Rupert Spira on Awareness

The Daily Quote from Rupert Spira, 24th July 2016
“We are the open, empty, allowing presence of Awareness, in which the objects of the body, mind and world appear and disappear, with which they are known and, ultimately, out of which they are made. Just notice that and be that, knowingly.”

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Is your ‘inner self’ mind or heart or heart-mind?

EXPLANATION OF ‘HEART-MIND’ – OUR INTERIORITY – EXTRACT FROM DOCTORAL THESIS

My answer is the human spirit – her own and her pupils. How might we construe that spirit? My answer is as the flow of ‘spirit-as-the-life-force’ (chi?)

One analogy for the ‘flow of spirit-as-the-life-force’ is water flowing. Another analogy lies in the flow of energy as dancer dances. Another metaphor for ‘the flow of spirit-as-the-life-force’ is that of white light. These metaphors are the opposite of the mechanistic ‘human-as-computers’ or the older ‘humans-as-machines’ metaphors.

Since I see teachers as ‘developers of consciousness’ I here am focusing on the idea of the life-force, in a normal person, culminating in (raised) consciousness. I also use the term interiority to refer to consciousness. By interiority I mean ‘affective awareness’ and ‘moral awareness’ as well as ‘cognitive awareness’ – hence my preference for ‘heart-mind’ as a term for interiority.

I am grateful to Martin Cortazzi for pointing out that a unitive presentation of heart-mind has a long history. He tells me that heart-mind corresponds to ‘xin’ in Chinese, (sometimes transcribed as ‘hsin’). (Professor Peter Harvey of the University of Sunderland also points out that ‘citta’ in Sanskrit, as used in Indian Buddhism, has the same meaning)

Hansen (1989 p. 97) explains that ‘We use ‘heart-mind’ to translate xin. This is because the philosophical psychology of ancient China did not use a cognitive/affective contrast in their talk of well-honed human performance…’

He also points out (1992 p. 20) that ‘The common translation of xin as heart-mind reflects the blending of belief and desire (thought and feeling, ideas and emotions) into a single complex dispositional potential.’
Tu ( 1985 p. 32) provides further evidence in saying:

…the Confucian hsin [xin] must be glossed as ‘heart-mind’ because it involves both cognitive & affective dimensions of human relations. This ‘fruitful ambiguity’ is perhaps the result of a deliberate refusal rather than an unintended failure to make a sharp distinction between conscience & consciousness. To Yang-Ming [Wang Yang-Ming, neo-Confucian philosopher 1477-1529] consciousness as cognition & conscience as affection are not two separable functions of the mind. Rather, they are integral aspects of a dynamic process whereby man becomes aware of himself as a moral being. Indeed, the source of morality depends on their inseparability in a pre-reflective faculty.

Rupert Spira: All that I have ever been is ‘knowing presence’

All that I have ever been is ‘knowing presence’ – Rupert Spira

Keys to Nondual Interspirituality 1: Heschel – 'We are Citizens of Two Realms'

Heschel wrote;

‘The search for reason ends at the shore of the known;
on the immense expanse beyond it
only the sense of the ineffable can glide.
It alone knows the route to that
which is remote from experience and understanding.

Neither is amphibious:
reason cannot go beyond the shore,
and the sense of the ineffable
is out of place where we measure, where we weigh…….

Citizens of two realms, we must all sustain dual allegiance:
we sense the ineffable in one realm;
we name and exploit reality in another.’

In this wonder-full passage Heschel tells us a number of key things about the nature of what it is to be human and about our relation to the physical and spiritual cosmos.

Heschel is the master on awe, wonder and the ineffable. He is a philosopher and spiritual teacher who is also a poet.

We are ‘citizens of two realms’ tells us that we are born to live in the dual, contingent world. We are challenged to discover, realize and integrate within ourselves the ineffable, transcendent realm. Reinforced by our contemporary society, most manipulatively by ‘mammon’, we are led into believing that this is reality. Whereas from all of the great spiritual teachers we gradually learn, through our unhappiness and the dull ache of not ‘being home’, that this is our false self. The answer lies in realizing our true Self – the Transcendent realm.

The dual is our small island of knowledge – of the dual, contingent world. The nondual is the infinite Ocean that surrounds our little island i.e. Mystery, the Whole, YHWH, the Source etc.

Experience in the ineffable realm is by definition indescribable but thank God the Messengers of God and poets give us glorious intimations.

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To date the best way of describing nondual experience is;

When the heart-mind is quietened, there is only Oneness – the dual world slips away…..

Bill Carey: The Cornerstone of Reality is Consciousness & the Zen Gateless Gate

I came across an interesting insight by Bill carey on consciousness. Consciousness is a synonym for awareness for some writers on spirituality. My simple distinction is between the physical consciousness and the spiritual awareness. Awareness can be difficult to explain in a Nondual context. “Rupert Spira says;

“By ‘Awareness’ I mean whatever it is that is aware of our experience. By ‘mind’ I mean thoughts and images (although in a wider context I sometimes use the term to include feelings, sensations and perceptions as well.)”

