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The true test of awakening comes not in the meditation hall or while on retreat, but in daily life. Serious practice and even awakening, do not wave a magic wand and dispel the longstanding residues of conditioning. Instead, they drive us more deeply into relationship, into authentic communication, into living truth.

Awakening is instantaneous, but embodying this understanding takes time. Life is not easy. It is unpredictable. It is tumultuous. But it is beautiful to walk with others when the emphasis is on Being rather than becoming. We need our brothers and sisters. The presence of others challenges our conditioning so that awakening can be embodied into every moment and every relationship.

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