The Transparency of Things: Contemplating the Nature of Experience

Review of Rupert Spira's New BookLooked through my previously purchased Kindle Books on Spirituality and counted 73 books in my 'search'. Including two or three of Rupert's previous books. I have also migrated from Elkhart Tolle, Byron Kate, Adyashanti, Mukti, Michael Singer and finally Rupert Spira. I attended 3 of Adyashanti and Mukti's silent retreats as well as 3 of Rupert's non-silent retreats. This is over about a 6 year period. I have read or listened to pretty much all those authors have produced and have found Rupert's teachings to be by far the most clear and beneficial. And I find his teaching to continue to improve with his latest book to be so much clearer and beneficial in ending the search for what is already there. I would give it 10 stars if I couldHere is an excerpt:'Consciousness is naturally one with all things. It is one with the totality of experience. However, at times, Consciousness contracts itself, shrinks itself into a body, and this self-contraction requires constant maintenance. Lef without maintenance, the self-contraction gradually unwinds and Consciousness returns to its natural condition. Desiring and fearing are two of the main ways that Counsciuosness maintains its self-contraction as an apparent separate entity. As soon a a desire is fulfilled it ones to and end. The end of the desire is the end of the maintenance of the self-contraction and as a result Consciousness returns to itself - that is, it experiences again its own unlimited nature. This experience is called Happiness'-Michael

I have never left a book review on amazon but I am inspired to do so with this book. I am so happy to have found it. I can't believe that such an amazing teacher as Rupert Spira has been hiding in plain sight. I have read many great spiritual books over decades and find this one to be about the most direct. I love Mr. Spira's clarity with his words and teachings. Thank you for the gift!

I have been a seeker for truth for many decades including many years with an enlightened guru, many long, silent retreats in many parts of the world, and of course, reading countless books, ancient and new. I am very grateful for this. However, looking back I can see many teachers and spiritual books that actually held me back by increasing my confusion. Poorly written, some with lack of complete understanding provided no resolution and the seeking continued.That is why is was so wonderful to find someone who has realized the truth as well as the intelligence and skill to describe it. With this book, as well as his excellent videos available on YouTube, Rupert Spurs escorts the reader down the path of Self-inquiry so that we discover these truths. He goes right to the core of direct experience by examining the cause of suffering and the means of its ending by way of examining our common habits of thinking about our bodies, feelings, personality and the world. He explores every side of this subject thoroughly, leaving the reader with clearer understanding of 'Who I AM' without getting bogged down with the normal misunderstanding of some teachings that promote more dogma and practices without end. If you have ever longed for someone to simply tell you the truth in a way that is clear, logical and understandable, this is it.

In a day and age when "mindfulness" is becoming a household word it's important that people have more than a popular view of its meaning. Rupert Spira provides the depth dimension absent from so many current renderings of what mindfulness is about. Many people with minds that are not actually aware. A must read for serious students.

It's highly likely that if you are here you are familiar with Rupert's Youtube videos. In some ways, especially in the way of clarity, I find this book to be even more clear and precise that his talks. How can that be? In his writing every single word is there to help simplify or clarify. That's it. There is no unnecessary verbiage. Rarely is a paragraph more than one or two sentences long; clarifying further each point, each step in his explanation.This is not mere writing, it's poetry.If Rupert's pointing touches you and yet you still feel a need for some deeper understanding, please don't hesitate to purchase this book.

Clear and insightful. I began following Rupert's videos online and eventually bout this book. If you have been following the pointings and have come to recognize the TRUTH, this book is a must read. After reading the book and going back and re-listen to the videos online, my understanding of the "new" perspective "grows". I'm also, re-reading sections of the book again. I have the kindle version.

