Rupert Spira

The overlooking of our own being is the root cause of all unhappiness and, therefore, the root cause of our search for happiness. This collection of contemplations, the first volume in the Essence of Meditation series, will lead readers toward their own experiential understanding of that which we all call I, inviting them to relax into awareness and explore their true nature."

Being Aware of Being Aware

"The Nature of Consciousness" challenges the prevailing materialist paradigm that is holding humanity back, suggesting that consciousness is the fundamental reality of the apparent duality of mind and matter, and that overlooking or ignoring this reality is the root cause of the suffering that pervades and motivates most people s lives, as well as the wider conflicts that exist between communities and nations. This comprehensive investigation will satisfy readers of all kinds, from the existentially minded to the rigorously scientific to the earnestly hopeful for peace. "

Essays on the Unity of Mind and Matter

The Nature of Consciousness

The Transparency of Things

Our self, aware presence, knows no resistance to any appearance and, as such, is happiness itself; like the empty space of a room, it cannot be disturbed and is, therefore, peace itself; like this page, it is intimately one with whatever appears on it and is thus love itself; and like water that is not affected by the shape of a wave, it is pure freedom. Causeless joy, imperturbable peace, love that knows no opposite, and freedom at the heart of all experience this is our ever-present nature under all circumstances."

The Art of Peace and Happiness

Presence

“Rupert Spira is one of the great souls. Read his books, and be clarified.” —Coleman Barks, translator of Rumi, including Soul Fury A contemplative poem about the intimate, impersonal, infinite nature of being. In A Meditation on I Am, Rupert Spira contemplates the essential nature of our self before it has been conditioned or qualified by the content of experience. It is a poem, a prayer and a hymn of praise to the simple fact of being that is the source of the peace and happiness for which we long above all else. For seasoned spiritual seekers and newcomers alike, this meditative poem explores and celebrates the truth of what we essentially are: the awareness of being that shines in each of our minds as the knowledge “I am,” which is temporarily coloured by experience but is never modified, changed or harmed by it.

A Meditation on I Am

How may we find happiness and peace? In this book, Rupert Spira distills the message of all the great religious and spiritual traditions into two essential truths: happiness is the very nature of our self or being, and we share our being with everyone and everything. Drawing on numerous examples from his own experience, Spira demonstrates that to seek lasting happiness through objects, situations and relationships is destined for failure and disappointment, and skillfully guides the reader to recognize that we are already the happiness we seek. This book is for anyone who yearns for lasting happiness and is open to the possibility that it is continuously available within ourselves, irrespective of our circumstances. Could there be any greater discovery in life than to know that we are already that for which we long?

Uncovering the Awareness of Being

You Are the Happiness You Seek

Being Myself is a contemplative exploration of the essential nature of our self. Everyone has the sense of ‘being myself,' but not everyone knows their self clearly. In most cases, our sense of self is mixed up with the content of experience and, as a result, its natural condition of peace and happiness is veiled. Through investigation and analogy, the meditations in this collection take us back to our true nature again and again, until we begin to find our self naturally and effortlessly established there, as that. In time, experience loses its capacity to veil our being, and its innate peace and joy emerge from the background of experience. * * * The Essence of Meditation Series presents meditations on the essential, non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions, compiled from contemplations led by Rupert Spira at his meetings and retreats. This simple, contemplative approach, which encourages a clear seeing of one’s experience rather than any kind of effort or discipline, leads the reader to an experiential understanding of their own essential being and the peace and fulfilment that are inherent within it.

Being Myself

All that is known is experiencing, and experiencing is not divided into one part (an inside self) that experiences and another part (an outside object, other, or world) that is experienced. Experiencing is seamless and intimate, made of knowing or awareness alone. This intimacy, in which there is no room for selves, objects, or others, is love itself. It lies at the heart of all experience, completely available under all circumstances."

The Intimacy of All Experience

Sayings on the Essence of Non-duality

Ashes of Love

Transparent Body, Luminous World

Sayings on the Essence of Non-Duality

The Ashes of Love

Thirty Meditations on the Essence of Non-Duality

The Light of Pure Knowing

All that is known is experiencing, and experiencing is not divided into one part (an inside self) that experiences and another part (an outside object, other, or world) that is experienced. Experiencing is seamless and intimate, made of “knowing” or awareness alone. This intimacy, in which there is no room for selves, objects, or others, is love itself. It lies at the heart of all experience, completely available under all circumstances.

Presence, Volume II

The purpose of The Transparency of Things is to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it. A series of contemplations leads us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. As such, it is nothing that can be experienced as an object, and yet it is undeniably present. However, these contemplations go much further than this. As we take our stand knowingly as this conscious Presence that we always already are, and reconsider the objects of the body, mind, and world, we find that they do not simply appear to this Presence; they appear within it. And further exploration reveals that they do not simply appear within this Presence but as this Presence. Finally, we are led to see that it is in fact this very Presence that takes the shape of our experience from moment to moment while always remaining only itself. We see that our experience is and has only ever been one seamless totality, with no separate entities, objects, or parts anywhere to be found.

