(Clearwisdom.net) I recently have been studying the Fa more diligently than ever before, doing the exercises, and working on Falun Dafa projects without having much time to rest. Last night I felt tired, so a fellow practitioner told me to take a rest. Usually I take the hint and rest for a while. However, last night I continued to study the Fa and do the exercises until midnight righteous thoughts.
In my mind it might be very common for a very diligent practitioner to continue without resting at times. In the past I tried many times to work on Dafa related activities and had to take a rest. But those breaks were due to fatigue and felt different when compared to last night's tiredness. This time my not taking a break was accompanied by great improvement in my xinxing. My mind was filled with the responsibilities a Dafa disciple has to shoulder and a sense of duty and urgency that made me unable to slack off.
This sense of duty and urgency came from my Fa study and further enlightenment of Teacher's Fa requirements when it relates to the cosmos.
When I was reading "Teaching the Fa at the Conference in Switzerland" in the past, I felt that the enormity of the cosmos was simply beyond my comprehension. As I tried to understand the Fa, my mind was unable to accept the Fa truths imparted in that lecture, and so I gave up trying to understand. This time, I realized that Teacher had conveyed how the Fa enlarges the volume of our hearts and minds and helps us understand the enormity of the cosmos.
Recently, I have increased my Fa study. I studied the new scripture "What Is A Dafa Disciple" over and over again and also some of Teacher's previous lectures. Now, I have gained a better and clearer understanding of the Fa on the cosmic structure.
By reading Teacher's Fa, I realized that Teacher was painstakingly guiding disciples toward the Fa truths at higher and higher levels. Teacher knew that we could not understand the Fa due to our limited levels in cultivation if he taught us about the structure of the cosmos all at once. Teacher has been gradually teaching us the Fa, starting from the Three Realms and the galaxy, to the small cosmos and layers of layers of these cosmoses, and heavenly objects and layers of these objects, all the way to the highest heavenly system. This is how Teacher has been guiding us gradually and systematically toward higher levels in our cultivation, because our hearts, minds, and all the living beings in our lives must achieve a high level of standards. I came to understand that our bodies must reach an extremely high level to achieve their large divine bodies. How solemn and sacred is this!
Starting from our small cosmos, the number of cosmoses is increased by multiples of three thousand. There are thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of these layers of cosmoses. Yet above these layers there are still higher and higher levels of heavenly systems that belong to the same overall system, no matter how high they are. Each disciple represents such a grand system! How many universes, kings, Buddhas, Daos, gods, and sentient beings are living in such a grand system? It is impossible to count them even in kalpa [a measurement of time]. These beings are all longing for salvation when Dafa disciples consummate. Teacher often uses the word "countless" to describe the number of these beings. I realized today that it's impossible to fully encompass the meaning of "countless." And as a Dafa disciple, each of us shoulders such a huge responsibility! Therefore, we must achieve such a high level.
Having enlightened to these understandings, I felt a deep regret and guilt, as I had not been diligent in my Fa study and had been slacking off in my cultivation. I must not slack off another second, as Teacher has entrusted me with such a complex and large heavenly system. So many sentient beings are longing for their salvation. Besides, numerous ordinary people who are lost in this ordinary world represent equally countless heavenly systems and are hoping that I save them. Another second of my slacking off means that countless beings will lose their lives. I must follow Teacher's words, study the Fa well, cultivate myself well, and save as many people as fast as possible.
Teacher has bestowed upon us the highest honor. We need to follow Teacher's direction, be diligent, consummate, return to our worlds, and become the highest protectors of the Dafa of this universe. However, if we don't cultivate well and cause countless beings to be destroyed, what kind of crime would we have committed? So, it is such a great honor if we cultivate well and such a horrible crime otherwise. How can we still seek comfort and not advance diligently?
Having realized my own responsibilities, all illness karma; all thoughts of fame, personal gains, emotions, and sentiments; all the love and hate suddenly became insignificant, just like a mote of dust. In my mind, there is only the responsibility of a Dafa disciple and no longer a place for human attachments.
Through Fa study, I know Teacher has been instilling in us the standards of a Dafa disciple to be messengers of the divine ever since the Three Realms were created and we followed Teacher down to the human world. During the long history, we shouldered uncountable duties and experienced countless tests of life and death. Teacher has long since matured us through tests and tribulations. In other words, Teacher has long since prepared everything for us and the only thing left is for us to shoulder the load and forge forward without any doubt in Teacher.
I have noticed that fellow practitioners often publish articles on Minghui (Chinese version of Clearwisdom) emphasizing the importance of studying Teacher's new scriptures and the Fa since the beginning of the persecution. I think we should systematically study the Fa. Based on my experience, Teacher has a systematic plan to guide his disciples in their cultivation, and it is a well designed plan. Systematically studying the Fa will make us advance faster and our cultivation will race forwards.
The above is my limited understanding. Please kindly point out anything that is not based on the Fa.