Richard Taite

probably about 24 hours having no identity.

So I'm telling Jack this story and we had to both go off to do what we were doing.

He calls me up and he says, I can't stop thinking about what you said to me.

I said, what?

He goes, the horse accident.

I said, well, what about it?

He goes, do you understand people will meditate for like a decade or more to try to get what you got by accident?

So I literally said to him, I said, why would someone want to break their face meditating?

He goes, not break their face, lose their identity.

And I said, why would they even want to lose their identity?

I said, I don't understand.

And he starts to explain to me the whole Buddhist idea that individual identity is like a prison and you try to get rid of it, whatever, like this.

And as he's talking, I'm just feeling more and more at home.

We just met that day for lunch.

And I just said, I don't know why I'm feeling this way, but I'm starting to feel so at home with you.

And he takes a deep breath and he goes, welcome to the family.

And, you know, he's become my best buddy.

And, you know, we've been teaching together now since that's like about 25 years ago.

And, you know.

it changed my life, you know, not only my friendship with him, but teaching together because I'm not trained in any contemplative practice, but Jack is, Jack Kornfield.