Contemplating the Nature of Experience

Your self, aware presence, knows no resistance to any appearance and, as such, is happiness itself; like the empty space of a room it cannot be disturbed and is, therefore, peace itself; like this page, it is intimately one with whatever appears on it and is thus love itself; and like water that is not affected by the shape of a wave, it is pure freedom. Causeless joy, imperturbable peace, love that knows no opposite and freedom at the heart of all experience....this is your ever-present nature under all circumstances. Rupert Spira Presence is a profound and luminous book with great power and is obviously the fruit of many years of contemplation. These two volumes together are a relentless and utterly thorough examination of the nature of experience, exploring every square centimeter of the territory with absolute excellence and ruthlessly precise analysis. Their astuteness and clarity will be extremely exciting to those readers who are ready for the next steps in lifting the veil of separation and I suspect it will become a spiritual classic that readers will savour slowly and return to again and again. Victoria Ritchie Former Manager of Watkins Bookshop and Editor for Eckhart Tolle

The Art of Peace and Happiness -

All that is known is experiencing and experiencing is not divided into one part (an inside self) that experiences and another part (an outside object, other or world) that is experienced. Experiencing is seamless and intimate, made of 'knowing' or Awareness alone. This intimacy, in which there is no room for selves, objects or others, is love itself. It lies at its heart of all experience, completely available under all circumstances. Rupert Spira Presence is one of the most exciting and illuminating books on non-duality I have encountered and its precision, articulateness in naming the nameless, unparalleled depth and ability to inspire were constantly appreciated. This book succeeds in taking the reader beyond concepts and into the experiential level. The irony is that this work, which is so advanced and sophisticated in its use of language, thought and conceptualization, is inexorably directed towards pure experiencing. It is a brilliant and lucid work carrying great strength and authority suggesting it is an indisputable source of Truth. Victoria Ritchie Former Manager of Watkins Bookshop and Editor for Eckhart Tolle

The Intimacy of All Experience -

"The Transparency of Things" calls us to look clearly at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it. A series of contemplations leads readers gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind, but is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. However, these contemplations go much further: as we stand as conscious Presence and reconsider the objects of the body, mind, and world, we find that they do not just appear "to" this Presence but "within" it and further exploration reveals that they do not appear "within" this Presence but "as" this Presence. Finally, readers are led to see that our experience is and has only ever been one seamless totality, with no separate entities, objects, or parts to be found."

"This volume documents the work of Rupert Spira, a leading ceramic artist in the middle of his career, tracing its development from his training under Henry Hammond and Michael Cardew, two of the great studio potters of the twentieth century, to a recent exhibition tour of Japan."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Bowl

The Knowing of Our Own Being is the first volume in the Conversations on the Essence of Non-Duality series from luminary teacher and author Rupert Spira. This book presents the most fundamental questions about non-duality commonly asked by spiritual seekers and people new to the teachings. In our modern world, so marked by materialism and the disconnection that seems to stem from it, many of us are looking for a higher truth, one that speaks to what connects us rather than divides us. Some of the questions that may initially prompt our spiritual seeking include Who am I? Does God exist? What is the cause of suffering? and What is enlightenment? If you've been on a spiritual path for some time, you may find yourself asking questions like How do I stop my thoughts? What happens when the body dies? Why is there ignorance? and Do I have free will? No matter where you are in your spiritual search, The Knowing of Our Own Being can help. Starting with the introduction, this book places non-duality in its historical and philosophical context, describing both the "inward-facing" and "outward-facing" paths toward understanding and abiding as one's true nature. The first chapter begins with the most basic question--"What is non-duality?"--while successive chapters gradually broaden and deepen the discussion, always returning to the essential exploration of the nature of consciousness, but addressing even larger and more complex questions, such as "Is Witnessing Awareness Separate from Objects?" "What Is the Purpose of Life?" and "Is World Peace Possible?" With gentle guidance, writing that is accessible and direct, and clear dialogues, The Knowing of Our Own Being will satisfy and stimulate, helping you develop the confidence that can only come with a truly experiential exploration of these eternal questions, regardless of spiritual background.

An Introduction to Non-Duality

The Knowing of Our Own Being

Your self, aware presence, knows no resistance to any appearance and, as such, is happiness itself; like the empty space of a room, it cannot be disturbed and is, therefore, peace itself; like this page, it is intimately one with whatever appears on it and is thus love itself; and like water that is not affected by the shape of a wave, it is pure freedom. Causeless joy, imperturbable peace, love that knows no opposite, and freedom at the heart of all experience…this is your ever-present nature under all circumstances.

Rupert Spira

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