Our Inner One-Person Show We may all be followers of a “religion of self,” revering the self as its guru and blindly believing its teachings. Before we know it, a grand story begins in our minds. “What did that person really mean by that comment?” “Am I being properly appreciated?” We are the scriptwriter, director, lead actor, and even the audience. When everything is interpreted in relation to ourselves, the world begins to take on the color of “my story.” When the self stands, the world...

In a recent practice session, a participant shared something very vivid. During a period of meditation retreat, their sense of self became quiet. The usual inner movement—the need to be seen, to be recognized, to be “someone”—softened. There was less pressure. Less tension. But after the retreat ended, something returned. Suddenly, the sense of self reappeared—strong, insistent, almost disruptive. With it came familiar patterns: a desire to be liked, a heightened awareness of how one is...

Here’s a polished version that preserves your voice and the poem’s quiet, meditative quality while refining the flow and imagery: Resting in the Midst of Fluctuation Long ago, at a lake, I shared a picnic with my Aikido teacher and his family. At one point, we went around asking each other: “If you could be any animal, what would you be?” My teacher said, “Maybe plankton, floating in the water— gently drifting, moving with the waves. And if a fish eats me, well— ‘Ah, I’ve been eaten.’...