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The Transparency of Things

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This book, The Transparency of Things, by Rupert Spira is a very special book. Let me explain why.

Recent years have given birth to a multitude of contemporary western books on the subject of non-duality and the nature of consciousness; few have been particularly instructive. In actuality, to this reader, most are, at best, redundant caricatures of work better espoused by earlier sages.

Rarely does there appear to be specific assistance to the reader attempting to investigate the nature of reality. This seems odd since, by definition, the search for truth must discount beliefs in favor of direct inquiry and experience of the truth.

For this reason, it would seem that "best of breed" literature regarding consciousness would clearly enumerate specific queries and "exercises" designed to provoke deep analysis in the reader in the hope of replacing belief with the tangibility of fact through experience regarding true nature.

In the ancient Indian Upanishads and Vedas, much specific instruction was given to the student on methods for discovering the truth of one's nature. This is not so often seen in contemporary advaitic literature. In fact, there appears to be a growing body of pontification on non-duality but little direct teaching or actionable guidance assisting the seeker in forming his own conclusions.

The Transparency of Things is a notable exception.

Rupert takes the reader on a comfortable stroll as consciousness: stopping, pointing, examining and questioning what our actual experience is in any given moment.

These are not generalities cast about wholesale; these are gentle nudges designed to have you look more closely at the core assumptions of your daily living, the very assumptions that hold our illusory view of the world, body and mind together.

Since the primary focus of the book is to encourage examining our experience in the 'here and now", The Transparency of Things takes a moment to dissect what comprises our moment to moment experience: name and concept from the mind and form from the senses.

Rupert observes how we clothe Reality with these names and forms. He draws our attention to the appearances derived from our instruments of perception that are mistaken for the objects themselves.

Gently, he delivers us to the realization that our own minds and senses act like "a prism through which the unity of Consciousness/Existence appears to be refracted into ten thousand things."

Taking us deeper, he encourages us to witness the daily transition from deep sleep to waking state: a great deal can be observed when awakening daily regarding the emergence of the "I thought" and thew unfolding first, of time, and then, of space.

As Rupert repeats, " Time is the first language of the mind; space is the first language of the senses".

This is the point we continue to return to: Remove the perceptions of mind and senses for even a moment and what is left but Presence, Awareness, Being. In a word, consciousness is all, nothing more.

As this awareness establishes itself, we shed the veiling powers of the senses and mind, transforming our senses/minds into revelatory instruments.

Shine on.

Don't be fooled.This investigation into the reality of our experience eventually leads us to the observation that all of the world of form, both gross and subtle, is nothing more than thought and thought is made of mind;
But, what is mind made of? The same stuff as thought: perception, sensations, memories, even dreams.

At first glance, objects, gross and subtle,seem to appear to consciousness; later, they seem to appear from within it; finally, it is seen that they are consciousness itself.

What is the true nature of the body we experience? Is there a mind? What, exactly, are we referring to when we refer to the"world"? What is "the thing in itself" as opposed to our perceptions of it? Does consciousness reside in our bodies? Or is it the other way around? What exactly is fact and what exactly is belief, parading as fact?

What is the truth of what we experience as distance when viewing objects? When looked at closely, is 'distance' actually our experience or is it merely a learned sensory concept?

Rupert provides easy to follow real time "explorations": using a step by step, methodical approach to many topics that are often superficially glanced over in books, dialogues and satsangs. Here, He takes the time to allow for your complete examination of the underlying truth of the conclusion.

The result: rather than inheriting yet another set of beliefs, no more helpful than those you just let go, you gain direct experience, a knowing unique to you.

This is revolutionary, dismantling deep inquiry. In reality, there is just no other valid method. When your curiosity has been piqued, serious self investigation begins.

Many hope for a spontaneous awakening of the type Ramana Maharshi had as a teenager; such experiences do, in fact, happen. But, so does 00 appear on a roulette wheel in Las Vegas, once every 38 spins.

For the rest of us, as long as there is this core belief that we are human beings, there is the task of deconstructing the house of "separate self", one rafter and nail at a time, until the entire supporting structure collapses due to glimpses occurring outside of time.

As Francis Lucille once said,"As long as there is a belief (that they are a person),I think it is better to do something to get rid of this belief.'

No doubt about it. These are disturbing and disruptive inquiries, asking us to question the very nature of that which we have taken for granted our entire lives. The conclusions obtained have the power to dissemble our views of the world, our bodies and minds at a very intimate level.

