Non-duality and the Nature of Consciousness - Rupert Spira

In this talk, Rupert Spira will explore the perennial, non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions: reality is a single, infinite and indivisible whole whose nature is consciousness or spirit. Central to this understanding is the recognition of the nature of consciousness, which has been described in the Tantric tradition of Kashmir Shaivism as ‘the greatest secret, more hidden than the most concealed of things, and yet more evident than the most obvious of things’. Rupert will suggest that the overlooking of the nature of consciousness is the root cause of suffering within individuals, conflicts between communities and nations, and the degradation of our environment and that its recognition must, therefore, be the basis of a new paradigm that restores well-being to individuals and peace to our communities.

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[patflores]

Suzuki Roshi, when asked by a student: "How can I be more aware?" answered: "What is this 'I' of whom you speak, and where is it located?'

[NaikoArt]

Rupert is one of the most calming spiritual teachers out there, his words are always comforting

[officialwavydavy]

I would have said watching this makes me happy but I now recognize that am already happy. Keep up the great work. This is an amazing show.

[markuss]

Wow, some remarkable insights, beautifully presented, thank you for sharing this.

[lucveu]

Thank you so much for this teaching. This one helps me a lot to sense the things otherwise.

[dustifyoumust]

I don't recall ever hearing such words of wisdom in all complexity or, in utter clarity. If I listen really hard, with utter focus, then I re-enter consciousness. One moment of inattention and I'm back to the illusion of thought.
I feel blessed to have encountered the guidance of Rupert.

[sarabrown]

Like a mother….I cried at the beauty of consciousness allowing manifestation and forgoing peace…I want to give consciousness nothing BUT peace…I have to sit with this… thank you…almost unfathomable, so expansive…it is peace…infinite.🙏

[Wan-Malaysia]

This is a great sharing. Another veil has been taken away. Sensing the reality....awareness shining a light on our experience.

[zenography]

It's so curious - in the western tradition we wonder where god is, he seems so far away; we don't realise that she's right in front of our eyes! Thanks Rupert for your clear, deep and beautiful insights.

[robertyates]

Teachings can only be directed to the ‘me’ who wants liberation. Apparently in my case the teachings were useful to come to see that all seeking is hopeless. Eventually there may be a recognition that the me who’s looking doesn’t exist. No teaching will ever bring about realisation, only perhaps lead to a dead end and exhaustion. It may then be realised that the search is hopeless, that the search perpetuates the separation. This seems to bring about an energetic shift where it is realised that there’s no me, no search and nothing to find, only what’s happening. It’s completely ordinary and utterly obvious!

[cynthiaennis]

He certainly was taught well by his teacher, he’s the most peaceful human being to hear speak. This is a great talk. Thank you.

[anbukkarasimanoharan]

What RS says is 200% correct in my humble opinion as I am experiencing all what he says about Consciousness/Awareness, the ' I ' factor in all.

[williamwightman]

"Only awareness itself can have the experience of being aware" - Rupert Spira. This is the golden string that ties all dimensions and time together into a neat little "package" that I can grock.

[Kafka]

this is as a whole the wonderfullest video every bit of it . it's not its content it's what it evokes. thank you

[alinenogueira]

I'm reading one of his books. Amazing video!

[dazlemwithlovelight]

I feel deeply that what is shared here, is known also deeply by all of us, just our training/education has veiled this. Thanking another me, seeming as someone seperate.❤️

[happygucci]

I think of the film Solaris… I found it a beautiful visual expression of this concept.

[gireeshneroth]

Consciousness is everything-being itself.

[willieluncheonette]

" I have heard about Lin Chi, a Zen master. As he was sitting one day in his hut someone came to see him. The man who came was angry. He may have been fighting with his wife or with his boss or something – but he was angry. He pushed open the door in anger, he threw down his shoes in anger and then he came, very respectfully, and bowed down to Lin Chi. Lin Chi said, “First go and ask forgiveness from the door and from the shoes.” The man must have looked at Lin Chi very strangely. There were other people also sitting there and they started laughing. Lin Chi said, “Stop!” and then said to the man, “If you don’t do it then leave. I will have nothing to do with you.” The man said, “It will look crazy to ask forgiveness from the shoes and from the door.” Lin Chi said, “It was not crazy when you expressed anger. Will it now be crazy? Everything has a consciousness. So you go, and unless the door forgives you, I am not going to allow you in.”

The man felt awkward but he had to go. Later on he became a monk himself and became enlightened. When he became enlightened, he related the whole anecdote and he said, “When I stood before the door, asking forgiveness, I felt awkward, foolish. But then I thought that if Lin Chi says so, there must be something in it. I trusted Lin Chi, so I thought that even if it was foolish do it. In the beginning whatsoever I was saying to the door was just superficial, artificial; but by and by I started to get warm. And Lin Chi was waiting and he said that he would watch. If the door forgave me, only then could I come in; otherwise I had to stay there until I had persuaded the door and the shoes to forgive me. By and by I became warm. I forgot that many people were looking. I forgot about Lin Chi – and then the concern became sincere and real. I started to feel the door and the shoes were changing their mood. And the moment I realized that the door and the shoes had changed and that they are feeling happy, Lin Chi immediately said that I could come. I had been forgiven.”

This incident became a transforming phenomenon in his life because for the first time he became aware that everything is really a crystallization of consciousness. If you cannot see it, it is because you are blind. If you cannot hear it, it is because you are deaf. There is nothing the matter with the things around you. Everything is condensed consciousness. The problem is with you – you are not open and sensitive.

This technique says, this consciousness exists as each being, and nothing else exists. Live with this notion. Be sensitive to this and wherever you move, move with this mind and this heart – that everything is consciousness and nothing else exists. Sooner or later, the world will change its face. Sooner or later, objects disappear and persons start appearing everywhere. Sooner or later, the whole world will be suddenly illumined and you will know that you were living in a world of dead things just because of your insensitivity. Otherwise everything is alive – not only alive, everything is conscious.

Everything deep down is nothing but consciousness. But if you leave it as a theory, if you believe in it as a theory, then nothing will happen. You will have to make it a way of life a style of life – behaving as if everything is conscious. In the beginning it will be an ‘as if’, and you will feel foolish, but if you can persist in your foolishness, and if you can dare to be foolish, soon the world will start revealing its mysteries."

[anthonyfletcher]

This talk by Rupert Spiro has been very helpful in crystallizing my own thoughts, this ties in well with the work of the progressive scientific thinking of Jude Currivan.