(Clearwisdom.net)
Eliminating the Attachment to Seeking Comfort
By Xiaojun, a practitioner from China
I have not been diligent in cultivation recently and have not done the three things well. When I sent forth righteous thoughts, it was not very effective. I planned to do the exercises at 9:50 p.m., but by then I was either sleepy or had other things to do. I thought of doing the exercises the next morning instead, but in the morning I stayed in bed, which was warm and comfortable. I told myself to sleep through and do the exercises at night instead. This continued for several days.
I woke up at 2 a.m. this morning, and told myself to sleep for a while longer. When I fell asleep again, I dreamed that I had gone to a place and met someone who told me that Fa-rectification had reached the human realm. All of a sudden I felt my whole body turn cold. Fa-rectification has ended, and yet I have not done well. I was devastated and wanted to cry. Just as Master said in the lectures, those who did not do well would cry as they helplessly watch the true cultivators consummate. I woke up from the dream and still felt warm and comfortable in bed. I was reluctant to get up, but when I recalled the scene from the dream, I immediately got out of bed. My fear of being cold and uncomfortable also vanished.
A true cultivator considers any difficulties and tribulations before them insignificant. If we regard it as a tribulation, it will become more and more difficult to overcome. If we look at it as being insignificant, we will be able to overcome it immediately.
I write this sharing to expose my attachment to laziness and seeking comfort. Another objective is to encourage fellow practitioners who are not diligent, and who are held up because of similar attachments. Have a little more determination! There is no tribulation that cannot be overcome. If the Fa-rectification were to reach the human realm tomorrow, then it will be too late to have regrets.
Morning Exercises
By a practitioner from China
I began to practice Falun Dafa in early 1999. My baby was then a month old, and I did not take part in group exercises or Fa study. I studied the Fa and did the exercises at home by myself. I was quite diligent in studying the Fa, but could not persist in doing the exercises every day.
I stopped practicing when the persecution started, and only started again in 2004. But I still could not bring myself to take part in the morning exercises. When my alarm rang at 4:50 a.m., I opened my eyes and thought about getting up, but I couldn't. Later on, when the alarm went off, I first lifted the blankets so that the chill would awaken my senses, and gradually, I could bring myself to get out of bed. I managed to get up at 4:50 a.m. but now wanted to get up at 3:50 a.m. for the morning exercises. I kept thinking how I was going to manage with so little sleep. Would I be able to work during the day? Sometimes I managed get up, but then I felt terrible and kept yawning. I thought, "Forget about it. Just wake up an hour later, at 4:50 a.m." This situation went on and on.
When my husband also resumed practicing Dafa during the autumn of last year, I thought that I must take part in morning exercises and overcome my laziness and fear of hardship. With this determination, Master helped me. Both of us now get up every day at 3:50 a.m.
For a very long time I only sat with one leg crossed during meditation, due to my fear of hardship. A practitioner told me, "You are considered a veteran practitioner. How come you are still sitting with only one leg crossed?" I then tried pulling both legs up, but the pain was heart-wrenching, so I gave up and told myself to continue as usual. I then met another practitioner, who reminded me of Master's poem:
"If the will is not firm
Barriers are like mountains." ("Severing" in Hong Yin II)
I suddenly understood that it was just my fear of hardship. If I am afraid of the pain, then I must get rid of these thoughts. This righteous thought made the mountain-like barrier disappear, and I could then sit with both legs crossed.
Enduring hardship is joy. I hope that fellow practitioners who are afraid of hardships, like me, and who cannot get up in the morning to do the exercises, quickly overcome this and raise their xinxing.
Make Good Use of the Limited Time to Offer More People Salvation
By a practitioner from China
I started the practice in early 1999. Before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Falun Dafa, I had a deep and strong foundation in studying the Fa. But due to my fear of the CCP, I stayed at home and studied the Fa secretly. I gradually came to behave more like an everyday person. I eventually stopped studying the Fa, even though deep in my heart I knew that Dafa is good. Sometimes I wanted study but I just could not bring myself to pick up the book.
I read a lot of materials that explained the facts about Falun Dafa during the winter of 2007, and I learned about quitting the CCP and the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party. This helped me to become clearer in my mind, and I resumed the practice. My fear was initially still strong, and my heart beat rapidly when I handed out truth-clarification materials on the street. As I studied the Fa more, my fear gradually diminished, and I was brave enough to speak to strangers about the facts of Falun Dafa.
When I decided to make phone calls to tell people about Dafa, I encountered huge interference and so didn't continue. I later came to realize that the old forces were using my unhurried nature to interfere with me, to waste my time and stop me from saving people. So I immediately picked up the phone and started making calls. When I started doing this, several people in succession stayed on the line and listened to me explain the facts to them. I later developed a fear of being reported to the police, and my phone calls became significantly less effective. I understood that making phone calls was to save sentient beings and it is the most sacred thing. How could I have fear? As soon as I corrected my mindset, I would send righteous thoughts with each call I made to clear my dimensional field and eliminate any of the old force elements that may control the person I was phoning. This proved to be very effective. Making phone calls to clarify the facts is also a cultivation process, and I was able to get rid of many attachments, such as fear, impatience, fear of hardship, and other human notions.
Once we have decided to undertake a project to offer people salvation, we should start it without delay. Time is already very pressing, and we must make good use of our limited time. As long as we have firm, righteous thoughts, we will definitely do well.
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Category: Improving Oneself