The Bill Carey piece;

“Finally, I came to understand the nature of reality, whose cornerstone
is consciousness:

(a) it is created by the delimitation of perceptual chaos through agreement;

(b) it is unique to each individual; and

(c) we create a cultural consensus regarding the content of “reality”
using language as our tool.

Language is our willed abstraction of our experience, just as identity
is our willed abstraction of what some call “the ground of being.” A
visceral understanding and utilization of these insights constitutes,
in a real sense, the abandonment of all paradigms; at that instant,
one steps through what Zen calls “the gateless gate” (a one-way
passage, by the way.)

But everybody’s got to do it by themselves, because it isn’t teachable
in any current sense of the word, since language merely abstracts the
experience rather than describes it. Yet the experience is available
to everyone. Once again, Zen:

“It is too clear, and so it is hard to see. A dunce once searched for
a fire with a lighted lantern.

Had he known what fire was, he could have cooked his rice much
sooner.” ”

http://www.firedocs.com/carey/happen.html

Rupert Spira weaving love, beauty and presence and other wonderful no-things

‘The Seamless Intimacy Of Experience’ – Interview by Renate McNay

The two books referred to are – ‘Presence: The Seamless Intimacy Of Experience’ and ‘Presence: The Art Of Peace And Happiness’

Scott Kiloby: on inattention as an object in awareness

Scott has written on ‘inattention’ in a very useful way that I haven’t seen elsewhere. It is helpful in relation to several nonduality teachers. For example it is useful in relation to the brilliantly successful definition of meditation given by Joan Tollifson;

“meditation is moment-to-moment presence that excludes nothing and sticks to nothing.”

Scott on ‘Inattention’

Notice when thought is referencing past, future, or resistance to now. These thoughts appear in awareness. When these thoughts appear, it feels like inattention. In other words, it feels like you are not here “in the now.” Is that really true?

Inattention is merely an object in awareness. It is a movement of thought, a dream of past, future, or resistance to now. In noticing that movement, notice that there is often another voice that comments on the inattention. This voice says that you should not be lost in your self-centered story.

The voice is trying to convince you that what is happening (i.e., inattention) should not be happening. Is that true? Is it true that something that is happening should not be happening including inattention? Is it true that thought should not arise? Only a thought would say that thought should not arise.

Instead of making a new self-centered story about whether you are or are not “present” enough, just notice what is. Noticing what is — including so-called “inattention” — allows what is to be just as it is.

A thought within the time-bound story and the subsequent thought that tells you that you should not be lost in that story are both appearances in awareness. Be clear that you are the awareness. In that clarity, it is seen that no appearance can take you away from what you are.

~ From: Reflections of the One Life, by Scott Kiloby http://www.kiloby.com/

AWARENESS: inspirations from Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha, Ken Wilber and Rupert Spira

Earlier today I posted a piece about Deikman’s ‘I = awareness’.

Here are four other teachers on the nature of awareness;

1a) “…..according to the great sages, there is something in us that is “always conscious” that is literally conscious or aware at all times through all states, waking, dreaming, sleeping. And that “ever present awareness is Spirit in us”. That underlying current of constant consciousness (or non-dual awareness) is a direct and unbroken ray of pure Spirit itself. It is our connection with the Goddess, our pipeline straight to God.” — Ken Wilber in One Taste p. 64 – -0-

1b) The one thing that we always are already aware of is….awareness itself. We already have basic awareness in the form of the capacity to witness whatever arises. As an old Zen master used to say, “you hear the birds? You see the sun? Who is not enlightened? None of us can even imagine a state where basic awareness is not because we would still be aware of the imagining. Even in dreams we are aware. Moreover, these traditions maintain, there are not two different types of awareness, enlightened versus ignorant. There is only awareness. And this awareness, exactly & precisely as it is, without correction or modification at all, is itself Spirit, since there is nowhere that Spirit is not. The instructions then are to recognize awareness, recognize the Witness, recognize the Self, & abide as that. Any attempt to get awareness is totally beside the point. “But I still don’t see the Spirit!” “You are aware of your not seeing Spirit, and that awareness is itself Spirit!” You can practice mindfulness, because there is forgetfulness; but you cannot practice awareness, because there is only awareness. Ken Wilber in One Taste: p130

2a) BAHA’I INSPIRATIONS: “Earth & heaven cannot contain Me; what can alone contain Me is the heart of him that believeth in Me, and is faithful to My Cause.” How often hath the human heart, which is the recipient of the light of God and the seat of the revelation of the All-Merciful, erred from Him Who is the Source of that light and the Well Spring of that revelation. …..Those hearts, …. that are aware of His Presence, are close to Him, and are to be regarded as having drawn nigh unto His throne. SOURCE – http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/GWB/gwb-93.html