So, no, this book and these 'exercises' are not for the feint of heart, gentle though Rupert's approach may be. They are not necessarily another "feel good' set of replacement beliefs that work until life tests us once again with a new series of 'unacceptable' events, designed to awaken us to our hidden misconceptions.

Trust me, the inevitable conclusions are worth the effort; un-obscured life shines with presence, happiness and peace which return to the forefront. We stand in awe at the complexity and beauty of it all and bow to that which is.

Rupert's book is thorough and worthy of a much deeper review; I am reluctant to spoil the valuable experience each will have exploring The Transparence of Things at this juncture. It is best to make the commitment to read the book in it's entirety.

One warning: I promised to finnish this tome within one week for review back to the author.It turned out that the material was so rich and well presented that it took three months and as many complete readings for me to fully digest it's message.

It is a remarkable and substantive work. I hope we see more of the same soon.

Rupert Spira's book, The Transparency of Things, is one of the clearest books on Nonduality to come along in a long time.

Rupert gently leads the reader through a simple and honest look at the nature of experience, the nature of experienc-ing. He clearly peels back the layers of conceptual separation to reveal the direct fact of Consciousness - Consciousness aware of itself AS the body, mind and world.

Seeing what is being pointed out in this book requires an openness, a laying aside of pre-conceived notions - yet if there is an honest look into what Rupert is saying, Reality becomes obvious.

He writes that all objects which are assumed to be outside are nothing but perceptions, sensory input which is taken to be a separate world. As the investigation gets "closer to home", he similarly evaluates the sensations which are combined in concept to create the idea of a body and mind.

Rupert clearly points out that this is never anything outside of Consciousness itself - nothing anyone is doing - Consciousness simply has the innate freedom to identify with an object which is appearing.

This is a definite must-have in any serious nonduality library. Yet if the clear and direct message is met with the arsenal of pre-existing beliefs, confusion will remain. If there is a desire to get to the core of the message of nonduality, a willingness to lay these learned assumptions aside for a bit, Rupert's clear message may penetrate that bubble of illusion called "ME".

Brilliant, well-written book and very highly recommended.

Rupert Spira pole dances on the lamppost of consciousness. This book is smart and sensuous in equal measure.

Some of Rupert's moves are basic:

"All we have is experience. The mind is simply the experience of the mind. The body is simply the experience of the body. The world is simply the experience of the world."

Some are intermediate:

"We conceptualize a mind, a body and a world that exist outside, separate and independent of experience, that are considered to exist when they are not being experienced. However, such a mind, body and world have never been experienced. Nor would it be possible to have such an experience because, as soon as it is experienced, it would, by definition, fall within experience and would therefore no longer be outside, separate from or independent of it."

Some moves are advanced and wondrous:

"Experiencing is the essential ingredient of the mind, the body and the world, and Consciousness is the essential ingredient of experiencing.

"What would the mind, the body and the world look like if experiencing were removed from them?

"And what would experiencing look like if Consciousness was removed from it?"

Rupert breaks down the advanced and wondrous moves into its basic parts, thus clearing and widening the path to self-realization.

METHODS:

Rupert suggests looking "more and more deeply into the nature of ourselves...." He gives experiments for looking into experience, sense perceptions, and consciousness. Throughout certain chapters are peppered questions, some of which are addressed in detail and others which stand as inquiries for the reader's consideration.

"...take a sound that would normally be conceptualised as taking place at a distance. Refuse any story that the mind tells us about the nature and whereabouts of that sound. Does it not occur in the same place as the thoughts and sensations? Does it not arise within consciousness? Are the sound and Consciousness not one seamless experience? Is the sound at a distance from Consciousness, separated from it? Is there a border or interface between the sound and Consciousness?"

THEMES:

The themes of life are considered:

Deep sleep: "Deep sleep takes the shape of the dreaming and waking states and is their substance...."

Ego: "It is Consciousness pretending that its essential nature has the same characteristics as the body/mind in which it seems to appear, and which in fact appears in it."

Happiness and Desire: "Desire is the form of Happiness. It is the shape that Happiness itself takes when it overlooks its own presence and begins to search for itself elsewhere."

Experience itself: "We experience `one thing,' a multifaceted object comprising mind, body and world, and this `one thing' refers to the totality of our experience at any moment."

