Rupert Spira Podcast

In this episode Simon Mundie hosts a conversation between Rupert Spira and Bernardo Kastrup.

Simon opens this wide-ranging and far-reaching dialogue by stating that most people’s everyday, ordinary experience is that they are themselves an entity that happens to contain a mind, within a world of entities.

The two-hour conversation that follows is all about how this so-called common-sense perspective is, in fact, false.

Bernardo has two PhDs, one in computer science and another in philosophy. He was employed first at CERN, the European council for nuclear research, where he began working in artificial intelligence (AI) in connection with the Large Hadron Collider. Then he moved on to artificial consciousness (AC), wondering if he could build an artificially conscious entity, which piqued his interest in philosophy.

Simon Mundie is the host of the podcast 'Life Lessons: From Sport and Beyond’, which explores life's bigger questions.

Moderated again by host Steve James, Rupert and award-winning poet and author Henry Shukman pick up their discussion from a few months earlier. Here they discuss the practice of art and its connection with spirituality.

Amidst sharing observations on one another’s artistic evolution, they discuss in depth their respective apprenticeships. At first artistic, then spiritual, the training for both men involved total immersion in traditional forms and, crucially, surrender to a master teacher. They consider such lengthy, one-to-one training in relation to their desire to make the teaching available to large numbers of people. Is it possible to go deeply with those few who are interested and, simultaneously, widely to many?

Regarding what makes impactful spiritual art, they concur that artists with great humanity can enter very deeply into the whole human drama with powerful empathy and understanding, and thereby convey what is eternal and universal.

This conversation covers several complex topics. It is a deep dive into matters such as the sharing of our being, how to love those who are causing pain and war, infinite consciousness’s experience of itself, and much more.

Bernardo has two PhDs, one in computer science and another in philosophy. He was employed first at CERN, the European council for nuclear research, where he began working in artificial intelligence (AI) in connection with the Large Hadron Collider. Then he moved on to artificial consciousness (AC), wondering if which inspired him to ponder whether he could build an artificially conscious entity and piqued his interest in philosophy.

In this episode a man asks about the process of integration following the recognition of our true nature; a woman asks how to focus attention on objects without contracting into a separate self; and a man asks if the observer of the observed is located inside the body.

These dialogues are taken from Rupert Spira’s April 2019 retreat in New York, Naked, Self-Aware Being, and May retreat in Wales,The True Friend. For audio and video recordings of the full retreats and the entire library of Rupert Spira’s recordings and publications, as well as information about attending live and streamed events, please visit rupertspira.com.

The perennial, non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions – Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Sufism, Taoism and Zen, among others – allows us to investigate the essential nature of our experience. In the simple knowing of our own being, we discover the source of the peace and happiness for which all people long above all else.

To frequent listeners of Rupert’s podcast conversations, this episode with Steve will likely strike them as a bit different. Rather than being asked at the outset about the topics he generally speaks and writes about, Rupert is invited instead to share about his earlier life experiences – growing up, then establishing himself as a renowned ceramic artist. He recounts in depth about his childhood, upbringing and education, both at school and later as Michael Cardew’s apprentice, which led to his understanding of the spiritual nature of art.