2b)…..the Essence of God is incomprehensible to the human mind, for the finite understanding cannot be applied to this infinite Mystery. God contains all: He cannot be contained. ….. The whole is greater than its parts. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá – SOURCE – http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PT/pt-5.html

3) Rupert Spira inspirations: Awareness cannot be found by the mind, in most cases it is deemed missing. And as a result of that, the peace and the happiness that are inherent in it are also considered missing. And hence the imaginary self goes off into the world in search of the missing peace and happiness. And as we all know, it doesn’t live there. Where does it live? In the simple knowing of our own being. It’s knowing of itself, that is, awareness’s awareness of awareness. And it is your innermost experience at all times. It’s not a new experience. It’s not something that has been lost and has to be found. At worst, we could say it has been overlooked, apparently. The screen has been overlooked due to our exclusive fascination with the body, the mind, and the world.
…….. just relax the focus of your attention from the body, mind and the world. You don’t have to get rid of them, just cease being exclusively focused on anything. It’s like withdrawing your attention, it’s like putting the camera slightly out of focus. Your attention flows back to its source which is your self. You just stand as this space of awareness. You just let the body, the mind and the world do whatever they’ve been conditioned to do. Just let them flow by. NB Rupert’s YouTube videos are here – https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=rupert+spira+

Rupert Spira: a beautiful, kind piece of teaching on awareness, presence and our true Self – and simplicity.

Tommy: Do you think that I should begin with a more concrete practice such as “following the breath” or yoga in order to develop more clarity and presence in order to carry out these more subtle practices/explorations?

Rupert No. You are already Presence. You cannot develop that. It is your birthright. It is You. As regards more clarity, what will help is simple looking and simple seeing.

If you are feeling depressed do whatever is necessary in your case to bring yourself to a more neutral place. Be gentle with yourself. Go for a walk. See a friend….whatever helps you.

When you are feeling stable enquire into your true nature and see that you are this Knowing Presence that is experiencing whatever appearances of the mind, body and world are present. Be that knowingly. Rest as that. Be very loving, as this Presence, with all appearances, especially your own feelings of resistance. Be yourself and allow them to be.

• http://non-duality.rupertspira.com/read/taking_our_stand_as_awareness

The Youness of You and The Seer, the Seeing and the Seen – inspiration on nonduality from Scott Kiloby

‘The ‘Youness of You’ and ‘The Seer, the Seeing and the Seen’ – inspiration on nonduality from Scott Kiloby’

Scott Kiloby refers to his work as ‘freedom through non-dual recognition’. I like the crispness of that!

The statement below is by Scott Kiloby (I have added the numbering).

1 The dream self is created from identification with objects that arise. For example, you might think, “I am angry,” or “It’s a dreadful day.” But look more closely.

2 If you can see a thought, is that thought you? If you can see an emotion, is it you?

3 You are the seer, not the objects seen.

4 That which is seen is an object that arises and disappears — comes and goes — a temporary form.

5 You are That which is looking at those objects as they arise and disappear, come and go etc.

6 Even the notion that there is ‘a seer’ as a separate identity is an object (an idea) in awareness. In looking inward, there is no separate entity there. There is only awareness recognizing awareness.

7 Awareness is not an object. Your true identity is pure seeing itself.

8 This can be fearful if there is a desire to hold onto some identity. But it is absolutely liberating if you see that even that fear is an object in awareness.

9 Suffering happens when you believe that you are your thoughts and emotions. In reality, you are not angry. Anger is arising. It’s not actually a dreadful day. The thought, “It’s a dreadful day” is arising in awareness.

10 This isn’t about denying or suppressing thought and emotion. It is about seeing them for what they really are. ~ From: Reflections of the One Life, Sep. 4, by Scott Kiloby http://www.kiloby.com

I LOVE HOW POPULAR SONGS SPEAK ELOQUENTLY ABOUT SPIRITUAL AS WELL AS EARTHLY LOVE

Very little needs changing in this wonderful song to get it to refer to Divine love;

I coined the phrase ‘the youness of you’ as a response to the theme of Scott’s teaching – you can sing it to the tune ‘The Nearness of You’ Lots of Laughter!

‘The Nearness of You’ – by Hoagy Carmichael

It’s not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It’s just the nearness of you

It isn’t your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It’s just the nearness of you

When you’re in my arms and I feel you so close to me
All my wildest dreams come true

I need no soft lights to enchant me
If you’ll only grant me the right
To hold you ever so tight
And to feel in the night the nearness of you (SEE BELOW for Rod Stewart’s version!)

MANY THANKS TO Peter and Pearl in Australia who send out a daily email that introduced me to Scott’s teaching. You can sign up as well – Inquiries: omniread@iinet.net.au – Web Site: http://www.peterspearls.com.au

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The ‘earthy’ Rod Stewart’s version of ‘The Nearness of You’!