The Unnatural Recognition

For all practical purposes
From birth till death —

To be in form
As human or animal
Means identification

In an animal
Or human — without language
In the absence of thought
Or without the capacity to think
About thinking —

The identification goes unrecognised
The split between
Awareness and form
Does not exist

And —
This, therefore is the only
Natural state
Of a human — as it naturally is
Of an animal

The unnatural state then
Is to recognise
Identification

And more unnatural —
Is to seek or pursue dis-identification
From form —
Be it thought, emotion
Or identity

Suffering —
Is both a consequence
Of the recognition of split
And —
Mis-identification
Of awareness with form

The end of suffering —
For all practical purposes
For an average, ordinary human
Living in the world — as he must —

As form —
Is impossible

The only lasting reversal
Of the split — is death

Intellect —
Self-reflection, self-awareness
Mindfulness, and meditation
Are the prices we pay
To buy suffering

All of which can only reduce
Mis-identification —
But never deliver
Dis-identification