After all, the entirety of existence can be found in us, right where we are. Once we take this to heart, everything we encounter becomes an opportunity for us to have some direct experience of ourselves that we may not have previously known. It gives us a chance to express the intimacy of our lives in a way that deepens our connections, nourishes our spirit, and makes life startling and new. As the ninth-century Zen Master Tozan wrote in a poem expressing his realization:
When you understand self which includes everything
You have your true way.