The Buddha was not a Buddhist; he was a man who woke up. The words are ours; the idea comes from Osho, who urged in a 1980 talk: don’t be a Buddhist, be a buddha. It draws a distinction between following a tradition and realising what the tradition points to. Zen masters were notoriously suspicious of attachment to labels, scriptures and even the Buddha himself - Linji’s shocking “If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha” warns against turning the teacher into an idol. The Buddha compared his teaching to a raft: useful for crossing the river, foolish to carry on your back afterwards. The point applies to any belief system. Identity is easy to wear; transformation is harder, and worth more.