The Relationship Between Consciousness and Form

"You say that deep sleep is not the absence of awareness but the awareness of absence. Can you explain this further, because it seems like I’m not aware of anything in deep sleep? Rupert says: ‘The object-knowing mind refers to deep sleep as an absence only in reference to its memory of objects – like noticing your favourite painting is missing from the wall. But being experiences deep sleep without any reference to memory. From being’s perspective, deep sleep is simply the shining of its own presence alone. It’s not the absence of awareness; it’s awareness free of all objects. When you wake up and say “I slept deeply”, who is making that report? Awareness is. If awareness were truly absent in deep sleep, you couldn’t report on it. What’s absent in deep sleep is the content of experience – thoughts, sensations, perceptions – but awareness itself remains, knowing its own being directly.’"

If consciousness is empty and formless, how can form arise from it, and what is the relationship between consciousness and the forms that appear within it? Rupert says: ‘Consciousness doesn’t need form in order to know or be itself – it is inherently self-aware. However, in order to know anything other than itself, consciousness must seemingly divide itself into a subject and an object, creating the duality through which all experience takes place. This is like your mind at night dividing itself into the dreamed character and the dreamed world. Consciousness doesn’t truly become form; rather, form is how consciousness appears when refracted through the perceiving faculties of the finite mind. The relationship between consciousness and form is like that between water and ice – form is a temporary configuration of consciousness, never ceasing to be consciousness itself.

"When you say ‘I am’ is the highest knowledge, how does this relate to my sense of being a particular person with a history and identity? Rupert says: ‘The statement “I am” exists prior to all qualifications. Before you can say “I am tired” or “I am confused,” the simple “I am” must already be present. This “I am” is not the experience of being a person – it’s the experience of simply being, which is then qualified or coloured by the content of experience. When you remove all the temporary qualities – your thoughts, feelings, sensations, your history, your identity – what remains is pure being, the simple knowledge “I am”. This “I am” doesn’t belong to you; rather, you are a temporary colouring of the “I am”. Your essential self is this pure, unqualified “I am”, which is infinite being itself.’"

"If consciousness is inherently peaceful and knows itself as infinite being, why would it choose to seemingly contract itself into finite minds that experience suffering? Rupert says: ‘Consciousness doesn’t choose or decide anything – all decisions are by definition finite and occur in the finite mind. In order to manifest its infinite potential in form, consciousness must seemingly overlook or sacrifice the knowing of its own being and localise itself as a finite mind, through whose perceiving faculties it knows itself as the world. This isn’t a choice or decision; it’s the mechanism by which the infinite gives birth to itself in form. The price consciousness pays for this is temporarily overlooking its true nature of peace and love. What we call suffering is the experience of this apparent separation from our true nature. However, from consciousness’s absolute perspective, it never truly separates from itself.’"

"What is the difference between meditation as a practice and simply being? Should I be doing something, or just remaining as I am? Rupert says: ‘On the Progressive and Direct paths, meditation is something the separate self does – a practice, a method, an effort. On the Pathless Path, meditation is what you are. Simply being is not a practice; it’s the recognition and abiding as your essential nature. You don’t need to do anything to be – being is what you naturally, effortlessly are. However, if you find yourself lost in the content of experience, make the gentle effort to extricate yourself and return to simply being. In time, this will become effortless. The essence of meditation is simply to remain as you are, prior to the arising of experience, knowing yourself as pure being.’"

"How can I remain in touch with my essential being while engaged in daily activities like work, relationships and responsibilities? Rupert says: ‘The art of meditation is to return to being; the art of life is to remain as being in the midst of experience. At any moment, you can notice that the “I am” is shining in your experience – “I am cooking,” “I am working,” “I am speaking.” Instead of emphasising the activity, emphasise the “I am”. You don’t need to withdraw from activity to taste your being. Simply allow being to shine more brightly than the content of experience. In time, you’ll find that being remains present as a continuous thread throughout your day, like a current running beneath all activity. This is what the Christian tradition calls “praying without ceasing” – remaining in touch with the “I am” under all circumstances.’"

"If being is already complete and perfect, why does it manifest as the world? What is the purpose of creation? Rupert says: ‘Being doesn’t have a purpose for manifesting as the world – purpose implies incompleteness, a goal to be achieved. From being’s perspective, there is no world as such, no creation. What we call the world is simply being refracting itself through the perceiving faculties of finite minds. It’s like asking why the sun shines – shining is the sun’s nature, not something it does for a purpose. Manifestation is being’s nature, its overflow, its love expressing itself. Through perception, being gives birth to its infinite potential in form, not to achieve anything or become anything, but simply because this is what being does. Creation is not purposeful; it’s spontaneous, like a flower blooming.’"

"You say that time and space are the shining of being refracted through thought and perception. But my experience of time and space feels very real – how can they be illusions? Rupert says: ‘Time and space are not illusions in the sense that they’re unreal. They’re illusions in the sense that they’re not what they appear to be. For the mind, time is a linear progression from past to future; for being, the experience we call “now” is eternity. For the mind, space is an extended dimension; for being, the experience we call “here” is the infinite. Time and space are how being’s eternal, infinite nature appears when filtered through the faculties of thinking and perceiving. They’re not separate dimensions that being exists within; rather, they’re born within being. The “here and now” is a portal through which the mind passes out of time and space into being’s eternal, infinite nature.’"

"I’ve had glimpses of recognising my true nature as being, but then I lose it again. How do I maintain this recognition? Rupert says: ‘Being never loses its recognition of itself – it’s always knowing itself, always shining. What seems to lose the recognition is the separate self, but that self never had the recognition in the first place. When you say “I lost it”, notice who is speaking. It’s not being that lost itself; it’s a thought claiming ownership of being’s self-recognition. The recognition isn’t something you acquire and then maintain through effort. Rather, notice that you are always being, always having the experience “I am”. What varies is simply how exclusively your attention is focused on the content of experience. Gently return attention to being whenever you notice it’s been absorbed in content. In time, being naturally outshines experience.’"

"If there is only one infinite being, does that mean other people aren’t real? How should I understand the existence of others? Rupert says: ‘Other people are real, but not in the way the finite mind conceives them. The finite mind believes each person is a separate, independently existing entity. But just as there’s only one space seemingly divided by numerous buildings, there’s only one being seemingly divided by numerous bodies. The being that shines in you as “I am” is the same being that shines in everyone. At the level of bodies and minds, there are apparent differences; at the level of being, there is only one. This doesn’t diminish the reality of others – it elevates it. When you truly see another person, you’re encountering your own being wearing a different form. Love is the recognition of this shared being. Other people are real as expressions of the one infinite being.’"