Old Zen lesson that was taught by Suzuki-Roshi: "stand up where you fall down"

When he was alive in the 1960's, Suzuki-Roshi used to teach his students this:

You get up where you fall down. You don't get up someplace else. It's where you fall down that you establish your practice.

The Great Zen Master, Dogen Zenji said, “We fall down by the earth, and we get up by the earth.” Suzuki Roshi commented on this, “A person who falls on the earth, stumbling on a stone, will stand up by means of the same earth they fell on. You complain because you think earth is the problem. Without the earth, you wouldn’t fall, but you wouldn’t stand up either. Falling and standing up are both great aids given to you by the earth. Because of the mother earth you can continue your practice. You are practicing in the zendo of the great earth. Problems are actually your zendo.”

For most of us, some of biggest challenges have the potential to become our greatest blessings, especially if we show up and practice where we "fail". Being nearly 50 years old, I can clearly see the wisdom of this lesson in my own life and experience.