This Is All There Is

Does the many worlds theory, where every decision creates parallel realities that we tune into through our vibration, have validity from a non-dual perspective? Rupert says: ‘There is just one reality and many appearances of that reality. If this many worlds theory is somehow an intuition of that, then it could have some truth to it, but every time you make a choice, all possibilities simultaneously come into existence. That doesn’t ring true to me. I suspect the theory is not quite true, but could be based on a true intuition. So, I wouldn’t dismiss it completely.’

When overwhelmed by trauma or intense emotions, where teachings seem inaccessible, how can one reconnect to being? Rupert says: ‘Your being is always available, always without exception. Even to be able to self-reflect on your experience you are no longer lost in experience. Ask yourself the question, what is it that is aware of my experience? If you can’t go from the content all the way back to your true nature, put some intermediary step. Mantra meditation. Put your attention on a neutral object. Or put yourself in a physical circumstance where your attention has to go to a neutral object, like have a freezing cold shower.’

Does consciousness use the body and mind to experience the world, or does the body and mind use consciousness to experience the world? Rupert says: ‘The latter. Only consciousness is conscious. Only awareness is aware. Only consciousness experiences anything. And it uses a mind in the case of a human being, perception to experience itself as the world. The ego is just an apparent limitation of consciousness. You can’t have the ego without consciousness.’

Is there a conflation between going to being and thinking this will get rid of feelings, when actually painful feelings must still be known and felt? Rupert says: ‘That was not implied. I used the phrase “turn your attention away from the thought or feelings”. Don’t try and change them. More accurate than that, relax the focus of your attention. But the thought, the emotion, the feeling is still there, but you’re no longer paying exclusive attention to it. You haven’t tried to get rid of it, nor do you need to get rid of it. But ultimately, the painful feeling is still there. That has to be known. That has to be felt. And that can be done with a therapist, where they can guide you there.’

In the consciousness-only model, what is mathematics? Is it a mental construct or part of what accounts for the intelligible structure of experience? Rupert says: ‘Mathematics is a language of representation of a level of the intelligence that is inherent in consciousness. It’s a way of representing the activity of consciousness. Consciousness itself is pure intelligence, pure formless intelligence. As soon as that pure intelligence takes a form, that form can be represented by a mind. And mathematics is one of the ways that the intelligence, the activity of consciousness is represented.’

Does the Direct Path naturally lead to the Pathless Path in a way that the Progressive Path does not? Rupert says: ‘Yes, absolutely. If King Lear investigates who he truly is, he will by definition end up as John Smith (the actor who plays him). Self-enquiry or the Direct Path is the prelude to resting in being or self-abidance. The Progressive Path doesn’t inevitably end up in the Direct Path as the Direct Path does inevitably end up in the Pathless Path.’

During meditation when resting in being, why does being sometimes turn around to look at itself, converting being into an object rather than pure recognition? Rupert says: ‘When you want to take a look at being, you’ve risen in the form of the mind. When you’re resting in being, the mind is subsided and then the mind arises again and turns around and wants to have a look. You don’t have to get rid of your experience in order to notice that awareness is independent of experience. You don’t have to turn the movie off to recognise that the screen is independent of the movie.’

How can one best carry the peace and understanding experienced on retreat into daily life? Rupert says: ‘Keep visiting your being. Put times aside every day to relax the focus of your attention from the content of your experience, and just go back to your being. And, keep in contact with friends. It’s the piece of your being on the inside and the love, which is our shared being on the outside, that together work on us.’

Can you clarify your statement about the exception of extreme physical pain in relating to awareness of being? Rupert says: ‘Most experiences you can take your attention off. But there is one experience where it is not possible, when the pain is so severe. What would compete with agony? I don’t think there is another experience. With the exception of unbearable physical pain, with all other experiences, it is possible through skilful means to release at least a degree of your attention from them.’

From the perspective of self-abidance, is it more effortless to allow falling asleep in meditation rather than trying to stay awake? Rupert says: ‘Falling asleep is nature’s way of giving us a sample of our true nature and its inherent peace, but it’s not enough to leave us permanently established in our true nature. In meditation, you have to make the conscious effort to relax the focus of your attention from the content of experience and go back to your true nature. Otherwise falling asleep would be sufficient. And it’s not.’

Understanding that all is consciousness, why is this manifestation happening at all? Rupert says: ‘I would suggest it is consciousness’s nature to manifest itself as the world that we perceive. It is just its nature to do so. It doesn’t do it for a reason. The best I could say was it is just an overflowing of love for no reason. It is just the nature of love to manifest itself. All great artists know that they do their work for no reason. It’s not a reason. It’s the nature of love to express itself.’

Is it more accurate to say this present experience is all there is, rather than thinking of consciousness as existing before and after? Rupert says: ‘Consciousness was here before, and it will be here after, because prior to the mind, there is no time. Consciousness lives in eternity, not in time. It’s legitimate for the mind to try to make models that are true. When you try to describe reality with reason, you have to use phrases like “consciousness pre-existed the mind”. The only statement that is absolutely true is “I am”. After that, it’s silence.’