#349 - Rupert Spira - Enlightenment, Happiness & Non-Duality

Learning from this conversation with Rupert Spira is that enlightenment, or awakening, refers to the recognition of one's essential being or self. This essential self is not the transient elements of our experience, such as thoughts, feelings, relationships, or activities. Instead, it is the inherent and unchanging aspect of ourselves that never disappears. To achieve enlightenment, we don't need to get rid of or change these elements but rather recognize that they are not essential to our true nature. Rupert uses the analogy of a screen and an image to illustrate this concept: just as no image is essential to the screen, no transient experience is essential to our essential self. This realization is what is referred to as enlightenment or awakening in religious and spiritual traditions. It's a simple yet profound concept that invites us to see clearly the nature of our true selves.

The self is not defined by the constant changing experiences, but rather by the awareness or consciousness that is present throughout those experiences. The thoughts, feelings, and sensations we have are not the same as they were even just a few minutes ago, but the awareness that knows them remains the same. This awareness is our essential self, the one thing that never changes and cannot be removed. It's important to note that this awareness is not the same as the word "awareness" as some people might understand it, but rather the consciousness or subjective experience that is always present. So, while our experiences come and go, the awareness that knows them remains consistently present, making it our unchanging, irreducible self.

Awareness or consciousness, which is the fundamental aspect of our being that perceives our thoughts, feelings, and the world around us, is not an object or a thing, but rather a non-dual, subjective experience. This understanding is a core tenet of nondualism, a philosophical and spiritual tradition that underlies various religious and philosophical systems. Nondualism posits that our true nature is happiness itself, and we share this happiness with everyone and everything. Awareness or consciousness, being the essence of our being, is not something that can be described or objectified, but rather experienced directly as an open, impartial, and non-judgmental presence. It is an ever-changing, textured, and high-fidelity experience that allows us to focus on specific aspects of our experience or expand our awareness to encompass the entire spectrum of it. By recognizing the true nature of awareness, we can transcend the limitations of language and philosophical constructs and directly experience the interconnectedness and unity of all things.

Awareness, or the part of us that is aware of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, is not itself agitated or lacking. It is a peaceful and independent observer, much like a camera observing its surroundings without being affected by what it sees. This peace and independence are the very nature of ourselves, not something we need to attain or manipulate. The words "peace" and "happiness" can be used interchangeably to describe this fundamental aspect of our being. It's important to remember that this peace and happiness are not dependent on external circumstances or the content of our experiences. Instead, they are inherent to who we are.

Happiness is not an emotion, but rather the ever-present background of all emotions, like the blue sky behind the clouds. It is the nature of our self and is always present, but it is not always felt due to the obscuring effects of thoughts and feelings. The belief that happiness can be acquired through changing the content of our experiences is a common impediment to recognizing it as an inherent part of ourselves. The analogy of the sky and the weather can help illustrate this concept: the sky, or awareness, remains indifferent and complete, while the weather, or thoughts and feelings, come and go. To attain happiness or peace, one must let go of the belief that it can be acquired through external means and instead recognize it as the inherent nature of our being.

Happiness is not dependent on external objectives or states, such as wealth, health, or relationships. Instead, desires and motivations should come from a place other than a sense of lack. It's important to be aware of the source of our desires, as some may arise from a sense of lack, while others may come from feelings of happiness, love, or a desire to explore or express truth. The only type of desire that diminishes with this understanding is the desire driven by a sense of lack and the belief that acquiring an object, substance, state, or relationship will provide lasting happiness. It's essential to recognize the difference between being driven by a sense of gap (lack) or gain (compulsion towards something good).

Many people are driven to achieve great things out of a deep-rooted fear of insufficiency. They believe that acquiring wealth, success, or material possessions will fill the void within them and make them worthy of love and happiness. However, this fleeting sense of happiness is short-lived, and the feeling of emptiness returns, often requiring a stronger dose of the desired object or substance. This cycle can lead to despair or depression for some, but for others, it can spark an intuition that they have been looking for happiness in the wrong place. This turning point leads to the investigation of one's true nature, which is the beginning of the path to recognizing our innate peace and happiness. Through an experiment of removing temporary and objective experiences, we can identify our awareness as the remaining essence. This relates to the non-dual aspect of the terminology, as happiness is our true nature, and we share this being with everyone and everything, making us all interconnected parts of a single, indivisible reality.

According to non-dual understanding, our inner experience of happiness is connected to our true nature, which is a single, unified reality. This reality appears to us as a multiplicity and diversity of objects and selves, including ourselves. The analogy of a dream illustrates this concept well. In a dream, our mind imagines a dreamed world and localizes itself as a character within it, experiencing a sense of separation and independence. However, upon waking up, we realize that this sense of separation was an illusion. Similarly, the universe is the mental activity of the one infinite consciousness, but it cannot perceive itself directly. Instead, it localizes itself within its own imagination as an apparently separate subject of experience, from whose perspective it views its own activity as an apparently outside world. In essence, all there is, is the one unified reality, appearing as a multitude of things and selves.

Our perception of reality is limited by our finite minds, which function like a virtual reality headset, shaping our experience according to its capabilities. However, this does not mean that reality is solely confined to our minds; rather, it owes its existence to infinite consciousness. Rupert Sheldrake, who has spent decades exploring this concept, describes it as the difference between the structure of our minds and the contents of our experience. He shares his personal journey of rediscovering this intuition he had as a child and the evolution of his understanding over the years. Despite the complexity of the topic, Sheldrake emphasizes that the essence of this idea is simple and ordinary.

True peace and happiness cannot be found in objective experiences or external sources, but rather in the very nature of oneself. Rupert Spira shares his understanding of non-dual consciousness, explaining how he has come to realize that the innate peace and happiness within him are not derived from external experiences. Instead, he goes back to his being when these feelings are eclipsed. Moreover, Spira's sense of shared being with everyone and everything deepens over time, leading to a progressive dissolving of separation and an increased sensitivity to others' suffering. He encourages those who are consumed with their own suffering to trace their experience inwards, rather than reaching outwards for external solutions, to find peace and awareness within themselves. For more information on Rupert Spira's work and non-dualism, people can start by exploring his YouTube channel.

Rupert Spira, a renowned spiritual teacher, invites you to explore his extensive collection of YouTube videos, which serves as an introduction to his teachings. His website, rupertspire.com, offers a wealth of resources, including books, archived meetings, and weekly webinars. For those interested in a philosophical exploration of consciousness, Spira recommends his book "The Nature of Consciousness." However, for a simpler, experiential approach, he suggests "Being Aware of Being Aware" or his upcoming book "Being Myself." These books offer essential non-dual understanding in a concise manner. Begin your journey with Spira through these resources and prepare for thought-provoking insights into the nature of reality and consciousness.