(Minghui.org) I am 37 years old. I began Falun Dafa cultivation practice with my family in 1995 when I was eight years old. At that time, there were many little practitioners my age, including my classmates. Every morning, we went to the practice site with our families to do the exercises. Afterward, the kids would get together and play. We often saw Faluns (law wheels) in the sky. Those days were really carefree and without worries. I thought that all of us would grow up cultivating Dafa. However, twenty-eight years later, I found I’m one of only a few of those little practitioners who still practice cultivation.
We live in a bustling city. There were many Falun Dafa practitioners at my age here before the persecution started. But now, there are not many left. Most of them are cultivating at home secretly and don’t do the three things. There are several reasons why the young practitioners I know gave up their cultivation: Some stopped because their family members gave up practicing for fear of persecution. Some were mesmerized by material interests, sentiment, etc. Others stopped practicing because they feared being implicated when being interrogated by the police after a family member was illegally arrested.
It is undeniable that practitioners of my age have experienced hardships that other people of similar age never experienced. It’s common under the persecution that our parents or elders who practice cultivation were threatened, have their homes searched, and are persecuted. My growing up was accompanied by the experience of having my home ransacked, my parents and grandmother being arrested, and even other family members being persecuted to death. During this time, I thought about suicide many times. If I hadn’t practiced cultivation, I wouldn’t have dared to imagine I would still be alive today. Those of us who grew up in China are deeply aware of the pain and helplessness involved. We often felt that both life and cultivation were too hard. So when I heard that my friends of my age had given up their cultivation, I thought it was a pity, but also understandable. After all, it’s very hard to live every moment in fear.
I recently watched the movie Coming for You. In the movie, practitioners went to Tiananmen Square to seek justice for Dafa and Master Li (Dafa’s founder), completely putting aside concern for their own safety. I felt proud of them, and I thought: If they don’t become gods, who can? Those are our elders. As their children, those of us who don’t practice now, or who only practice at home and avoid doing anything to awaken people, should all feel ashamed.
As a group of younger practitioners, we’ve been protected by our parents and other adult practitioners in the past since the beginning of the persecution. They have faced the evil at the front lines. It was natural to be protected by our parents in the past, however, we’re adults now. Some of us are married and have children, some established their own businesses. We should now be able to shoulder the responsibilities of a Dafa practitioner.
We must understand that we’re also here for the Fa and are no longer children practicing under the supervision of our parents. When I was little, I once saw the process of my reincarnation in a dream: I was on a cloud, with the Heavenly Palace behind me. Next to me stood a white-haired Taoist priest dressed in white and holding a whisk. He pointed down at me and said: “There are now two families who are destined for you. One family has power and money, and you will look beautiful after your reincarnation. You will be prosperous and wealthy all your life. The other family has no money or power, and you will not look attractive, but you can cultivate Dafa.” When I heard the words “cultivate Dafa,” I immediately jumped in and was reincarnated into my current family.
Because of our practicing cultivation, we have never been sick since we were little, and many of us have our celestial eyes open and can see Falun and scenes in other dimensions. Have we forgotten all this? When I was in high school, I was involved in a car accident. I was fine, while my bicycle was deformed. At the time, I knew Master was protecting me, although my parents were locked in prison. Thinking back, how much have we benefited from Dafa?
Master said,“I hereby tell these people: When you first stepped into Dafa, you had already used your life to sign a contract. No matter how old or young you were, or how much time has passed, making a vow is serious. In other words, for those who say they have stopped cultivating, and those who have left Dafa whether in the early days or recently, you still have to fulfill your vow whether you cultivate or not. Initially, when you wanted to become a Dafa disciple during the Fa-rectification of the cosmic Dafa, that was very, very serious. This is a momentous choice for a being; moreover, it’s a vow that was signed with one’s life! So you think you can just cultivate if you want to and stop if you don’t want to? How could humans be allowed to make a joke of this heavy cosmic responsibility, of the gods, and of the Creator! Once a vow is signed, it must be fulfilled!” (“Cultivation in Dafa Is Serious” Translation by Team Blue)
I also want to say a few words to the parents of my former fellow practitioners: Are you truly loving your grown children by hiding them behind your back, having them practice secretly, and not letting them do the things to save people? Ordinary people often say: “Parents who love their children must have far-reaching plans.” As Dafa practitioners, you should look at things according to the Fa’s principles. The children also obtained the Fa before 1999 and must fulfill their missions to save people to build their own mighty virtue. Isn’t it harming them to let them cultivate secretly? You must look at this matter by getting rid of human sentiment and treating your children as fellow practitioners in order to take the correct path.
I am grateful to my parents who are clear-minded and educated me with the Fa’s principles, so I could persist in my cultivation. They regarded me as a fellow practitioner, took me to distribute truth-clarification materials, and encouraged me to tell my classmates about Dafa, even when the persecution was at its worst. They also encouraged me to sue former CCP leader Jiang Zemin using my real name.
Although my parents were illegally detained many times, they told me not to be afraid, to do the three things that Master requires, establish my own mighty virtue, and fulfill my vows. With such encouragement, no matter how severe the persecution is, I can firmly continue on to complete my mission.
Time is really running out. My friends, I sincerely hope that those who practice cultivation on and off, as well as those who’ve given up can realize the seriousness of the problem and return to Dafa. This is not only for yourselves but also for the sake of those sentient beings who are counting on you. Don’t let yourself regret it when the Fa rectifies the human world!
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Category: Improving Oneself
