(Clearwisdom.net) I am a Dafa Disciple from Australia, I started the practice in 1998. When I first read the section of Zhuan Falun where Master says 'Young practitioners should still have families', I did not take what was said seriously in my heart. After all, I was a young man with many things I wanted to do in my life, how would I do them if all my money and time was spent raising children? This attitude seemed quite reasonable to me.
Towards the start of 2002 I finally came to a deeper understanding of the words Master had said, and also saw the depth of my selfish attachment. For the sake of my own convenience, I was denying the chance for a sentient being to enter the family of a practitioner in this important time in history. I was also leaving a very poor record for the people of the future. From my understanding, raising children according to the Fa is a sacred and very important task. The downward slide of people's morality today has also included a lack of responsibility for raising and caring for the next generation of people.
On June 10, 2003, my wife and I had twins, Lily and Heath. They are now 7 months old and have already been busy doing their Fa-rectification tasks. Our practice site is located near a bus stop where many Chinese Tourists visit. Previously they would usually stay well away from our information desk and appear very uncomfortable. Now my wife and I take turns to do the practice, and whoever is looking after the twins is often greeted by Chinese tourists. Even if Lily and Heath have been a little troublesome beforehand, as soon as people arrive they smile, laugh and shake hands with the visitors. Many have taken photos, which include the practice site behind us and our T-shirts saying, 'Falun Dafa Hao!'
I don't wish to suggest that all young practitioners should now try to have children. We do not cultivate by copying others, and it would be wrong to have children if you are not ready for the responsibility in your heart. I do hope that the lesson of looking at the way we 'modern' people live and check to see if these behaviours come from attachments will be helpful for my fellow cultivators. Especially in Western culture, many of the traditions regarding family and raising children have been distorted for so long that people do not even notice. Please point out any shortcomings in the understandings shared.
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Category: Journeys of Cultivation