One of the best teachers on non duality today.He gives me hope, inspired action and a feeling of love.This teaching is SO important in our world, we MUST find who we truly are in order to honestly change the world for the better.Thank you Rupert Spira for being here. 🙏

Wonderfully clear description of the indescribable. Very inspiring.

excellent book...check Ruper on youtube that will gi e yiu an idea before you buy

Good

brilliant

Ich bin nach etwa der Hälfte oder 2/3 vom doch recht wissenschaftlichen "The Nature of Consciousness" zum gleichzeitig bestellten "Transparency of Things" übergegangen, indem einem selbst im Vorwort schon die Kinnlade herunterfällt. Hier fühle ich mich durch Rupert Spira deutlich mehr angesprochen und beinahe jedes zweite Kapitel hat mindestens einen Satz, den ich markieren möchte, weil er mir Dinge aufzeigt, die ich zwar immer schon irgendwo gespürt / geahnt und auch anderswo schon gehört hatte, aber eben nie in dieser schleierlüftenden Klarheit. Es haut einen teilweise wahrhaftig um. Sehr empfehlenswert und auch entgegen mancher Rezensionen seiner Bücher nicht all zu kompliziert geschrieben. Einziges Manko ist meines Erachtens, dass es sich um zahlreiche, nur sehr knappe Kapitel handelt und das Inhaltsverzeichnis mehr Struktur verspricht, als die Leseerfahrung tatsächlich mit sich bringt. Die vielen Wiederholungen haben natürlich einen bewussten Zweck, nerven jedoch irgendwann auf Dauer. Somit ist "Transparency of Things" bereits das zweite Spira Buch, das ich nach rund 100 relativ schnell verschlungenen Seiten erst einmal zur Seite gelegt habe. Ein anderes Manko sind doch recht häufige Rechtschreib- oder Syntaxfehler. Wer auch immer der Lektor von Rupert Spira ist, sollte seinen Job etwas ernster nehmen und genauer machen.

Ich habe noch niemals ein Buch wie dieses gelesen.Es fühlt sich gar nicht wie ein Buch an.Es ist mehr so...als ob ein erleuchtetes Wesen eine Erklärung der Wirklichkeit verfasst hätte.Mir war nicht klar, dass sich die Wahrheit derart simpel, kohärent und formschön in Worte fassen lässt.Mehr noch als bei "Being Aware of Being Aware" bin ich erstaunt, dass sich die Qualität des Inhalts auf so viele, so große Seiten strecken lässt.Nach 20 Seiten fragte ich mich, wie Rupert Spira für hunderte von Seiten so fortfahren kann.Die Sätze sind viel schwerer und komplexer als in dem anderen, erwähnten Buch, aber genauso klar, erhaben, und unheimlich perfekt.

In this book Rupert Spira is presenting core concepts of Advaita Vedanta in a series of often mind-bending aphorisms, while using langage that is largely devoid of Hindu terminology, thus maybe proving more palatable to western readers. There is nothing wrong with any of this per se, but by page 60 or so most of the core ideas have already been expressed, so why did the book need to go on for almost another 200 pages? The book doesn't follow any clear structure; it just repeats the same things with slightly different wording over and over. Also, avoiding Hindu terminology might make for clearer and more concise text but it also makes it a lot more clinical and sterile. To be fair, the book reads exactly as Rupert Spira sounds on video - short, simple and methodical sentences without any fluff - so if you like watching him you'll like reading him. Personally though I'd rather just read Ramana Maharshi's more exalted and colorful take on Advaita Vedanta instead.

Für mich ist dieses Buch eine Ergänzung zu meinen Studien des Herzsutras. Rupert Spira erklärt sehr gut. Manchmal besser als in Kommentaren zum Herzsutra. Die Grundaussage Form ist Leerheit, Leerheit ist Form ist natürlich im Prinzip die Gleiche. Sowohl im Buddhismus als in Advaita ist der Geist leer, klar und unbegrenzt.

Pra quem tem interesse em não dualidade este livro é essencial. E pra quem não tem é uma ótima forma pra compreender melhor a si mesmo e aos demais.

We don't have to seek anything, we are already what we are looking for.As simple as this message sounds, we have to read it over and over in order to let go step by step.This book is a great tool along this path of zero distance and illuminates this fact from many sides.

Estou me deliciando com cada página é um livro maravilhoso e tem que ser degustado aos poucos. Muito obrigada a toda equipe.

Ramana Maharshi, Shri Atmananda Menon or Nisargadatta would have not only approved Rupert Spira's teachings. Probably they would have also wished to share Rupert's crystalline style.

Great book to explore our true nature which can lead us to the end of suffering. Clearly and beautifully written.

Non duality one and only one. Thought, sense, perception one essence.I am the mirror and everything is happening in me.

A mathematical description of enlightenment.

Clear, intelligent, concise, irreducible, inspiring and extremely illuminating. No more needs to be said about this book, so I won't.