(Minghui.org) I was introduced to Falun Dafa at a very young age, as both my mother and grandmother were Falun Dafa practitioners. They always pushed me to study the Fa and to do the exercises until I went to college last year.
That was the turning point in my cultivation. I realized for the first time that I had to take the initiative to study the Fa and be responsible for my cultivation. Studying the Fa every day has helped me stay focused and diligent over the past year-and-a-half.
When the persecution started in 1999, I was only a few years old. My mother and grandmother were arrested for not giving up Dafa. My father was very busy at work, so I was shipped off to my father's mother, who was not a practitioner.
I knew that my mother was taken away by bad people. The Communist Party's propaganda programs slandering Dafa were aired frequently, but I knew they were lies. I never doubted that Dafa was good.
A Helpful Fa Study Routine
My mother and grandmother were released when I was in elementary school. I had been away from Dafa for so long, so I was not diligent in my Fa study and needed to be constantly reminded to study the Fa and do the exercises. Like my peers, by the time I was in middle school and high school, I was addicted to my cell phone and reading novels.
I often had sties on my eyelids, with one large one bothering me for six months. I knew it was karma. Although surgery was suggested, I knew I must have done something wrong in the past, and that surgery could not remove the karma. Through studying the Fa and doing the exercises, it gradually went away.
I was accepted by a very good college in a different city. Since I was going to live in a dorm with others, I wondered how I was going to study the Fa and do the exercises. I realized that I needed to study the Fa on my own, without being reminded.
I thought that I might slack off in my cultivation, but I quickly fell into a routine that helped me stay diligent. I was also surprised to find studying the Fa a wonderful experience when I did it with a pure heart and a calm mind.
Knowing My Priorities
I try to study at least one lecture of Zhuan Falunper day, and read more if time permits. If I skip a day, I feel rather out of sorts.
In the dormitory, our beds are separated by canopies, so I am able to send righteous thoughts every day. I usually go to sleep after sending righteous thoughts at midnight and wake up before the 6:00 a.m. righteous thoughts. I sometimes need to eat lunch late, so I do not miss sending righteous thoughts at that time.
I tried my best to do the exercises during my freshman year. Sometimes my roommates went out together, so I stayed behind and did the exercises. My roommates thought I was strange and a loner because I never joined them, but I did not care—I knew my priorities.
This year I do not have class during two mornings, which is a great opportunity to do the exercises. I know this was Master's arrangement.
I feel that my xinxing has improved a lot as I have matured as a cultivator. My understanding of the Fa has deepened as I studied the Fa more, and in turn I have become even more clear on the importance of Fa study. My trust in Master and the Fa has increased.
Dafa Gives Me Wisdom
I took a lower level science class last year. The instructor was known for being strict with grading. A science major told me that he had failed the class last year. I was a little nervous, but I decided against dropping the class.
We were asked to do a big project toward the end of the semester, and the instructor criticized everyone's work in class as each student presented their work.
Before I said anything, he looked at my work and said that it was the best he had seen so far. I got the highest grade in the class. I knew Master was encouraging me. I know that Master is always with me when I am diligent and truly cultivating myself.
Taking Charge
I have become more diligent as I have taken my own initiative instead of being pushed. I used to be in a different cultivation state when I was pushed to study the Fa. But ever since I took charge of my cultivation, I have felt completely different. I treat myself as a true practitioner and now have more trust and faith in Master and the Fa.
I know that many young practitioners like me were introduced to the Fa at a very young age. The adult practitioners in our families played key roles in guiding and helping us in our cultivation.
The problem is that we were not doing it because we wanted to, but because we were told to. Sometimes we were happy to do it, but when we were busy with school or wanted to go play, we didn't want to spend the time or could not stay focused while studying the Fa or doing the exercises.
As young adults, we should no longer have to be reminded or pushed, but should instead take charge of our own cultivation.
Importance of Fa Study
Living in a morally corrupt society is scary, and it is especially easy for young people to become lost in such an environment. I have found that the only way to keep on top of it and stay diligent is to study the Fa.
The college students nowadays are so lost. They are addicted to the Internet, curse without thinking twice about it, and their values and outlook on life are aberrant. They place the most value on money and material things.
Many girls in my school wear heavy makeup and video chat with people on the Internet to make money. This is very common, even though my school is a prestigious institution.
The only outlet for young peoples' emotions is to love or hate each other, and they make such a big deal out of it. As young practitioners, if we do not study the Fa, we can easily get sidetracked in such an environment.
Many things in the human world can bring out our attachments, and we can easily fall if we slack off only a bit. I still find myself still getting caught up in the ordinary people's environment at times.
For a while, I cared a lot about my looks and checked myself in the mirror often. One day I asked myself, would a true cultivator check herself in the mirror? I realized it was an attachment. We really have to study the Fa often and cultivate solidly to avoid such deviation.
I hope that young practitioners will not forget our vows and get lost among ordinary people. We don't have a lot of time left. Let's catch up with the Fa-rectification progress, utilize our free time to study the Fa, and work hard to cultivate solidly.
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