Shunryu Suzuki

Through simple yet profound wisdom, Suzuki Roshi encourages a life of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment

These writings are an extraordinary gift for all of us who aspire to live more fully, to ‘become who we are’ in a more wholehearted and free-spirited way. I felt a burden being lifted from my shoulders just by reading this remarkable book

Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks

There could not possibly be a better book for our moment in history. In the midst of national and international turmoil, it is still possible, if not utterly necessary, to learn the simplest things

Becoming Yourself is deep and delicious, tender and perplexing, a beautiful follow up to Zen Mind, Beginners Mind. You can feel the sparkle and magical gifts of Suzuki Roshi. He touches your heart, enlightens you and makes you smile

Jack Kornfield, author of A Path With Heart

Suzuki Roshi is a master of sweeping our minds clean of distraction and distortion, a kind, direct and crystalline friend reminding us how to become ourselves. Every page in this book contains enough wisdom to last a lifetime and I found myself copying down one sentence after another. Is it any wonder that Shunryu Suzuki’s books of teachings are the only medicine I send to friends who are suffering in body or mind?

Pico Iyer, author of Aflame and the Art of Stillness

In these uncertain times, as we grapple with who we are and who we are becoming, Becoming Yourself is the book we need for guidance and for ballast

Ruth Ozeki, author of A Tale for the Time Being

In a book that asks to be savored, Suzuki Roshi's timeless wisdom opens the door to awakening here and now. Through his clear teachings on compassion and awareness readers of all backgrounds can begin to access their true nature in order to fully become themselves

Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

Like finding a hidden treasure, the utter wonder and delight of discovering Suzuki Roshi all over again is at the heart of this marvelous book of his teachings. Roshi's humor, wisdom, and deep love of the Dharma shine through, page after page. This is a modern classic

Roshi Joan Halifax, author of Being with Dying and Standing at the Edge

No one expresses the warmth and wisdom of Soto Zen like Suzuki Roshi, whose words have been a beacon for more than fifty years. In Becoming Yourself we hear again his unique voice in a series of short, eloquent, talks that will inspire much re-reading, copying, posting, and contemplating

Norman Fischer, author of The World Could Be Otherwise

Reading even a few words of this elegant volume feels like a breath of fresh air

Rhonda Magee, author of The Inner Work of Racial Justice

Teachings on the Zen Way of Life

'Our way of sitting is for you to become yourself.' 
 
Shunryu Suzuki was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the last century, who brought Zen philosophy to millions of people. In this book of teachings, many published for the first time, he shares simple, warm-hearted lessons on a practice that is fundamentally about becoming yourself. Filled with humour and insight, Becoming Yourself speaks directly to the newest beginners while also serving as a touchstone and a continual source of inspiration for even the most experienced practitioners and Zen masters. 
 
Resonant, clear and brimming with insight, Becoming Yourself brings together a lifetime’s wisdom in one remarkable volume.

Shunryu Suzuki

Praise for Becoming Yourself

Through simple yet profound wisdom, Suzuki Roshi encourages a life of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment

These writings are an extraordinary gift for all of us who aspire to live more fully, to ‘become who we are’ in a more wholehearted and free-spirited way. I felt a burden being lifted from my shoulders just by readi ...

There could not possibly be a better book for our moment in history. In the midst of national and international turmoil, it is still possible, if not utterly necessary, to learn the simplest things

Through simple yet profound wisdom, Suzuki Roshi encourages a life of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment

These writings are an extraordinary gift for all of us who aspire to live more fully, to ‘become who we are’ in a more wholehearted and free-spirited way. I felt a burden being lifted from my shoulders just by readi ...

There could not possibly be a better book for our moment in history. In the midst of national and international turmoil, it is still possible, if not utterly necessary, to learn the simplest things

Through simple yet profound wisdom, Suzuki Roshi encourages a life of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment

These writings are an extraordinary gift for all of us who aspire to live more fully, to ‘become who we are’ in a more wholehearted and free-spirited way. I felt a burden being lifted from my shoulders just by readi ...

There could not possibly be a better book for our moment in history. In the midst of national and international turmoil, it is still possible, if not utterly necessary, to learn the simplest things

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