Key Takeaways
1. Our Essential Self: The Unchanging Awareness Behind Experience
Our essential self or being is prior to and independent of thoughts and feelings. Our essential self has no need to be made independent through effort or practice. It is always and already inherently free. It is only necessary to recognise it as such.
Our true nature is pure awareness. This awareness is the constant, unchanging background of all our experiences. It is not affected by thoughts, feelings, or sensations, just as a screen is not affected by the images projected upon it. This awareness is:
- Ever-present: It never comes or goes
- Unlimited: It has no boundaries or form
- Inherently peaceful: It cannot be disturbed by experience
- Unconditionally fulfilled: It needs nothing from experience to complete itself
Our essential self is not something we need to create or achieve. It is already who we are, always present and freely available. The challenge is not in attaining it, but in recognizing what is already here.
2. The Veil of Experience: How We Lose Touch with Our True Nature
Suffering is the price we pay for this forgetting. It is a call from our self to our self, saying, 'Turn around! Come back to me. I am what you are looking for, but you are looking for me in the wrong direction.'
We forget our true nature through identification. When we become overly absorbed in the content of our experience—thoughts, feelings, sensations, and perceptions—we temporarily lose sight of our essential self. This is like a screen becoming so engrossed in the movie it's displaying that it forgets it's a screen.
The consequences of this forgetting include:
- A sense of being a separate, limited self
- Feelings of lack, vulnerability, and incompleteness
- The arising of fear, desire, and suffering
- A constant search for fulfillment in external objects and experiences
This suffering and searching are not punishments, but reminders. They are calls from our true self, urging us to remember our essential nature and return to the peace and fulfillment that are always present at our core.
3. The Inward Path: Recognizing Our Self as Pure Awareness
To remedy this, we first make a distinction between the knower and the known, the experiencer and the experienced, the witness and the witnessed. Later on we will collapse this distinction, but for one who is lost in experience, who identifies with every passing thought, feeling, activity and relationship, it is first necessary to make the distinction.
The inward path involves discrimination. This approach invites us to distinguish between the content of our experience and the awareness in which all experience appears. It's a process of noticing that we are aware of thoughts, feelings, and sensations, but are not these experiences themselves.
Key aspects of this practice include:
- Recognizing that we are the knowing element in all experience
- Noticing the sense of 'being myself' or 'I am' that persists regardless of what we're experiencing
- Resting attention in this sense of being, rather than on objects of experience
- Allowing the peace and fullness of our true nature to reveal itself
This process is not about rejecting or suppressing experience, but about recognizing our true identity as the aware space in which all experience occurs.
4. The Outward Path: Seeing All Experience as a Manifestation of Being
All experience is a temporary colouring of unconditioned, unlimited, self-aware being. Experience is the activity of being; being is experience at rest.
All experience is a modulation of pure being. Once we've recognized our essential nature as awareness, we can begin to see that all experience is not separate from this awareness, but is in fact its activity or expression. This is like recognizing that all characters and events in a movie are made of the same screen.
This understanding leads to:
- Seeing the unity underlying all apparent diversity
- Recognizing the sacred nature of all experience
- Experiencing love as the recognition of shared being
- Perceiving beauty as the shining of being in form
This outward path doesn't negate the inward path, but complements it. Together, they lead to a complete understanding of the non-dual nature of reality, where our self and the world are recognized as one seamless whole.
5. Happiness and Peace: Our Natural State of Being
Happiness is the very nature of our self. It is our self's knowledge of itself. The knowing of being is itself happiness.
Our true nature is inherently peaceful and happy. Just as a screen is never disturbed by the drama of a movie, our essential self is never truly agitated or lacking. The peace and happiness we seek are not states to be achieved, but our natural condition when we're not identified with temporary experiences.
Key points about this inherent peace and happiness:
- They are unconditional, not dependent on external circumstances
- They are ever-present, though often overlooked
- They shine through in moments of love, beauty, and deep relaxation
- They are accessed through recognizing and resting as our true nature
This understanding invites us to stop searching for happiness in external objects and experiences, and instead to recognize the fullness and peace that are always present at our core.
6. The Journey of Self-Discovery: From Glimpses to Establishment
Once we have had that first glimpse, our life is never the same again. We have been disturbed by something that is recognised to be at once new and familiar.
Self-realization is often a gradual process. While some may have a sudden and complete recognition of their true nature, for most people it's a journey of repeated glimpses and gradual establishment. This process can be likened to getting to know a new friend who becomes increasingly familiar and important in our life.
The journey typically involves:
- Initial glimpses or intuitions of our true nature
- Curiosity and investigation, leading to deeper experiences
- Repeated "returns" to our essential self
- Gradual erosion of the habit of identification with experience
- Increasing stability in recognizing and resting as our true nature
As we become more established in our true nature, its qualities of peace, happiness, and love begin to permeate all aspects of our experience and expression.
