude that doesn't come from one to the other, but pure gratitude without any direction.
A woman speaks of the recognition that 'there is no one here that is that; there is only that'. There is no one who gets this. There's no true thing. Rupert says the 'I am' expresses this in a higher way than ‘I am that’. There's not one to be that. There is not only no true thing, there is nothing. There are no things. Reality is neither something nor nothing.
A question evokes a discussion on love and longing and how that relates to Jane, Mary's dream character, or the apparent separate self. Rupert suggests that desire is already made of the happiness that you seek. It is not the person that seeks for happiness. It is the love that is drawing all back to itself.
A man asks for elaboration on Rupert's statement about never having done anything or gone anywhere. Rupert responds that in relation to our everyday life this understanding is reflected in a human being as the feeling that all there is is God. Everything is that; there is no question of anyone doing anything.
A woman asks if there is such a thing as true justice, and if punishment is involved. Rupert replies that there is justice that arises on behalf of truth, justice that is founded on the principle of the unity of being. Punishment is based on the concept of the wounder and wounded. In this understanding, there is no wounder, or perpetrator, no separation between the two. The 'perpetrator' needs only some education.
A woman asks how karma fits into non-duality, which she feels has to do with nirvana. Rupert speaks of the Direct Path as opposed to the progressive path which takes many lifetimes. In this teaching, it is where we start, not where we progress towards. This is why the meditation started with the knowing of being, which is prior to our knowledge of ourself as a person. We lose ourself in experience and forget our being.
A man asks what progress looks like on the Direct Path. Rupert responds that progress on the Path looks like the end of questions about progress, where progress makes no sense. It is the end of the idea of progressing. There is no path from ourself to ourself, no path or practice, from the top of the mountain.
A woman says she doesn't understand the direct path not being progressive because she can definitely feel that things are changing during the retreat. A sense of expansion is happening. She asks if that will one day open up and not close again. Rupert speaks of the apparent experience of being as coming and going, based on the assumption that you the person are approaching something, which is fine. However, it's a concession to the idea of the separate self. We can talk about becoming, but at some point there is a shift of recognition of always having been that.
A woman says that the attack on Paul Pelosi engendered a sense of shock on a relative level. She asks how to participate in discussions about this without engaging in fear and conflict. Rupert responds that he, too, was shocked and hurt by the news. It is our ultimate job to bring people to the peace of their true nature. Take people to the place in themselves that is prior to their fear and hatred; just to give them a taste, no matter how brief, of the peace of their true nature. We must meet people where they are.
A woman asks for suggestions on what to do once she leaves the retreat. Rupert responds that at a retreat we're taken back again and again to our true nature, and then we go back to a sense of this being veiled. So we keep coming back until there is no difference between what happens at retreat and what happens in life.
A man asks about repressing feelings and emotions and if there is anything that can be done with those that are deep in the body. Rupert responds that we can wait, but we can also cooperate with the process of dealing with these emotions. Meister Eckhart speaks of uprooting; Rupert suggests dissolving.
A woman asks about distinguishing between a thought that arises on behalf of the separate self and one that arises on behalf of truth. Rupert responds that all three of the thoughts she mentioned arise from truth.
A man says he notices how tired his body is halfway through retreat and asks how to take care of our bodies during retreat. Rupert says he doesn't notice it whilst on retreat, but he speaks of a pattern of falling asleep even before the plane takes off when he leaves retreat.