Rediscovered years later in an old file, the following talk was written by Adyashanti in preparation for the first silent retreat he taught, in July 1997:

Starting right now, this moment, I am asking you to become the Buddha. I am asking you to take your stand, to stand absolutely firm in your intention to awaken to the Truth of your Self.

This is what the Buddha did. He didn’t say, “I’ll try.” He didn’t say, “I hope I’ll find the Truth.” He didn’t say, “I’ll do my best.” He didn’t say, “If not in this lifetime, then maybe next lifetime.” He came
to the point where he didn’t look for anyone else to tell him the Truth
or show him the Truth. He came to the point where he took it all on
himself. He sat alone under the Bodhi Tree and vowed never to give up
until the Truth be realized.

The power of this very simple, yet unshakable intention and absolute stand to be liberated in this lifetime propelled him to awaken to the simple fact that he and all beings are liberated—that all beings are
freedom itself. Pure awakeness.

The Buddha was no different from you. No different. That is why he serves as a good model, because he was as you are now. So don’t worship the Buddha. Don’t put him on a pedestal. Don’t even look up to him.
Become him. Have the same intentions, take the same stand. Be the Buddha
now! Put an end to all delaying, to all excuses, to all bowing down to
saintly figures of the past or present. Stand up!
You are the Buddha! You are freedom itself! Stop dreaming your dream! Stop
pretending that you are in bondage—stop telling yourself that lie! Stop
pretending to be someone, or something! You are no one, you are
no-thing! You are not this body or this mind. This body and mind exist
within who and what you are. You are pure consciousness, already free,
awake, and liberated. Stand up and walk out of your dream. I am here to
say that you can do this.

Step out of the dream of your concepts and ideas. Step out of the dream of what you imagine enlightenment to be. Step out of the dream of who you think you are. Step out of the dream of everything you have ever
known. Step out of your dream of being a deluded person. Stop telling
yourself those lies and dreaming those dreams. Step out of all of that.
You can do it. Nothing is holding you back. There are no requirements
and no prerequisites to awaken. There is nothing to be done, nothing to
think, nowhere to go.

Just stop all dreaming. Stop all doing. Stop all excuses. Just stop and be still. Effortlessly be still. Grace will do the rest.

At each and every moment from here on out, have the intention to directly experience Truth, your true liberated Self. Don’t think about the Truth—directly return to your experience here, now, moment to
moment. Experience Truth. Experience your Self. Dive into your
experience. Your experience! Your experience of hearing, of seeing, of
tasting, of breathing, of your heart beating, of your feet touching the
floor, of the birds, of the wind.

Experience the vastness of who you are. Experience the freedom of who you are. You are the Buddha—experience that. You are the Buddha.

© 2005 Adyashanti