Don't hold your realization like a trophy

One of the large problems I see in online spiritual communities and on social media is that many people are having spiritual realizations, awakening experiences, whether it's through psychedelics or retreats or all different reasons, through their own suffering or whatnot. But they don't actually integrate that realization. So what happens is they have the realization. And then they grab it with their hand and hold it up like a trophy or a flag and say, look, look at me.

I had this realization. You should do this too. This is the truth. This is the truth.

This is the truth. And it's just not the case. The realization is only true as it's being realized. And then after that moment, it no longer is true.

So you may realize it again, and then that may make it true again. But the minute we realize something, then it dissipates. Meaning, truth is contextual. What is real is before experience or before words.

We can't put the truth into words, no matter how profound a person could be or the realization is, the awareness is. It's like saying, how could I put the color and taste of this Baojang into words? I can't. But I can drink it, and that could be more closer to the truth than the words to taste.

So what is the key? The key is integrating the realizations. So once we have a realization, that's the easy part. And then we have to integrate it.

What happens is the universe will come and test us. It will give us life circumstances or difficult situations that will trigger us or activate us and give us an opportunity to re-realize that same realization within the everyday scope of life. And so when we're tested, that's a very good thing. And when that happens, we want to be like, yes, this is good.

I'm getting tested.