The Essence of Meditation

Meditation can be categorised into three types: objective meditation, subjective meditation and non-meditation. Objective meditation, or the Progressive Path, involves focusing the mind on an object, such as the breath or a mantra. Subjective meditation, known as the Direct Path, turns attention inward to the source of awareness. Non-meditation, or the Pathless Path, is a state of self-resting and self-abiding without the use of the mind. The goal is to recognise our essential self, free from the influence of experience. Our self is always present in our thoughts, feelings, and actions, but clear self-knowledge is often veiled. Meditation helps us return to the transparent and luminous nature of our essential self. By emphasising the awareness of ‘I am’ in all experiences, we can uncover the shining essence of our being. Ultimately, meditation culminates in non-meditation, where meditation becomes our natural state of being, the water of our self.

This meditation emphasises the experience of simply existing or being aware. Our true essence is not the thoughts, emotions, or sensations we experience, but the fact of being itself. In meditation, we allow these content-based experiences to recede into the background, while bringing the awareness of being into the foreground. By recognising and remembering our essential self, we access the peace and happiness inherent within us. Our being is like water, deriving temporary qualities from the content of experience. We rest in the understanding of our true nature, emphasising the ‘I am’ aspect of experience, reminding us that meditation is not an activity we do, but a state of being that remains constant, unaffected by external circumstances. We come to rest in our natural condition.

Whilst there is a correlation between our experiences and happiness, true happiness is not caused by external circumstances or the cessation of experiences. Happiness is our inherent nature, always present but sometimes concealed by the agitation of the mind. When we acquire or avoid something, the seeking and resisting activities of the mind come to an end, and our true nature of peace and joy shines by itself. The meditation emphasises the Direct Path to our true nature, bypassing the need for external objects or practices. We disentangle ourselves from the content of experience and abide as our essential self. We stand alone as being. The nature of being is described as transparent, empty, luminous, inherently peaceful, and lacking nothing. Distractions in meditation lose their power when we recognise the innate peace of our being and allow experiences to shine with that awareness.

A man, who struggles with others at work, asks how to be peaceful amidst challenging thoughts. Rupert suggests that he can be peaceful in the midst of these thoughts by seeing that what he is essentially is being or being aware, even in the midst of his agitated thoughts. Peace is always in the background.

Meditation is the practice of falling asleep while staying awake. When we sleep, our perceptions and sensations fade away, and we enter the dream state, followed by deep sleep. In deep sleep, we experience pure being, awareness and peace. For being, there is just itself. In meditation, we don't need to eliminate thoughts and sensations; we simply let them go and remain as the awareness that persists. We are not entities transitioning through states but eternal beings. Thoughts, images, sensations and perceptions arise and vanish, but our true nature remains unchanged. Our essence is uncolored, pure being, aware, and at peace. Meditation is abiding in this natural condition without effort, recognising that we are limitless and interconnected with all beings and things. Being, love and beauty are expressions of our shared reality.

There are three types of meditation: objective meditation, subjective meditation and non-meditation. Objective meditation involves focusing on an object like a mantra or the breath to progress towards our true nature. Subjective meditation involves investigating the subject of experience, the ‘I’ that knows our thoughts and feelings. Non-meditation is a state of simply being, without controlling or directing the mind. This Pathless Path, or non-meditation, starts with our true nature and requires no effort or separate self. The goal is to recognise our essential self and abide in being. Anyone can go directly to their true nature. Meditation is what we are, while the separate self is what we do. Resting in being brings peace and joy internally and love and beauty externally. We find peace on the inside and love on the outside.

A man says during contemplation he had a sudden recognition of his being, but his mind and heart are still very active. THere is a fight between what he knows and how he’s reacting. He asks what to do in the midst of strong emotions. Rupert responds that rather than expressing the feeling, enquire into the one who is having the feeling in the midst of the emotion.