Art: "[Cezanne] felt that art should lead us to Reality, indicate that which is real, evoke that which is substantial. It should lead us from appearance to Reality."

Ethics: "...if we truly feel that everything and everyone is an expression of the same one Reality that we ourselves are, we will act accordingly and will quite literally behave towards others as we would behave towards ourselves."

Practice: "It would be disingenuous to believe that there is nothing to do, that Consciousness is all there is, there is no separate entity, simply because we have heard or read it so many times. Such a belief leaves us worse off than we were in the first place."

Love, suffering, seeking, memory are other themes addressed.

CONCLUSION:

Spira acknowledges his "friend and teacher" Francis Lucille. Lucille's teacher was Sri Atmananda (Sri Krishna Menon), who authored two volumes, Atma Darshan and Atma Nirvriti. The works of both teachers are recommended along with Rupert Spira's as they are intimately interconnected. The Transparency of Things is a significant contribution to the small body of Direct Path literature.

I also note that the publisher, Non-Duality Press, is now no longer publishing books solely in the new tradition of (so-called) neo-advaita. They still are, and in addition they are publishing Direct Path books. The difference is noted by Dennis Waite: "[Direct path] differs from neo-advaita in that all of its teachings begin from the present evidence of one's experience, and its statements are backed by rigorous logic. Whereas a neo-advaita teacher might state that `This is it' and expect the seeker to understand what is meant, the direct-path teacher will begin with a simple observation or statement that everyone can agree with."

Rupert Spira's home page is www.rupertspira.com.

This is my first review of a book purchased on the Internet and I must say that Rupert Spira is a master at describing the indescribable. While it goes without saying that the experience on non-duality cannot be made an object of dualistic commentary, Rupert manages a clear and precise penetration that allows "us" to loosen the grip on the idea of a self running the show and points to an ever-present vast, crystal clear space in which to see all things arising and disappearing while never, for even a nanosecond, leaving the Consciousness that is our true nature.

Rupert displays with simple, surgical statements how one can very quickly uncover the false premises on which our view of the body,mind and world experiences rest. Having opened up the body of false assumptions he then leads one to an ever expanding view that eventually embraces the whole universe. I would recommend his interviews on both Conscious TV and Stillness [...] for a visual taste of his teaching.

I don't post reviews often; too many books read and so little time. This books warrants attention. I have read at least a 100 books on advaita and at least that many more on Vedanta in general. This one trumps them all. The best way to describe this book is with the author's own emphasis on "clear seeing." Crystal clear reasoning that leads to a deeper understanding of being, consciousness, reality, mind/body, happiness and peace and their interrelationships.

The Author breaks down in vivid detail the above interconnections. That interconnectedness is the key to this book's greatness! What consciousness is is explored from many different angles. The mind as an "object" gives new understanding of the insidious mind and its capability to deceive. I could go on and on here. This is just my personal opinion, but I would not really recommend the book to beginners. The reasoning,though simplistic, can add up to a fair amount of complexity. Those who are familiar with today's brand of "neo-advaita" will find this book refreshing. I don't know a lot about Rupert Spira, but his ability to dissect and communicate is unparalleled. I would classify this book as a classic

Clearly, simply brilliant. No more reiterations of "there's no you", or "no world", or "no self" etc. I've read so much Advaita, Buddhism, Taoism but this is the first illumination of the path from me to Here. I'm so grateful, Rupert. And so I experience the "cessation of agitation that attends the fulfillment of desire" (from page 106).

This is an excellent Book.
Simple to read without technical jargon ,each statement is a direct pointer to your true self.

I read alot of Nondual books. "The Transparency of Things" I found to be one of the best. Maybe it is because I was an artist. Maybe its because he reasons from direct experience to Consciousness, Presence, Reality. But I found it to be a most engaging and transforming book I especially like his approach that each and every question that arises naturally should be answered and this a necessary part of coming to full realization.
This book shouldn't be read like a philosophical text but rather a modern day sutra. I read about 5 pages a day until inspired than let it drop till the next day's reading. Trying to comprehend it intellectually won't be a satisfying approach although it is reasoned. But it is a sacred reasoning. One that leads to something intangible and real.
I had the opportunity to attend a weekend with Rupert in New York City. He is an engaging and compassionate teacher who IMHO is genuinely self-realized. If you are at all interested in the modern Awareness teachers and coming to self-realization, you should check this out. Here a few quotes:

Consciousness conceives of itself as a subtle object towards which it
can turn. It does not yet know that it is already the attention that it
is trying to give itself.

