If we were all one, then when the Buddha gained awakening, everybody would have been awakened. There’s an aspect of us that’s separate, and it’s a separate problem that we each have to deal with.

"If we were all one, then when the Buddha gained awakening, everybody would have been awakened. And if we still insist that we’re all one, then nobody’s going to get awakened, and it would follow that the Buddha himself was not awakened. There’s an aspect of us that’s separate, and it’s a separate problem that we each have to deal with. And as I said, nobody else can do this for you. And if you don’t do it now, when are you going to do it?"

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "De-domesticated"

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