Nothing Exists

Ajātivāda is the contention that nothing exists or even seems to exist. But how can we say that when it obviously contradicts our experience? Vivartavāda, at least, acknowledges that the world seems to exist. How can we make sense of this?

Rupert says: ‘If the infinite is all that really is, then its point of view must be the only real point of view. And from its point of view, not only can there not be anything other than itself, but it cannot experience even the appearance of anything other than itself – because to experience an appearance, one must do so from a finite point of view.

‘So, in the infinite’s pure experience of itself, there is no manifestation or even the appearance of manifestation.Whereas from our finite, limited, localised points of view, there is most definitely the appearance of a world, even if we then question the reality of that appearance as we do here.’

*This video is from one of Rupert’s in-person retreats at The Vedanta, 11–18 October 2023. For more information on upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:

Timestamps:

0:00 Ajātivāda and Vivartavāda
1:21 Nothing Exists
2:39 The Infinite’s Point of View
4:15 Our Finite Points of View
4:48 The Highest Teachings
5:46 The Mind’s Blind Spot

––

ACCESS FULL VIDEO ARCHIVE
You can watch or listen to 1000s of hours of teachings, guided meditations and answers in Rupert's full video archive here:

––

RETREATS (Weekend, 5-day, 7-day)
Rupert holds regular retreats, roughly once per month, either in-person and online. Many in-person retreats can also be attended from the comfort of your home via livestream.

ONLINE RETREAT SCHEDULE

IN-PERSON RETREATS SCHEDULE (Also Available to Join Online via Live Stream)

––

WEEKLY WEBINARS (2 hours)
Rupert's webinars take place on Wednesday evenings, from 4pm UK time. In the first twenty to thirty minutes, Rupert leads a spontaneous meditation. The remaining time is open for attendees to discuss their questions with Rupert.

WEEKLY WEBINAR SCHEDULE

––

BROWSE RUPERT’S BOOKS

––

LISTEN TO RUPERT’S PODCAST

––

JOIN RUPERT’S FACEBOOK GROUP

––

SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS

––

FOLLOW RUPERT ON MEDIUM

––

SUBSCRIBE TO RUPERT’S YOUTUBE FOR NEW VIDEO ALERTS

––

#rupertspira #nonduality #happiness #natureofreality #consciousness #awareness #meditation #guidedmeditation

RS23168c

[jmburko]

I have been studying A Course in Miracles for about 10 years. Its message unequivocally is that “ there is no world “. We are only dreaming. The Course's “ Principle of Atonement “ says that nothing ever happened. A finite mind, which I believe I am, cannot possibly understand this, of course. I am completely comfortable with the fact there is no world, in fact, relieved. Because the world I think I see is completely insane. Nothing ultimately works in the “world of form”, ruled by the egoic mind. It’s only when I perceive the world with the Holy Spirit, or God, or Love, or consciousness, that I can change my perception and see all things as perfect. Thank you so much for your wonderful teaching! 🙏🙏🩷🩷

[NowisEvollovetion]

Yes. 'Nothing' exists. And that nothingness is the 'Empty Space' in between everything. That 'Empty Space' that without which nothing else could possibly exist. As logically. All that there could possibly be without that 'Empty Space' (nothing). Would be one large, dense. And 'Indivisible' lump of matter. And yet. As 'Nothing' does exist. It also simultaneously 'Does Not Exist'. As when you look into 'Empty Space'. There is clearly 'Nothing' there. Best wishes 🙏

[lynlavalight]

Ajātivāda (अजातिवाद) is the fundamental philosophical doctrine of the Advaita Vedanta philosopher Gaudapada.[1] According to Gaudapada, the Absolute is not subject to birth, change and death. The Absolute is aja, the unborn eternal.[1] The empirical world of appearances is considered unreal, and not absolutely existent.[1]

Gaudapada's perspective is based on the Māṇḍūkya Upanishad, [2] applying the philosophical concept of "ajāta" to the inquiry of Brahman, [3][4] showing that Brahman wholly transcends the conventional understanding of being and becoming. The concept is also found in Madhyamaka Buddhism, as the theory of nonorigination.[5][6]

[-Boundless-]

It depends how the words are used.

If used to mean “no thing stands out”, aka “there are no things”, then sure, “nothing exists”.

If used to mean “nothing is an actual substance”, aka “non-being has being”, then nothing does not exist.

[Your-True-Self]

Surely Ajativada is the timeless truth. Vivartavavada requires time and reflects our experience

[thomasbrouwer]

Amazing how Rupert breaks down complex vedanta philosophy into accessible language.

[IAMLiamwalker]

Cheeky Rupert with The Sanskrit words🤣🙏❤️

[hbqssyv]

Asumptions apon assumptions apon assumtions

[Bobsbigbuoy]

Rupert assumes limitations for the infinite… saying it “cannot” do something is an assumption. It may very well be personal, and it very well may be able to experience. This is not a given. Infinite awareness may in fact be aware of absolutely every ‘thing’.

[gitaarmanad]

When reality, being time and space was/is made of pure awareness, it doesn't mean that nothing exists. Matter, time and space has to be made of something, whatever it is. If it is made from consciousness, so be it. What's the problem with that?

[bryandraughn]

You don't experience a connection with the perfect, infinite void. It experiences you. Only for a brief moment when it touches the earth.

[CharlesGodwin-ckse]

That which is (Life) that is nothing in particular (actual), is by definition everything in general (potential).

Everything outer and physical, is projected analogue of the Psyche.

[bhngrmk]

You can think of the (whatever label you wish) as the number ZERO manifested as INFINITY (as positive & negative numbers - so-called "good" and "bad", matter/anti-matter, attributes and their opposites/contradictions) and thereby remaining in equilibrium (MOKSHA); akin to Einstein's E = M equation (interplay/lila between energy and matter); 0 is both NOTHING and EVERYTHING (infinity) simultaneously.
The divine is both the hunter and the hunted. It is both the victor and the vanquished. Triumph & Disaster - the two impostors (from the poem IF). By manifesting as all outcomes including their opposites - experiencing reality through myriad forms and from every perspective/vantage point, the divine remains in a non-judgmental equilibrium state, unperturbed, like the 0. However, for it to be in equilibrium, it MUST manifest as everything, including the not-so-pleasant states of existence. You cannot have roses and not have thorns.

"Yahweh" in Aramaic/Hebrew means "I am" or "I am that which is" - it is a description of a state and not a proper noun; and in Sanskrit, "Tat Tvam Asi" means "Thou Art That". Baruch Spinoza's interpretation of Judaism is similar to Sanatana philosophy.

Fire and Water are antithetical to one another but fire's dharma is to burn, and water's dharma is the attribute of wetness. Neither is judgmental of the other nor apologetic for their attributes/gunas. Every guna is inherently both creative and destructive, in whatever manner it is expressed.

Our individual selves (the numbers) are the expressions of our macro-self (the Zero). Each number possesses unique characteristics (permutation and combination of gunas) and therefore is judgmental of the other numbers, comprehending only a small subset of the whole. As a consequence, it is compelled to manifest (re-incarnate) as these other numbers. When unable to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, nature will make us wear those shoes at some point in our evolution (even if it takes another life).
At the same time it is okay to judge and trust that nature will do its job. With everything that's going on in the world every second, it is impossible to wear all the different shoes simultaneously (am I to feel happy that a family is celebrating the birth of a child or feel sad that another family is mourning the death of a loved one?). Trying to forcibly be non-judgmental prevents us from living spontaneously and in the present. Our macro-self (the Zero) is already in a non-judgmental equilibrium state which it experiences by incarnating as the various shades of reality.
Zero arrives at non-judgment via judgment [as every expression/number is a judgment and as the numbers morph into other numbers, they are casting judgments and passing through judgments - by acquiring/shedding (creation, destruction) gunas/attributes].

My interpretation of Sanatana philosophy is that there is no permanent escape into some oblivious state of nothingness from which no re-emergence is possible. If that were true, our present epoch/universe would not exist. That is, the 0 is not a true void/nothing, it is always manifested as infinity, i.e., there is always incarnation.
The underlying homogeneous consciousness/energy field, expressed as the heterogeneous/diverse cosmos that is. Everyone and everything is enlightened along all points in time, from moment to moment - be it a particle, star, black hole, mountain, river, fire, water, plant, animal, or human. There is no enlightenment to chase in some future state.
From the 0's vantage point there is no passage of time, because there is no change, and time = change. Reality is both static (as 0) and dynamic (as infinite numbers inside the 0). Life, humans, are simply a part of the infinite spectrum, so the viewpoint expressed here is not life-centric or human-centric.

The above explanation makes Sanatana philosophy both monotheistic and polytheistic. Both sides of the equation (E = M) are valid - one is not less substantive than the other as is commonly believed. The grass always appears to be greener on the other side - existing in the Relative we focus on the Absolute, while the Absolute is continually manifesting as the Relative.
Carl Sagan - "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself".

(Nirguna) = (Saguna)

Reality is both detached and immersive. It's like the Lotus flower (a popular analogy used in Sanatana philosophy) that is in the marshes - both clean and unclean, immersed as well as transcended. The poem IF by Rudyard Kipling in my opinion also highlights this - the divine transcends/detaches from the notions of pleasure & pain, gain & loss, triumph & disaster - by experiencing (being immersed in) both these pairs of opposites.
These themes - of something and its opposite, both being valid, are found all throughout the Upanishads, Mahabharata/Gita, Sanatana philosophy.

[laaaliiiluuu]

Nothing cannot exist. It's nothing, thus, it cannot be there. Only something can exist but not nothing.

[neoram]

Could anyone link the blind spot meditation Sir Rupert was speaking of here?

[MaartendeJager]

No~thing excists
That alone excists


The less you think and care about creation
The more you become the creator.

[redhotcool]

There are eastern teachings that have already uncovered those "mystery." The Tao De Jing (道德经), Yi Jing, Book of chnages(易经), The Secret of the Golden Flower, (太乙金華宗旨) etc, just to name a few.

[Ishwayana]

Yes Nothing exists or not exists. Who is the one perceiving and defining what is existence or non-existence? Or even that does anything appear
or disappear? What does it mean appearing and disappearing? Am I in a contemplation or is the contemplation within me?

I am not even the question with no answer.

[Pfuetzenspringer]

Luminous darkness🙏 thunderous silence🙏

[narendratirumale]

Infinite Electromagnetic Frequency Spectrum with it's point '0' AS THE "AMNES" is we the Primordial Existor.