Rupert Spira: Non-Dualism, God, & Death

Rupert Spira is a teacher of the "direct path"-method of spiritual self-enquiry, and a world renowned expert on non-dualism.

LINKS MENTIONED:

THANK YOU:
Cooper Sheehan and Henry Hoffman-Bakoussis for formatting the audience questions.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:06:07 Overview of non-dualism
00:09:09 Experience vs consciousness vs awareness
00:10:31 "In ignorance, I am something. In understanding, I am nothing. I love, I am everything."
00:14:29 Discovering "you" by taking off your thoughts and perceptions
00:17:09 Meditative exercise to see union between the self and the world
00:33:14 Can you be aware of not being aware?
00:48:34 Why can there only be "one" consciousness?
00:51:54 Consciousness as fundamental. Not matter
01:04:55 Why does infinite consciousness need to become finite?
01:09:17 There no real "things"
01:11:40 Definition of enlightenment
01:14:47 Are atheists / materialists lying when they say they have peace?
01:21:30 It's okay for your body's pain to not have caught up to your mind's peace
01:28:19 The nature of consciousness is happiness
01:34:55 Logos
01:40:35 Donald Hoffman and Bernardo Kastrup
01:48:03 Psychedelics
01:58:01 Consciousness as "love" requires subtlety to understand
02:00:19 Love, truth, and beauty are the same, but depend on the path one takes
02:04:12 Psychological suffering is veiled happiness
02:07:31 Some truths will break you at your core
02:17:40 New age is missing the malicious element of humanity
02:24:26 Rupert's distinctive manner of speech
02:27:07 Does infinite consciousness "speak" to us?
02:29:15 Why does suffering exist? Why does it have to be so drastic?
02:43:04 "Overlapping consciousness" and the objective world
02:49:40 Materialists don't disagree with non-dualism
02:51:22 Curt's "fractal" theory of reality and the extremization of a parameter unifying with its opposite
02:56:55 Iain McGilchrist, the bihemispheric model, and fractals
03:00:17 On death, and continuing on
03:06:11 Science 2.0 ("abhijgnosis" as Curt calls it)
03:18:48 [Hubur Galula] Does Rupert still get overwhelmed with emotions / attached to objects or people?
03:23:44 Functional vs dysfunctional attachments (co-dependence)
03:25:37 [Inannawhimsey] Rupert, is there any emotion that isn't valid?
03:35:22 [Rebecca Briggs] Ego and shadow work in the non-dual recognition tradition?
03:42:10 Why are we separate at all? Why are these truths something we have realize?
03:47:59 Descartes was wrong, or right?
03:52:27 The East vs The West (the East was first to non-dualism)
03:57:59 Rupert Spira interprets the Prodigal son with non-dualism
04:02:59 Prayer in the West vs meditation in the East
04:20:27 Does infinite consciousness suffer? Does it lack?
04:25:07 No background necessary to realize the insights of non-dualism
04:32:52 [DIYCraftq] What happens when you die in your model vs. Rupert Sheldrake's model?
04:41:01 Where to find out more about Rupert Spira

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[bernardofitzpatrick]

This talk is more valuable than weeks of psychotherapy. Your skill, Curt, and your emotional and intellectual commitment to understanding and truth makes this intimately relatable and enormously practical and cathartic. I share some of your real fears, hope I am not being presumptuous, of being, at times, under the control of part of myself which I don’t fully comprehend or control. Perhaps I have not completely understood. To be honest, the prospect of the. dissolution of the persona/ego into the infinite consciousness, though inevitable, is sometimes a scary prospect, at least to the clinging localised consciousness. Anyways, thank you for an excellent talk.

[snezray]

I realised what consciousness was when I went through anxiety and depression. I suddenly became AWARE of the mental chattering. All thoughts became just thoughts, not something I associated myself with, I disassociated myself with all the thoughts and negative emotions I was feeling. I was at that time pure awareness, just happiness. Happiness is a state of normal existence. At the core of our being, we are just love and happiness. I hope and pray that everyone who is going through anything to do with the mind, gets healed and realise that they are not the mind and body, they are pure pure pure consciousness. When we tap into this pure consciousness, beautiful miracles are possible. LOVE AND LIGHT to all of you.

[TheNoSuchThingPodcast]

I don’t know how you younger folks feel, but as a 52 yo, YouTube is one of the best things to come out of the internet. Having stuff like this at the click ofB a mouse cannot be understated

[sonofnature]

Im so happy that more podcasts are inviting Rupert Spira to talk, so that more people can hear his teachings. He is one of the greatest teachers of our time. 🙏❤ You did a good job Curt. I've heard many of his interviews/discussions and I must say you managed to get more "gold" from Rupert with some very good questions.

[skibdigyat]

The best part about being an art student is being able to listen to such fascinating podcasts while doing my school projects like sculpting, painting, graphic design etc.

