(Minghui.org) One day I asked myself, “Why can’t I wake up early in the morning to practice the exercises?” and the answer was, “I'm comfortable lying in bed.” I asked myself, “Then why was I able to wake up early again a few days later?” It was because I felt discomfort in my body and practicing the exercises early in the morning made me feel good. When I realized this, I was shocked! Do I only practice the exercise to satisfy my “attachment to comfort”?
If I practice the exercises for my own personal comfort, isn’t this a strong attachment? I feel uneasy each time I miss the morning group exercises because I have fallen into the trap of my attachment.
Looking Inward and Eliminating My Attachment to Comfort
I attempted to make a breakthrough after realizing my problem. I invited practitioners to stay over at my house so we could encourage each other to wake up early and practice the exercises. However, it seemed as if this could not solve my fundamental problem.
Master said,
“The above are the two reasons for not being able to increase gong. Without knowing the Fa at high levels, one cannot practice cultivation. Without cultivating one’s inner self and one’s xinxing, one cannot increase gong. These are the two reasons.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I realized that I was looking outward and that would never solve the problem.
I started to focus on studying the Fa and looking inward. Besides reading Zhuan Falun, I started to read Master’s other lectures. Master said,
“Don't miss this predestined chance. What's so hard about it? Think about it, [and you will see that] this is about not cherishing enough your predestined opportunity to cultivate, about not cherishing the Fa enough, and not cherishing your own life enough. When you truly understand these things, you will do well.” (“Teaching the Fa in San Francisco, 2005”)
When I read this paragraph, I was shocked. Do I really treasure the Fa? Do I really treasure this once in a millennia opportunity to cultivate? I did not put Dafa first because I was hindered by the attachment of comfort.
Master said,
“Our cultivation practice is based upon the principles of the universe’s evolution, and it is guided by the standard of the universe’s highest characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren. We cultivate something so enormous that it equates to cultivating the universe.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
“Let me give you an example. The universe is in motion, and all of the universe’s Milky Ways and galaxies are also in motion. The nine planets orbit the sun, and Earth also rotates by itself. Think about it, everyone: Who’s pushing them? Who has given them the force? You cannot understand it with an ordinary person’s mentality, as it is just this rotating mechanism.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Master has installed a cultivation mechanism for us and as long as we follow these “energy mechanisms,” we are reinforcing them. If we do not practice the exercises well, we won’t be able to reinforce the mechanisms. We should not slack off in practicing the exercises. In fact, if we do not abide by those standards, everything will cease to exist.
In the past I would quote Master’s words out of context and only wanted to understand the surface words of “the Fa cultivates practitioners,” “the gong cultivates practitioners,” or “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
I disregarded practicing the exercises. In fact this was an excuse for my attachment to comfort and I created a tribulation for myself. I would also get drowsy whenever I read the Fa, practiced the exercises, or sent forth righteous thoughts. My body was interfered with by negative substances and I fell short of my wishes to save more sentient beings. Master said,
“One’s gong level is as high as one’s xinxing level, and this is an absolute truth.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
Not being able to practice the exercises is already a flaw in my xinxing. How could Master increase my gong?
Master has done a lot for me during my 24 years of cultivation but I am still lacking perseverance and willpower. Master once answered a question in regards to perseverance and willpower.
Master said,
“On the other hand, those who are not diligent are likewise studying the Fa, and they know that the Fa is very good, but their thinking is not grounded in the Fa and they don't have ample righteous thoughts. So, naturally their understanding is not high; that is, they can't truly understand the preciousness of the Fa. That's why they're not all that motivated.” (“Teaching the Fa in the City of Los Angeles”)
Making a Breakthrough in My Cultivation
I knew I needed to make a breakthrough in my cultivation. One morning I headed over to a more diligent practitioner’s house to study the Fa. I did the double lotus position and started to read Zhuan Falun. While reading Lecture One, my left leg started to hurt a lot and it felt as if all my blood vessels were blocked. In the past I would have taken down my leg from the double lotus position, however, this time, I enlightened to the fact that it has to be a good thing since I was studying the Fa with sincere thoughts. My blood vessels felt very good after I almost finished the first lecture. I became more concentrated and more relaxed as I studied the Fa. We finished reading six lectures by 7 p.m. It was a great breakthrough for me.
In the following days, I was able to abide by the principles of the Fa and my heart was full of joy. It was also easier for me to practice the exercises. In the past, whenever I did the double lotus position, my left leg would always be in pain and I would always attempt to move it around to alleviate my pain. In other words, I never regarded the “pain” as a good thing. When I realized that this was a good thing, my legs no longer hurt.
One morning while doing the fifth (meditation) exercise, I felt the tranquility of sitting inside an eggshell. I was very moved and my tears flowed.
My physical body also changed after strengthening my righteous thoughts for practicing the exercises. The left side of my back has been in pain for four years, and a year and a half ago, I experienced pain and swelling in my left leg. I denied the arrangements of the old forces and continued doing the three things. My left leg was no longer swollen but I still felt some pain in my leg and abdomen. After studying the Fa with the practitioner, I’ve made a huge breakthrough in my attachment to comfort. I was also able to study the Fa, practice the exercises, and send forth righteous thoughts with a more sincere heart.
I was able to let go of my ego and work with other practitioners. I completely forgot that my back and legs hurt. Then one day, my left leg felt very comfortable and the back pain that I had for four years vanished.
Perhaps I’ve reached the requirements for this xinxing level so Master was able to eliminate the black substances for me!
Master Enlightened Me Through My Grandson
Master has always given me hints to practice the exercises and even encouraged me by having my grandson tell me scenes he saw from other dimensions. When I was doing the third standing exercises three years ago, my grandson who was only three years old said, “Grandma, something is spinning in your abdomen.” I told him that it was a Falun. He said, “You have Falun on your arms and everywhere else on your body.” He was very excited and asked if he had any Falun. I said that as long as he practiced the exercises, he would have them. So he started doing the exercises with me. When I did the second exercise, he said, “Grandma there are five dragons behind you.”
Another time when I was holding the wheel above my head while doing the second exercise, my grandson said, “Grandma, you are holding a Falun above your head” When I held the wheel on both sides of the head, my grandson said, “There are yellow, blue and purple Falun” as he pointed above my head and in between my ears and hands.
Six months ago while I was supervising his homework, my grandson said, “Grandma your exercise music has started.” Then he said, “Is Master telling you that it’s time to practice the exercises?” I happily agreed and did the third and fourth standing exercises.
One time I said to my grandson, “You should listen to some Dafa music like Pudu and Jishi. Remember you saw seedlings emerge and roses blooming the last time you listened to the music? You’ve also said that you were in the clouds.” After listening to the music, my grandson said that he saw a very big green field and Master was doing the meditation exercise. Master was next to a tall tree and he called my grandson over. Then he was joined by many other practitioners. They practiced the exercises together.
Master is encouraging me to cultivate more diligently by revealing the beauty of Dafa to my grandson. I will also cherish Dafa and the opportunity to cultivate. In the past, cultivators who went into the deep mountains and forests to endure hardships and cultivate did not necessarily gain gong. We don’t need to break away from the world and by following Master's arrangements we can obtain the highest level of the Buddha Fa. Why can’t we treasure the Fa?
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Category: Improving Oneself