It does not yet see clearly that attention divested of an object is
already Consciousness, Presence, itself. So it plays a trick on itself. It
searches for itself.

Consciousness never finds itself in this way because it is, without
knowing it, already itself.

However, in attempting the impossible task of using mind to look
towards that which is not an object, Consciousness is somehow
undermining its habit of looking `outside' and `elsewhere.'

The mind dissolves when it tries to see or touch that objectless place.
The search collapses. It is undermined rather than fulfilled.

p 141


The idea that time is like a container, that houses all the events of
our lives is in fact a temporal representation of Consciousness, in
the mind.
And likewise, the idea that space is like a container, that houses all
the objects in the world is a spatial representation of Consciousness,
in the mind.
Events do not appear in time and objects do not appear in space. They
both appear in Consciousness.

p.243

Rupert Spira's The Transparency of Things is extremely clear, exhaustive in its completeness and simply bursting with the aliveness about which it speaks. The 'a-ha' moments were many.

Overview
First of all, I would like to apologize for the length of this review. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make all of the points I wish to make in a few sentences and I want to do justice to this important work.

I would like to be able to endorse the book unreservedly because it is clear that a tremendous amount of effort has gone into it, unlike many of the present day books which merely reproduce the highlights of satsangs. It is also very important in that its analysis, to some extent, bridges the gap between traditional teaching and the attempts by neo-advaitins to speak directly about the nature of absolute reality (an impossible task). There are whole sections which are quite brilliant in the manner in which they capture the essence of key aspects of advaita, presented in clear and concise paragraphs, each of which might serve as an exercise for meditation. However, it is also the case that there are a number of places where his teaching diverges from traditional advaita and even becomes contradictory or misleading. Some of these will be pointed out below.

It is quite likely that this review may upset virtually all seekers to some degree: the traditional followers, who may wonder how I can endorse such material; the neo-advaitins, who may complain that they have been saying the same things all along and yet I have been vilifying them; and the direct path adherents themselves who may feel that I am criticizing them unfairly or misunderstanding what has been said. I doubt that it is possible to win!

I have mentioned before in my reviews that I have acquired the habit of making pencilled notes (3B pencil!) in the paragraphs of the books that I read (since, otherwise, I would have great difficulty in recalling what aspects I found `good' or `bad'). This particular book may well exceed in quantity of comments all of the other books that I have read. Many of these comments are favourable, often applying to entire sections (more of this later) but there are also significant numbers of question marks and scribbled objections. The fact that the 253 pages took me over 6 months to read is an indication of the challenging nature of the book (although maybe my busy schedule or lethargy also had something to do with it).

One general point is that the fact that there are so many questions indicates that the explanations are not always very clear. The mark of good teaching and explanations is that it prompts few questions, and the ones that are prompted are anticipated and subsequently answered. It is clear that Rupert himself believes that each sentence follows logically from what has been said earlier. It may be that part of the problem is that I am subjecting what is said to the logic of traditional teaching and, because this is not traditional teaching, there is often a mismatch. There is also the need to `tune in' to the particular ways of thinking in Direct Path. I definitely concede that, if I were to read the book again (and I will probably do so), there would be far fewer criticisms because I am now more familiar with the style and logic behind the presentation.

IX. Conclusion

I suggest that this book is going to be of most interest to seasoned seekers, who may find new and insightful views into some of the familiar topics in advaita. I fear that those who are not already used to the manner of speaking about non-duality will quickly discard the book - it will simply be too difficult for them. It requires both serious interest and genuine commitment to stay with it. But, for those who are prepared to make the effort there is much to savour and I recommend it highly to them. I personally found it to be a delight and a frustration (in equal measure!) and, on that basis, perhaps I ought not to award more than 4*. But there is so much good stuff in here, and it towers above most other modern books on the subject, that I have few qualms about awarding 5*.

*** The rest of this review may be read at my website: http://www.advaita.org.uk/discourses/teachers/transparency_waite.htm

This covers the following eight headings, which are omitted above:
I. Use of language
II. Experience
III. Misuse of language
IV. Anthropomorphism
V. Deep sleep (state)
VI. False premises and contradictions
VII. Neo-like statements
VIII. Positive aspects and aphorisms

Dennis Waite, author of Back to the Truth: 5000 years of Advaita