Anatta

In the world of today the immutable self is a god
And identity stands like a great sturdy wall
But these things are not quite as they seem
For the self is illusory, not there at all
And the concept of ego as fixed and unchanging is flawed

To a great many people the thought by itself is quite strange
That the self is not static, like stone most sublime
But instead it is more like a stream
That is fluid and shaped through the passage of time
As the objects within are replaced and are subject to change

And the self undergoes transformation through lifetimes as well
Who we are after death is what karma controls
We must break from this odious meme
And reject the belief in unchangeable souls
To divert our attentions from cravings upon which we dwell

But rejection of ego is not a rejection of life
But instead a transformed understanding of worth
In a world where the self reigns supreme
Every ignorant death brings about a rebirth
In an unending cycle of dukkha and horrible strife

So the mind freed from notions of ego can then turn its thoughts
To the plight of the people still trapped in the maze
To reveal that the world is a dream
And awake those who suffer from mind-numbing haze
Bring an end to the reign of samsara, ensure that it rots

Notes on poetic structure: The first and fifth lines of each stanza are in anapestic pentameter, the second and fourth in anapestic tetrameter, and the third in anapestic trimeter. The rhyme scheme of each individual stanza is abcba, and the third line of each stanza rhymes with the third line in all the others.

Explanation of terms:
Anatta-The concept of "not-self", or the self as illusion. Also known as anatman.
Dukkha: Suffering, or dissatisfaction.
Samsara: Cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that can only be escaped through enlightenment.