(Minghui.org) Since we live in the ordinary world, we think of ways to maximally conform to the ordinary society as we promote Shen Yun each year. However, I have observed that we tend to emphasize market analyses and overlook the most important aspect—cultivation.
The first time I was involved in promoting Shen Yun, I was a new practitioner and had no idea of advertising, targeting mainstream society, or other ways of commercial promotions.
The coordinator took me everywhere: the mall, various Christmas functions, churches, and residential buildings. Even though our means of promotion were not very professional, the result was not bad. I believed that our pure heart for saving people enabled us to obtain encouragement and help from Master.
But it won't be the same year after year. As our cultivation improves, the standard is also rising. It is like taking a test—the content will not be the same for the subsequent year. The test level might be fit for a bachelor's candidate the first time. Then, it might elevate to the Master's level the next year, and to an even higher level in the following year.
Since everything we do relates to our cultivation, why don't we think on the basis of cultivation: what should we do to improve our cultivation and carry out our duties better?
After I embarked on my cultivation, I realized that no matter how much one achieves, one should never get carried away, because it is all granted from the divine. For a cultivator, it is even more so.
Master told us in Zhuan Falun:
“Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.”
No matter what we accomplish, it is all because Master affirmed and supported us. Then, what should we do to qualify for Master's support and affirmation?
Master has repeatedly asked us to do the three things well. I learned that it is our basic daily requirement to truly obtain the Tao and to stay on track on the path to godhood.
I didn't fully understand the meaning of doing the three things well, but I was able to carry it out fairly diligently on a daily basis. As I began running between various places to promote Shen Yun, my schedule quickly fell into disarray.
The tiredness and drowsiness wore out my will: I could not hear the alarm clock, missed doing my exercises, and fell asleep during Fa study and sending forth righteous thoughts. I used promoting Shen Yun as an excuse to skip my daily requirements.
A severe tribulation finally arrived one day: my neck pain that first appeared during the 2012 Shen Yun season got much worse. It now radiated down my back and rendered me restless. The range of motion was affected to the point that I could not raise my arms.
As the only full-time person promoting Shen Yun in our area, I was exhausted from the workload mixed with eliminating sickness karma. I was loaded with self-pity and began crying one day while I did the standing exercises.
As I moved to the third exercise, I felt as if a bolt of lighting struck me from above; my back pain exacerbated. I could not squat at all for the fourth exercise. I suddenly awakened from this warning: I am a cultivator. No matter what kind of interference, I should not stop skip my daily requirements and promoting Shen Yun.
I resumed my regular exercise length and time. My joints and fingers were swollen and stiff immediately upon getting up. But after two hours of exercises, my energy channels were all opened up; my joints were smooth and relaxed as if they were just lubricated. I was energized and fully charged.
My most efficient time was in the morning: I would attentively read a chapter of Zhuan Falun; send forth righteous thoughts, and call people in China to clarify the truth for two hours.
When I left home to promote Shen Yun, I was in a totally different state. With Master's guidance, everything was smooth. I did not even have any aches or fatigue.
I realized that no matter what we do or encounter, as long as our xinxing befits the state of a cultivator, Master will support and affirm us. Over the last two years, I have maintained the habit of accomplishing the three things before I leave my house.
I used to think that it would be impossible to do so much on a daily basis, but my experience told me that it was possible if I did the three things well. When I'm able to place an emphasis on the three things, I feel I am on the right path of cultivation.
Besides doing the three things well, I also want to mention exercises. Some fellow practitioners think that doing the three things include studying the Fa, sending forth righteous thoughts, and clarifying the truth. Since doing the exercises is not mentioned, they tend to overlook it.
Master taught us in Zhuan Falun:
“Falun Dafa is also a cultivation practice of mind and body, and it requires exercises. On the one hand, the exercises are used to strengthen supernormal abilities. What is 'strengthening?' It is the reinforcement of your supernormal abilities by your powerful gong potency, thus making them progressively stronger. On the other hand, many living beings need to be developed in your body. In high-level cultivation practice, the Tao School requires the birth of the Immortal Infant (yuanying), while the Buddha School requires the Vajra’s indestructible body. Furthermore, many supernatural abilities must be developed. These things need to be developed through the physical exercises, and they are what our exercises cultivate. A complete cultivation practice of mind and body requires both cultivation and practice.”
I understand that cultivation and practice are inseparable. The entire book of Zhuan Falun teaches us how to cultivate, how to grow gong, and how to elevate and improve in order to transform virtue into gong. Our daily requirements include doing the three things well and doing the exercises.
Master also mentioned in Zhuan Falun:
“The gong cultivates you when you are not practicing, just as it also cultivates you when you are practicing. While having a meal, sleeping, or working, you are always being transformed by the gong.”
Since the gong cultivates us incessantly, some fellow practitioners thought we do not need to exercise daily. How can a cultivator have such an attachment of dependence? Master is merciful and understands what we are going through, but how can we take that for granted?
Each cultivator's path is different, but doing well the three things is the basic requirement. It should not be overlooked just because one has to do other things. If you have better ways to carry out tasks, that is great, but you also should pay particularly attention to doing the three things well. How can you call yourself a cultivator otherwise?
Master told us in “2012 International Fa Conference at the U.S. Capital:”
“Be sure not to forget that you are a cultivator. It is only because you have cultivation as your foundation that you can go and try to save people. Only with a foundation in cultivation and righteous thoughts that have grown strong will you succeed in saving people and complete your undertaking. So you must not neglect your own cultivation. This will always hold true.”
In “Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference,” Master said:
“... if whatever it is that you’re doing is not grounded in the Fa, if it does not have the power of the Fa, and if you haven’t cultivated well, you will not do those things well. Although you might have done whatever it is, it has not achieved any effect and simply cannot save people, for you are ineffective in dissolving evil factors.”
The leap between humans and gods is huge and not something the can be achieved by human intelligence. Master only wants our pure heart for genuine cultivation. The key is not whether we are so smart with our human methods, but whether our state of mind befits that of a cultivator and whether our thoughts are righteous and divine.
Assisting Master to rectify the Fa is our long-cherished wish. We should seize the moment and not leave any regrets. Let us remind each other to do the three things well daily, keep up our cultivation state, accomplish our historic mission, and follow Master home.
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Category: Improving Oneself
