The German language has an expression which has served me well for decades. “ichgebundenheit” refers to one being bound up in the “I,” the “ich.” The Swiss analyst, Alfred Adler, used it to mean “self-boundedness.”
A Glimpse…
“Obsession”
My homeless soul shuffles
In and out of the dark, cluttered corners
of ego, moving memories
from one place to another and back again.
Here’s the time she betrayed me-
over there is the Christmas Eve when he left me.
Paranoia percolates until obsession
has pilfered my peace.
© rita h kowats 2014
Coming Home…
When I am ich gebunden I reach a point when the corners are so cluttered I become immobile and I know it’s time to break loose of my prison. I call to mind the image of my obsessions and send them loving kindness:
“May you be safe from harm.
May you be happy and peaceful.
May you be strong and healthy.
May you take care of yourself with joy.” (Buddhist Practice of Metta)
After many repetitions I release the wraiths of wrath and resentment and return home to presence. May you too find it helpful.
Spirituality Without Borders: Reflections on Spiritual Practice 