(Minghui.org) I’m often moved by other practitioners’ diligence. I admire those who are able to get up early every morning and practice the exercises. This was difficult for me to achieve. I asked a veteran practitioner one time if she was able to wake up in the mornings. She said, “I wake up around 3 a.m., do the exercises for two and a half hours, send forth righteous thoughts at 6 a.m., study the Fa for one hour, and then I make breakfast.” 

I really admired her. She told me that it was hard to persist in the beginning, but after a while she got used to it and felt something was missing if she did not practice the exercises in the morning. She said, “Being diligent starts by doing the exercises in the morning.”

I was deeply moved by that sentence. Master enlightened me several times by showing me scenes of myself sleeping with a cat (lazy cat), or sleeping by a puddle of water (sleepyhead). I know that going back to bed after I wake up is an attachment to laziness and I am also giving in to the evil. I’m often upset at myself for not doing better. 

Will less sleep harm me? I made a breakthrough and practiced the exercises for a couple of days, but I wasn’t able to continue. Although I still practiced the exercises I didn’t establish a set time. Perseverance and determination are the foundation for studying the Fa, sending righteous thoughts and saving sentient beings. As cultivators, our motivation comes from Dafa and only when we are firm in our belief are we able to keep up with our actions. 

I listened to Minghui (MH) Radio where a practitioner recalled attending Master’s Lectures in China. She said, “I saw two Bodhisattvas after I left the venue. The first Bodhisattva said, ‘These people are very impressive, they have encountered a life of hardship.’ The second Bodhisattva said, ‘Yes. There are one among thousands.’”

When we descended from the Heavens with Master, we did not have the attachment to comfort. We risk losing everything if we do not cultivate well. For 20 years, Dafa disciples have embarked on a rocky path, and staying on this path has not been easy.

For those with good enlightenment and inborn quality, practicing in the morning is easy. It’s challenging for those with poorer enlightenment and inborn quality. Some practitioners make excuses when they don’t practice the exercises. Seeing how many practitioners have passed away, while some stopped practicing, I’m filled with emotion. 

What is challenging is that no one forces us to send righteous thoughts, study the Fa, save sentient beings or even to practice the exercises. It is all voluntary. We all know the requirements, however, so we should abide by them. 

What we encounter every day is predetermined and graded. No matter how busy we are, there is one main priority. That priority is to cultivate and upgrade ourselves while living among everyday people.

By constantly reminding myself of Master’s expectations, how he sacrificed for us and the sentient beings in our worlds waiting for us, I was able to pull myself together. I have to constantly remind myself: “Don’t slack off! Be diligent! Send more righteous thoughts.”

Master said,

“If you fail to improve and achieve Consummation, where will the sentient beings that you save go? Who will take them?” (“Fa Teaching at the 2008 New York Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. VIII)

Enduring hardships and suffering and finding joy in hardships is the mentality of a divine being. I did not practice the second exercise one morning, but planned to do it at night. I was busy with many things until 11 p.m. I was very tired and just wanted to lay down. However, I made up my mind and practiced the second exercise for an hour. Afterwards, I felt that Master bestowed me with energy and I was no longer tired. I also sent righteous thoughts for 20 minutes after practicing the exercises. Through this experience I constantly purified and upgraded myself. 

This is my recent experience and understanding, please kindly point it out if anything that is not appropriate based on the Fa. 

Editor's note: Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions, for which the author is solely responsible. Readers should evaluate the article's merits on their own.