Do the Qualities of Being Change Over Time?

Why It Matters

Understanding non‑duality as a permanent background rather than a transient state empowers individuals to access lasting peace and facilitates deeper healing from trauma.

Key Takeaways

• Non-duality is the ever-present background, not a temporary state.
• Experiences are like clouds; the sky of being remains unchanged.
• Peace, joy, and love describe being only by contrast to mental agitation.
• Deeper peace arises from reduced mental turbulence, not altered being.
• Recognizing the constant sky aids trauma healing and sustained awareness.

Summary

The conversation tackles the nature of non‑duality, arguing that what many call a "state" is actually the ever‑present background of awareness that underlies all mental activity. Using the metaphor of gray clouds obscuring a blue sky, the speaker explains that thoughts, feelings and sensations are transient clouds, while the true self – the sky – remains unchanged and ever‑present. Key insights include the distinction between fleeting mental states and the quality‑less essence of being, which can only be described in positive terms (peace, joy, love) by contrast to the agitation of thoughts. The speaker stresses that the essence itself does not deepen; any perceived deepening of peace results from the gradual quieting of mental turbulence. Illustrative examples range from the simple pause between sips of tea to the profound impact of trauma, showing how spontaneous or intentional gaps in experience allow the background of consciousness to shine through. The analogy of the sky never being scarred by weather underscores that trauma does not damage the pristine nature of being. The implication for practitioners is clear: by recognizing and regularly returning to these gaps, one can access a constant source of peace and begin genuine healing, especially for those carrying trauma. This awareness transforms the pursuit of enlightenment from chasing fleeting states to resting in an ever‑available, unchanging ground of awareness.

Original Description

Does being have qualities, and do those qualities change or deepen over time?

Rupert says: ‘Your being – is not a state of mind that alternates with other states. It is the background of all states and is most of the time obscured by our thoughts, feelings and perceptions. Strictly speaking, being is devoid of all the qualities that characterise experience – but relatively speaking, it is legitimate to say that its nature is peace, joy and love, in contrast to the agitation, sorrow and conflict of our thoughts, feelings and relationships.

‘Does the peace of being deepen over time? Strictly speaking, no – your being is always the same. What really happens is that over the years the agitation of thoughts, the sorrow of feelings and the conflict in relationships diminish, and as a result the peace seems to get deeper. However intense the thunderstorm, the blue sky is always behind it. Nothing that has happened to you may have scarred your mind or body, but it has not scarred yourself. Your being is pristine, unharmed, unhurt – and to know that is the real healing from trauma.’

*This video is from one of Rupert’s in-person retreats at Mandali, 7–14 September 2025. For more information on upcoming retreats (many of which can be attended online via livestream) go to:

▸ https://rupertspira.com/events

Timestamps:

0:00 The Non-Dual Experience

1:13 Being Is Not a State

3:00 Rupert’s Blue Sky Analogy

6:01 Qualities of Being

9:21 Does Peace Deepen?

13:21 Three Ways Being Shines

17:06 Being and Trauma Healing

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