7. Living from Our True Nature: Transforming Experience and Relationships
A mind that is accustomed to resting frequently in its essence becomes increasingly saturated with peace. When such a mind returns to experience, it does not leave that peace behind. It takes it with itself, and its activities of thinking, feeling, sensing, perceiving, acting and relating become an expression, a communication and a celebration of that peace.
Self-realization transforms our entire life. As we become more established in our true nature, this recognition begins to infuse all aspects of our experience and expression. It's not about escaping the world, but about living in it from a place of deep understanding and peace.
This transformation manifests as:
- Greater equanimity in the face of life's ups and downs
- Increased compassion and understanding for others
- A natural expression of love and kindness
- A sense of ease and flow in our activities
- A deepening appreciation for the beauty of life
Living from our true nature doesn't mean we no longer experience difficult emotions or challenges. Rather, it means we meet these experiences from a place of open, spacious awareness, allowing them to move through us without getting stuck in identification or resistance.
8. The Sacred 'I': Understanding the Divine Nature of Our Self
The name 'I' is not the name that a person gives to their self; it is the name that awareness gives to itself and should be reserved for awareness alone.
The 'I' is the name of the divine. When we use the word 'I', we're referring not to a limited personal self, but to the infinite, self-aware being that is our true nature. This 'I' is the same in all beings, the universal consciousness that religions have called God.
Understanding the sacred nature of 'I' involves:
- Recognizing that our sense of 'I' or 'being myself' is the presence of the divine within us
- Being careful not to limit this 'I' by identifying it with temporary states or qualities
- Using the sense of 'I' or 'I am' as a gateway to our true nature
- Seeing that our self-knowledge is God's self-knowledge
This understanding invites us to approach our sense of self with reverence and to use it as a constant reminder of our true, divine nature. It bridges the apparent gap between the personal and the universal, showing that our deepest self is one with the ultimate reality.
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FAQ
What is "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira about?
- Non-dual understanding: The book explores the essential, non-dual understanding that our true nature is awareness or being, which is ever-present and unchanging.
- Direct experience of self: It guides readers to recognize the sense of "being myself" as the most intimate and familiar experience, underlying all thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.
- Liberation from suffering: Spira explains how suffering arises from identifying with the content of experience rather than with our essential being, and how true peace and happiness are found by returning to our self.
- Practical contemplations: The book is structured as a series of contemplative meditations, inviting readers to directly investigate and experience their own being.
Why should I read "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira?
- Universal longing for happiness: The book addresses the universal search for peace and happiness, showing why it cannot be fulfilled through external experiences.
- Clear, accessible language: Spira uses simple, direct language and relatable metaphors, making profound spiritual insights accessible to all readers.
- Experiential approach: Rather than offering abstract philosophy, the book provides practical contemplations and meditations to help readers realize their true nature.
- Timeless wisdom: It draws on the perennial philosophy found in all major spiritual traditions, making it relevant regardless of religious or cultural background.
What are the key takeaways from "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira?
- The sense of "being myself" is the ever-present background of all experience and is our true nature.
- Suffering arises when we identify with the changing content of experience (thoughts, feelings, sensations) rather than with our unchanging being.
- True peace and happiness are inherent in our essential self and are revealed when we recognize and rest in our being.
- Enlightenment is not an extraordinary attainment but the simple recognition of our original, unconditioned self.
- The "I" or "I am" is the sacred name of our true self, which is shared by all beings and is identical with God's presence.
How does Rupert Spira define the "sense of being myself" in "Being Myself"?
- Ever-present awareness: The "sense of being myself" is the most ordinary, intimate, and familiar experience, present in all situations regardless of external circumstances.
- Unchanging background: It is the constant factor that remains the same while thoughts, feelings, and experiences change.
- Not limited by experience: Our essential self is not defined by any particular thought, feeling, or relationship; it is transparent, empty, silent, and still.
- Source of peace and happiness: When we recognize our self as this unconditioned being, we naturally experience peace and fulfillment.
What is the main cause of suffering according to "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira?
- Identification with experience: Suffering arises when we allow our essential self to become mixed with or identified with the qualities of experience (thoughts, feelings, sensations).
- Creation of the separate self: This identification gives rise to the sense of being a limited, vulnerable, and incomplete separate self or ego.
- Chronic sense of lack: The separate self lives in a state of insufficiency, always seeking fulfillment in external objects, relationships, or achievements.
- Forgetting our true nature: The root cause of suffering is the overlooking or forgetting of our true, unlimited being.
How does "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira describe the process of recognizing our true nature?
- Disentangling from experience: The process involves seeing that our essential self is prior to and independent of all thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.
