Why Hasn’t Recognition Brought Lasting Peace?

After practising self-enquiry and experiencing a profound six-week period of recognition and peace, old patterns of emotional reactivity have returned. Why hasn’t the initial glimpse of my true nature brought lasting transformation? Rupert says: ‘When you first recognised your being, that was like a gift, like you took a holiday from the content of your experience. But now the vacation has ended. Some of the old deep-seated habits have returned. They weren’t completely uprooted by this first recognition of your true nature. They were dealt a mortal blow, but they weren’t completely dissolved . . . Don’t expect the recognition to come back with the same feeling of elation or ecstasy. Your true nature is not wonderful or marvelous – it has no qualities, strictly speaking. The elation you felt was simply the contrast with your previous suffering, not an inherent quality of being itself.’

From event 12 - 14 December, 2025 The Shining of Being – Online Weekend Retreat at Home, 12–14 December

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