[stevecoats]

Your channel is going to take off. There's no one doing what you're doing. Just don't burn yourself out.

[gregsylvander]

I read every book and watch every video of Rupert that I can find. The fact that Curt didn’t know the typical non dual responses when Rupert is asking him the questions regarding Awareness is so refreshing. And intuited when Rupert eyes sort of lit up as he realized he was doing this experiment with someone who didn’t have any of the canned non dual responses that it was invigorating. loved watching it.

[widedogg]

it really says something when you've watched an almost 5 hour podcast multiple times and still when it gets to the end you feel like it was too short.

[bibiclark]

Wow! I actually watched the condensed version, and then the full version. What a gentle beautiful person! Just listening to him was soothing. Curt, your questions and comments were fantastic. I felt totally edified. The idea to contemplate an answer, before giving it, and then when receiving it was so educational. We are usually in way too much of a rush. I will try to emulate this and life should immediately get more thoughtful and meaningful. The whole interview really was a template of a perfect interview. Well done! Now about the content: most of it was clear and easy to follow, but I can’t agree with his explanation for suffering. Most all of us will or have experienced it in our lives and I strongly feel that it serves a purpose that can not be accomplished in any other way. Suffering should lead to refinement and purification and tremendous spiritual growth, if we do refrain from turning bitter. Most of the people who I have talked to, who have gone through great suffering have become gentle, meek, compassionate and patient, and some have turned into spiritual giants. If you ask them if they could remove past suffering from their lives, if they would choose to do so, they all agree that it was in reality a great blessing and a small price to pay for what was gained. I am not advocating for more suffering, nobody likes it, but it is easier to endure if we can understand the purpose.
Looking forward to more of your thoughtful interviews.

[musiclover]

Rupert is one of the great modern communicators of non dual (Advaita) wisdom. Many masters embody this knowledge but few can communicate it like Rupert. Curt asks fantastic questions that are absolutely natural for someone with a scientific temper trying to genuinely understand what is being stated here. This was such a wonderful dialogue.

[ApacheMagic]

This one has been chasing me every time I open YouTube for a number of days. I hadn’t clicked- I didn’t see it as on my interest list right now. Last night I fell asleep listening to Curt and Luis on the podcast app; and awoke at 3.33am to Rupert talking about the paths we choose to take to reality collapsing that reality into Truth, Beauty or Love. I immediately flashed to philosophy and the Transcendentals. Very significant to me and I’m now paying attention. Flicked here to make this comment and realised Rupert was the unwatched suggestion dogging me.

I would love to know Rupert’s take on creativity. The path to beauty being art, or subjectivity, and the artist’s path being so creative. I am in love with the world- and yes, feel joy, when creating. I see we have a time stamp on why we need to diffuse into different perspectives. I have to work now, but will listen to whole thing (awake this time!) I’m eager to hear that answer. I wonder if creativity and the joy it brings might be a part of that ‘why’.

[slimpwarrior]

This is so profound. You can easily grasp the nature of your true self thanks to Rupert's guidance. I am infinite, and ancient, and young all at the same time

[ultramother]

This is spectacular! Thank you Curt and Rupert for this life changing conversation..

[ODMA]

This channel just gets me. Resonance. Exploration of Reality as a “consciousness scientist, ” unified theories of physics, UFO coverage, just wow, on a roll!

[beverlyquintela]

An extremely thought provoking conversation. I ponder the kind of world we would have if everyone evolved to Rupert's spiritual clarity. I venture to say, most all the world's problems would be solved. Because when you truly love someone, you will take care of them.

[davidfee]

Looking forward to this one Curt. Both Rupert Spira and Bernardo Kastrup have been highly influential in how I see and act in the world. Perhaps one day you could bring them together for a conversation? All the best.

[jennismith]

I once had an experience (plant-medicine based) in which I lost sense of the personal “me” but I was still in some way aware of the “essential me” that was beyond the Reality we normally experience.

And in that state I was SO HAPPY and joyful and “complete”. And I had one distinct thought “Thank you! Thank you! It is such a privilege to be alive! I am so grateful”

Afterwards, when I thought about the experience in my normal waking state, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the “perspective” expressed was not a human one but it was also somehow at the same time MY perspective.

Listen, I’m certainly grateful to be alive. But never once have I felt it to be a privilege to be alive in the intense way that it felt then. It would never occur to me to phrase things in that way.

Its hard to express in words, but the sense I got was that the “essential me”…the “me” that is in unity with “All That Is”.. was expressing gratefulness to the “limited me” for allowing myself to BE limited.

[akarfis]

this is amazing. the interviewer's ability to stay open minded and yet not simply agree but ask questions is fascinating. well done. of course Rupert was amazing as well

[idk-sxth]

This was the best Rupert Spira interview I've ever watched. Thanks for having Mr. Spira on the show 🙌🏻

[montelo]

I love the fact that Curt is very open and curious throughout the session. You're on a beautiful path Curt.