Awakening
is clear seeing—
everything
just as it is,
including ourselves.
.
It means noticing
the miasma of thought
that lulled us
into the dream.
.
Even now,
layers of subtlety
can rock us
back to sleep.
.
It takes
fierce attention
and profound humility
to pierce
the veil of expectation.
.
For as long as seeing
is filtered through desire,
we see not the world
but a version
that flatters us.
.
This serves
our precious
self-image—
that perfect avatar
we didn’t know
we were curating.
.
Then—
a hint of criticism,
a raised eyebrow,
an awkward silence—
and the mirror cracks.
.
Before thought,
we’re triggered.
Contraction sets in,
defence is primed,
and the finger
hovers
ready to fire.
.
To truly be awake
is to meet this moment—
to name the reaction
as “my old friend,”
and welcome it
home.
.
Seen clearly,
it softens,
unclenches—
just another ripple
in the sea
of being human.

Trigger Happy