Recognising Our Self

A woman from Switzerland asks how to see God's presence in everything. She says she can believe it, but doesn't know it. Rupert asks if that is the right question. Rather, she can ask herself, 'How do I know that being is limited, finite and temporary?'

A woman who has trouble prioritising her life around retreats, putting practice even before her children, asks how much spiritual practice is enough. Rupert says that practice is not limited to retreats and that everything in life is an opportunity to live this understanding

A man who designs video games says he wants to change careers to devote more time to realisation. Rupert tells the story of a friend who used his skills as a video game designer to share his understanding.

A woman from Sweden asks how to come to a place of surrender with physical pain. Rupert speaks of surrendering the sensation of pain to the space of awareness, which is like immersing the body in warm water that carries the pain away.

A woman from San Jose says she is trying to see herself in her family members. Rupert says that it is not that her being is in them, but that they are the same space of awareness.

A woman from Dallas says she suffered trauma as a child and the scar pervades her relationships. She asks, 'What is this pain?' Rupert says to shift attention from the pain to the one who feels it.

A man from Switzerland who is a teacher asks how to bring this teaching to seven-year-old children. Rupert notes that young children are not big on meditation but rather on using their imagination and having fun.

A woman describes an ongoing conversation she has with God, and asks who is talking to whom. Rupert asks if there is a distinction between talking to oneself and talking to God.

A man says he loves meditation so much it is affecting his job. He asks if this is an escape tactic and if he is lazy. Rupert explains that work is sadhana and it can be egoic to avoid it.

A man asks for a definition of memory from the non-dual perspective, because he fears losing joyful memories with his niece. Rupert explains that only consciousness is real; memories are imagination. The joy he feels is consciousness which remains.