- Two paths of meditation: Spira describes an inward-facing path (discriminating between self and experience) and an outward-facing path (recognizing the unity of self and all experience).
- Direct recognition: The book encourages readers to rest in the feeling of "being myself" or the knowledge "I am," allowing being to emerge from the background.
- Gradual or sudden unveiling: For most, this recognition happens gradually through repeated glimpses, but for some, it may occur suddenly and completely.
What is the significance of the "I" or "I am" in "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira?
- Sacred name of being: "I" or "I am" is the name that awareness gives to itself, and is considered the divine name or the name of God.
- Portal to true nature: The feeling of "being myself" or the knowledge "I am" is a direct opening to our essential, unlimited being.
- Universal and impersonal: The "I" is not personal or individual; it is the same infinite, self-aware being in all people.
- Foundation of meditation and prayer: Resting in the "I am" is described as the highest meditation and the essence of spiritual practice.
How does "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira relate individual experience to the Absolute or God?
- Non-dual identity: The book asserts that the individual "I" and the Absolute "I Am" are essentially the same; our being is God's being.
- Manifestation and reality: All experiences, objects, and selves are temporary names and forms of the one infinite, indivisible being.
- Love and unity: The recognition that we share our being with all others is the basis of love, compassion, and the resolution of conflict.
- Spiritual traditions: Spira draws parallels with teachings from Advaita Vedanta, Christianity, Sufism, and other traditions, showing the universality of this insight.
What practical methods or contemplations does Rupert Spira recommend in "Being Myself"?
- Resting in being: The primary practice is to rest in the feeling of "being myself" or the knowledge "I am," allowing attention to relax from the content of experience.
- Self-inquiry: Readers are encouraged to investigate the nature of the self by asking questions like "Who am I?" and tracing the sense of "I" back to its source.
- Twofold meditation: The book suggests both turning away from experience to recognize the self (inward path) and embracing all experience as a modulation of being (outward path).
- No effort required: Ultimately, no special effort, practice, or discipline is needed—simply recognizing and being knowingly the self that we already are.
How does "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira address the concepts of enlightenment, peace, and happiness?
- Enlightenment as recognition: Enlightenment is not a special state or attainment, but the simple revelation of our original, unconditioned being.
- Peace and happiness as nature: Peace and happiness are not experiences to be gained, but the very nature of our self when it is not veiled by identification with experience.
- Not dependent on circumstances: True happiness is unconditional and ever-present, not caused by or dependent on external situations or achievements.
- Gradual establishment: While the initial recognition may be brief, with repeated return to our being, peace and happiness become established and permeate all aspects of life.
What are the most important concepts or metaphors in "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira?
- Screen and movie: Our being is like a screen on which the movie of experience plays; the screen is never affected by the images.
- Actor and role: The analogy of John Smith playing King Lear illustrates how we assume the qualities of experience without ever ceasing to be our true self.
- Watercolour and paper: The sense of "being myself" is like the white paper beneath a painting, always present even if partially obscured.
- Space in a room: Awareness is compared to space, which pervades but is not limited by the room or its contents.
What are the best quotes from "Being Myself" by Rupert Spira and what do they mean?
- "The sense of ‘being myself’ is our most ordinary, intimate and familiar experience. It pervades all experience, irrespective of its content."
This highlights that our true self is always present, regardless of what we are experiencing. - "Enlightenment is, as such, not a new or extraordinary experience to be attained or acquired; it is simply the revelation of the original nature of our self or being."
Enlightenment is not about gaining something new, but recognizing what has always been true about ourselves. - "The name ‘I’ or the knowledge ‘I am’ refers to the element of experience that is unchanging and unchangeable."
The "I am" is the constant, unchanging reality behind all experiences and is the key to self-realization. - "Do not allow experience to persuade you that you are anything other than ever-present, inherently peaceful, unconditionally fulfilled being, the being you share with everything and everyone."
This is a reminder not to let temporary experiences define or limit our true nature, which is shared by all. - "The knowledge ‘I am’ is infinite consciousness shining in each of our finite minds. The feeling of ‘being myself’ is God’s presence pervading our hearts."
This quote encapsulates the central teaching that our individual sense of self is, in essence, the presence of the divine.
Review Summary
Being Myself by Rupert Spira receives high praise for its clear and accessible teachings on non-duality. Readers appreciate Spira's simple yet profound approach to spirituality, which demystifies enlightenment and emphasizes the inherent peace and happiness within oneself. Many find the book transformative, offering a fresh perspective on self-inquiry and consciousness. While some note similarities to his previous works, most consider it an excellent introduction to Spira's philosophy. A few readers found the content repetitive or challenging, but overall, the book is highly recommended for those seeking spiritual understanding.
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