How can we make sense of these paradoxical spiritual teachings: Ajātivāda (the contention that nothing exists or even seems to exist) and Vivartavāda (which, at least, acknowledges that the world does seem to exist)?
Rupert says: ‘Ajātivāda is absolutely true, but you cannot have a teaching based on that. What would you say about it? Even in these circles it would be disrespectful to say there is no world, no mind and no suffering. So all teachings take a step down from Ajātivāda and speak from the point of view of Vivartavāda, the point of view of appearances – and appropriately so.
‘But at the same time, we’re this unusual group of people. We want to know the truth, and we’re not afraid to go to the very, very top of the mountain. So, we understand that from the point of view of reality, there is no world, mind or suffering even though we can’t square that with our experience. But it’s not a nihilistic philosophy. It doesn’t deny our everyday life or the reality of what we feel, the suffering, the sorrow or the joy.’
*This video is from one of Rupert’s in-person retreats at The Vedanta, 16–23 February 2024. For more information on upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:
▸ UK https://rupertspira.com/event/location/united-kingdom
▸ EU https://rupertspira.com/event/location/italy
▸ US https://rupertspira.com/event/location/united-states
Timestamps:
0:00 Reconciling Spiritual Teachings
1:10 Consciousness’s Experience
3:33 The Subject-Object Relationship
6:02 What Infinite Consciousness Knows
9:02 Our Only Access to Reality
13:03 Ajātivāda and Vivartavāda
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