The nature of conditioning
And the consequence of wounding
Results in the building
Of a defended self
We build walls for protection

The nature of awakening
And the systematic inquiry into truth
Results in the complete dismantling
Of that defended self
And the taking down
Of those walls of protection
For they have become a prison
And we discover we no longer need
That kind of self protection

When all defenses are dissolved
We become invulnerable
Because the self that needed defending
Has been seen as an illusion

The greatest, and for many, most difficult task
Is to let down all defenses
For it brings up such fear, or anger
But there is a certain point
When the pain of holding on
Is worse than the fear of letting go
And something breaks open
The divine is moving
Love is happening
The water is starting to flow
The dam is breaking
And heralding the end of defendedness
And the beginning of openness.

Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay