Sweet Sacred Sadness

Rupert thanks the staff of Castello di Titignano, his team and the attendees.

This closing meditation simply references the sweet sacred sadness of the rain as the attendees prepare to go home today.

A man references something Nisargadatta said – the absolute doesn’t know what it is – to which Rupert replies that if the absolute didn’t know what it is, then we wouldn’t know what we are.

A woman asks how it is that both ‘I am’, something internal, and ‘it is’, something external, are true. Rupert explains that it is her experience that suggests there is ‘I am’ and that there is ‘it is’. There is no actual difference between these experiences.

A man says that the only thing he knows is that ‘I am’. Rupert leads him in self-enquiry and asks him to tell him about his being and whether he finds a limit there. The man replies ‘no’. Rupert then afffirms that he has no doubt that we share the same being. Rupert gives him two things to do: one, rest in being, and two, keep in touch with the community.

A man mentions the three paths – thinking, feeling and perceiving – and asks if the way of perceiving is the same as action. Rupert suggests that perceiving is more fundamental than acting, which is an upgrade of the more traditional view.

A woman shares that when she closes her eyes she sees a brown colour behind her eyes, which she feels pulls her away from being. Rupert suggests that the brown colour is a subtle perception. You may still be thinking as well, but these thoughts and perceptions don't matter. Give your attention to being, not these.

A woman shares that she sacrifices herself for others' happiness. Rupert offers that, just as her own happiness doesn’t depend on the content of experience, she shouldn't presume that other people's happiness does. He then suggests that she take a particular action regarding her boyfriend.

A man asks if the conversations from this retreat are the isness of the amness. Rupert suggests that the isness of all seeming things is unmanifest. Isness displays its existence as apparent things, but this is like the screen which never appears as an object in the movie and yet everything that appears in a movie is a manifestation of the screen.

Rupert quotes Rumi, thanks attendees and says goodbye.