While our true nature is like that of the Buddha, we still must honor our uniqueness and individuality. To come and meditate is to come and center ourselves. It’s helpful to step out of the busyness of our lives and come back to the mystery of our own breath, our own body, our own life in this great turning whirlwind; to find some still point in the center of it.

You have to remember both your Buddha nature and your social security number. You have an individuality which is your unique race, history, tribe, the lessons you have learned and family that you have come from. But it is not all of who you are—you are greater than that. When it is misunderstood and people cling to it then you get racism, tribalism, and more. Sometimes we forget that identity is only a limited part of who we are.