Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken. Have you heard this before? In Zen we are always saying that no one else can awaken to our life for us. We don’t need to be anyone else. We cannot be anyone else. There is no need to be anyone else. The Buddha extended the compassion of this teaching, what he discovered from his own ripening practice, by pointing us back to our own experience. Our challenge is to look deeply into it and embrace our life as our spiritual endowment. What we do with our endowment is up to us. We have a responsibility not to squander it, not to be careless with any of its moments. No one is unfolding your life but you. Your own gifts and propensities, unique challenges to practice with, and unique ways of expressing, of shining your own light. This is of supreme value. Each of us, as we are.
