"unbecoming" is a story about healing. Forgiveness. And ultimately, salvation. Salvation from oneself and all the self-limiting beliefs. Detachment from societal expectations and creating new standards to live by. In time, the mask falls off and you see who you are for the first time. You become the highest version of yourself and finally reconnect with the divine. With these lessons, you realize that you have always been free. There is no greater journey than unbecoming everything you have been taught to be.
In her third installment, "unbecoming" continues Laura Muensterer's vulnerable inward exploration and journey of introspection, discovery, and healing. In Buddhism, there are four stages of enlightenment - Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, and Arahant.
During each stage, universal themes of selflessness, impermanence, and dissatisfaction underline changes in one's behavior and overall outlook on life. Organizing her work into four themes drawn from this classic path to enlightenment, Muensterer shares her own story of enlightenment through modern poetry in her raw and direct style.
"unbecoming" is a story about healing. Forgiveness. And ultimately, salvation. Salvation from oneself and all the self-limiting beliefs. Detachment from societal expectations and creating new standards to live by. In time, the mask falls off and you see who you are for the first time. You become the highest version of yourself and finally reconnect with the divine. With these lessons, you realize that you have always been free. There is no greater journey than unbecoming everything you have been taught to be.
In her third installment, "unbecoming" continues Laura Muensterer's vulnerable inward exploration and journey of introspection, discovery, and healing. In Buddhism, there are four stages of enlightenment - Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, and Arahant.
During each stage, universal themes of selflessness, impermanence, and dissatisfaction underline changes in one's behavior and overall outlook on life. Organizing her work into four themes drawn from this classic path to enlightenment, Muensterer shares her own story of enlightenment through modern poetry in her raw and direct style.
Introduction
In Buddhism, there are four levels of realization.
During each phase, more enlightenment and understanding occurs, leading to new ways of experiencing the world.
When coming to these realizations, three marks of existence — selflessness, impermanence, and dissatisfaction — underline changes in one’s behavior and outlook on life.
These are the four stages of enlightenment.
___________________________________
I. Sotāpanna
When you embark on your journey to enlightenment, you discover there is no separation between what’s in your head and what you see through your eyes.
You look within and search for a separate being, but you do not find a self.
You realize it is all an illusion.
___________________________________
who am i?
a damaged soul
struggling to make sense
of things
beyond her control
___________________________________
i’m a house with four walls
but no stable foundation
the floor creaks
the faucets run
the pipes leak
and yet i find comfort
in knowing i built it
all on my own
___________________________________
i keep searching
searching
searching for answers
a reason
a cause
but there’s nothing to grab
or hold on to
so i continue on this journey
looking for something tangible
physical
real
that i can point to
and say
“that’s why i am the way i am”
___________________________________
i wish i could know
all the answers
discover all the truths
but instead
i wander this world
looking for love
in all the wrong places
___________________________________
where to find me?
in a black hole perhaps
disappearing into an abyss maybe
wherever i am
the destination is always
far from the security
of a tangible reality
Laura Muensterer's latest book of poetry reflects her journey through self-acceptance and fulfillment. With the aid of Buddhism, she finds a deeper sense of meaning in not only herself but the world and people around her. She shifts gears from her first work of poetry, Freebird, as she looks back on her lived experiences, with realization rather than regret or anger.
Unbecoming is sectioned into the four stages of enlightenment in Buddhism: Sotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, and Arahant. The flow of each chapter shows growth from worrying and doubt transform into healing and moving forward in life. Muensterer takes care not to dwell too much on the negative aspects of life, instead, she slows down and appreciates the good and neutral that came from the less than pleasant times.
The poems are easy to read and relateable. Almost every single verse and page resonated with me, from wishing for an escape from her own thoughts to accepting blessings, I felt like she'd verbalized my thoughts. That's how much I could empathize with what she was writing in these poems. The format of each poem, taking up a small space on each page, also makes it easy to choose how to read each one. They can either be read a series of short poems or as one long poem for each chapter, depending how you want to look at.
I didn't necessarily have a favorite poem in this book, but the third chapter, Anagami stood out. It is the stage of enlightenment emphasizing "you accept your circumstances and begin to enjoy life." It's filled with affirmations reassuring the author's place in the universe, no longer needing that voice from elsewhere telling her which direction to take.
Unbecoming is both an easy and short read. It'd be great for readers who enjoyed Freebird or enjoy thoughtful, introspective poetry.