The Bunny in the Box

When we open our hearts, we let in the light of awareness and the air of clarity. Our hearts become closed when we try to hold onto an object of mind (something, someone or some idea). Through that attachment, we block our awareness of the object, replacing it with our own version. It’s not that the original object of mind doesn’t exist; our perspective of the object has become distorted through mental attachment.

This is similar to placing a bunny rabbit in a box that we keep with us because we can’t let it go. If we’re serious about keeping that bunny, we cannot even open the box, because the bunny might hop out and run away.  While the bunny is in the box, it may become injured or even die, and we really wouldn’t know because we can’t open the lid to see the bunny.

The same can be said about how our mind becomes attached to anything, anyone or any idea. Attachment places that object in the box that has become our mind.  Our awareness has become closed to the changing reality of that object. Everything changes with time as all things are impermanent, and if we’re attached to an object, thinking it does not change, the object has been replaced with our own version of that object.

Even if the bunny is still alive in the box, there are biological and physiological changes happening within it. Even if the bunny is dead, there are still physical and chemical changes occurring. Without awareness, we cannot witness any of these changes. Without awareness, the bunny in our mind could die.