Becoming Yourself

The long-awaited new book on the essence of Zen practice from the beloved author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind

“Our way of sitting is for you to become yourself.”

In this long-overdue book from one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the last century, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi shares simple, warmhearted teachings on a practice that is fundamentally about becoming yourself. In his inimitable style, filled with humor 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 teachers.

Becoming Yourself is based on the late Suzuki’s lectures and brings to light many of his unpublished teachings. Throughout, Suzuki Roshi’s voice is clear and resonates with the unmistakable power of true wisdom.

Review

Through simple yet profound wisdom, Suzuki Roshi encourages a life of mindfulness, compassion, and non-attachment -- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

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 -- Naomi Shihab Nye

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

About the Author

Shunryu Suzuki (1904–1971) was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century and is truly a founding father of Zen in America. A Japanese priest of the Soto lineage, he taught in the United States from 1959 until his death. He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. He is the author of Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind and Not Always So.