(Minghui.org) I had been gaining weight over the past few years. Many of my college friends still looked about the same, but I became outrageously overweight. This has troubled me during the last two years. Other people can lose weight by going on a diet, but I couldn't do it. I was puzzled: I had been doing the Falun Gong exercises and sending forth righteous thoughts every day; I didn't eat that much, so why couldn't I lose weight? I sent forth righteous thought to eliminate any degenerated matter in my own body, any factors in other dimensions that resulted in my gaining weight, and anything that would damage the image of a Dafa practitioner. But the result was not very obvious.
I begged Master, “I am not trying to be beautiful, but at least I should look normal. Being so overweight is not right! Our practice is a cultivation of mind and body, I need to uphold the image of a Dafa practitioner.”
I carefully examined myself and looked within. I then found one of my deep-rooted attachments, the attachment to food. Ever since I started working and making money on my own, I felt justified to eat well. I would be very tempted when I saw advertisements for good food and often tried it out when I had a chance. I had snacks in the evenings, thinking that it was just making up for working so hard during the day. This had become a habit, and I never thought that there was anything wrong with eating well. It seemed so normal. Now, I finally found this human notion. I also understood why a person's attachments could affect his/her physical body.
Sometimes it is exactly those easily-missed human notions that are keeping us from making progress, because they are so natural to us – like eating. I also enlightened that other than saving sentient beings, every wish and desire is a shackle to a practitioner. The old forces forced this attachment on me so that I became so attached to eating and gained so much weight that I looked ridiculous. Once I realized that attachment, I suddenly felt elevated, like I had broken through a layer of something. It was a feeling of being reborn.
I sent forth righteous to eliminate any thoughts that did not align with the Fa, and to not accept any thoughts that were forced upon me by the old forces. I told myself that it was not me who was attached to food. Who knows what tasty food in our dimension is in other dimensions; it could be something really bad. The purpose of my life is for Fa-rectification; I cannot be trapped in the material comfort of the human world. I also realized that behind the attachment to food is a bigger attachment to comfort. I really enjoyed eating tasty food and felt satisfied afterward. Isn't that a trap? I knew I had to get rid of this attachment. I need to be strict with myself.
I added one thought every time when I send forth righteous thoughts: eliminating the source of this attachment to food. Then I was able to truly get rid of the attachment to food. My mother cooked chicken and ribs over the next few days. Even though they smelled really good, I didn't eat a bite. I only ate some vegetables and I didn't feel hungry at all. I realized that when you really reach a certain state, you cannot eat certain food even it is right in front of you. After about two weeks, I lost almost 10 pounds. Nowadays I won't eat unless I'm hungry, and when I eat, I only eat a little. I stopped eating snacks in the evenings. I truly experienced the power and wonder of Falun Dafa: my old body image and being overweight were the result of my attachments. When I let go of them, everything changed.
This is my personal understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.
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Category: Improving Oneself
