Rupert Spira | If the Self Is an Illusion, Why Do I Feel Pain? @rupertspira | Uploaded September 2023 | Updated October 2024, 13 hours ago.
If the self is an illusion, why do I feel pain? After doing yoga meditations and exploring sensations in the body, a questioner wants some clarity on the experiences of pain and pleasure.
Rupert explains that if the Buddha had an abscess he would have experienced pain. Who is experiencing that? Consciousness. But pleasure and pain are not inherent in the sensation. For instance, the experience of weight on the chair is a concept that's added to the sensation. If you strip away the concepts and reduce the sensation to the raw experience all you find is knowing.
If you stay with the experience itself the conceptual layers that we add fall away. We normally think pain becomes more bearable when we are able to avoid it but it actually becomes more bearable when we are able to go deeply into it. I don't mean to imply that we would cease experiencing pleasure and pain but the discomfort will be greatly diminished.
*This video is taken from one of Rupert's in-person retreats at The Vedanta – 3rd to 10th June, 2022. To view and book for upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:
▸ UK rupertspira.com/event/location/united-kingdom
▸ US rupertspira.com/event/location/united-states
Timestamps:
0:00 What Are Sensations?
1:31 Why Do I Feel Pain?
1:56 What Is Pain?
2:45 Understanding Pain And Pleasure
2:57 Neutralising Pain
3:27 Is Pain Real?
4:01 The Difference Between Pleasure And Pain
5:08 Making Pain More Bearable
6:18 Can Meditation Heal Pain?
––
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You can watch or listen to 1000s of hours of teachings, guided meditations and answers in Rupert's full video archive here:
▸ rupertspira.com/subscriptions
––
RETREATS (Weekend, 5-day, 7-day)
Rupert holds regular retreats, roughly once per month, either in-person and online. Many in-person retreats can also be attended from the comfort of your home via livestream.
ONLINE RETREAT SCHEDULE
▸ rupertspira.com/events/retreat-at-home
IN-PERSON RETREATS SCHEDULE (Also Available to Join Online via Live Stream)
▸ UK rupertspira.com/event/location/united-kingdom
▸ US rupertspira.com/event/location/united-states
––
WEEKLY WEBINARS (2 hours)
Rupert's webinars take place most Sunday and Thursday evenings, from 4pm UK time. In the first twenty to thirty minutes, Rupert leads a spontaneous meditation. The remaining time is open for attendees to discuss their questions with Rupert. Attendance is By Donation.
WEEKLY WEBINAR SCHEDULE
▸ rupertspira.com/events/webinar
––
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#rupertspira #nonduality #happiness #natureofreality #consciousness #awareness #meditation #guidedmeditation
RS22089h
If the self is an illusion, why do I feel pain? After doing yoga meditations and exploring sensations in the body, a questioner wants some clarity on the experiences of pain and pleasure.
Rupert explains that if the Buddha had an abscess he would have experienced pain. Who is experiencing that? Consciousness. But pleasure and pain are not inherent in the sensation. For instance, the experience of weight on the chair is a concept that's added to the sensation. If you strip away the concepts and reduce the sensation to the raw experience all you find is knowing.
If you stay with the experience itself the conceptual layers that we add fall away. We normally think pain becomes more bearable when we are able to avoid it but it actually becomes more bearable when we are able to go deeply into it. I don't mean to imply that we would cease experiencing pleasure and pain but the discomfort will be greatly diminished.
*This video is taken from one of Rupert's in-person retreats at The Vedanta – 3rd to 10th June, 2022. To view and book for upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:
▸ UK rupertspira.com/event/location/united-kingdom
▸ US rupertspira.com/event/location/united-states
Timestamps:
0:00 What Are Sensations?
1:31 Why Do I Feel Pain?
1:56 What Is Pain?
2:45 Understanding Pain And Pleasure
2:57 Neutralising Pain
3:27 Is Pain Real?
4:01 The Difference Between Pleasure And Pain
5:08 Making Pain More Bearable
6:18 Can Meditation Heal Pain?
––
ACCESS FULL VIDEO ARCHIVE
You can watch or listen to 1000s of hours of teachings, guided meditations and answers in Rupert's full video archive here:
▸ rupertspira.com/subscriptions
––
RETREATS (Weekend, 5-day, 7-day)
Rupert holds regular retreats, roughly once per month, either in-person and online. Many in-person retreats can also be attended from the comfort of your home via livestream.
ONLINE RETREAT SCHEDULE
▸ rupertspira.com/events/retreat-at-home
IN-PERSON RETREATS SCHEDULE (Also Available to Join Online via Live Stream)
▸ UK rupertspira.com/event/location/united-kingdom
▸ US rupertspira.com/event/location/united-states
––
WEEKLY WEBINARS (2 hours)
Rupert's webinars take place most Sunday and Thursday evenings, from 4pm UK time. In the first twenty to thirty minutes, Rupert leads a spontaneous meditation. The remaining time is open for attendees to discuss their questions with Rupert. Attendance is By Donation.
WEEKLY WEBINAR SCHEDULE
▸ rupertspira.com/events/webinar
––
FREE CONTENT, EVENTS & NEW RELEASES
To be notified of free content, events (online and in-person), books and other new releases, please sign up to Rupert's free newsletter:
rupertspira.com/free-newsletter
––
BROWSE RUPERT’S BOOKS
▸ rupertspira.com/store
––
LISTEN TO RUPERT’S PODCAST
▸ iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rupert-spira-podcast
▸ Libsyn: rupertspira.libsyn.com
▸ Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6z1GNgC1js30g9RLSfBB4M
––
JOIN RUPERT’S FACEBOOK GROUP
▸ facebook.com/groups/rupertspiracommunity
––
FOLLOW RUPERT ON MEDIUM
medium.com/@rupert_spira
––
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
▸ Website: rupertspira.com
▸ Instagram: instagram.com/rupertspira_
▸ Facebook: facebook.com/rupertspira
▸ Twitter: twitter.com/rupertspira
▸ Tiktok: tiktok.com/@rupertspira_
––
SUBSCRIBE TO RUPERT’S YOUTUBE
▸ youtube.com/user/rupertspira?sub_confirmation=1
––
#rupertspira #nonduality #happiness #natureofreality #consciousness #awareness #meditation #guidedmeditation
RS22089h
