(Minghui.org) I’m an elderly Falun Dafa practitioner. The path of cultivation has its ups and downs, and I regret that I often slacked off and didn’t always act like a true practitioner.

If we, as practitioners, do not strictly discipline ourselves, we have serious problems in our cultivation. Different thoughts lead to different consequences. When everyday people encounter difficulties, they often follow human patterns of thinking, like, “I feel hot. Do I have a fever? I have diarrhea. Did I eat something that was off?” Practitioners should not have such thoughts.

Master taught us,“... good or bad comes from a person’s initial thought, and the thought at that moment can bring about different consequences.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

Do I hold myself to a high standard in everything I do? Have I met the Fa’s standards? After an exhausting day at work, I sometimes find it difficult to keep my eyes open while sitting on the sofa and reading a Dafa book. I no longer have righteous thoughts; instead, I’m thinking, “I’m so tired. I need a good night’s sleep to recover.” I’ve held this thought for over 20 years, completely unaware that it’s wrong. Only humans feel tired and sleepy. Sending forth righteous thoughts to dissolve the thought did not help.

Recently, while rereading the above quote, I realized that I had been thinking about this issue with human notions and seeing myself as an everyday person for a long time. However, I am a practitioner—I am not tired. I am not sleepy.

When I experience physical discomfort, I know to view it as a good thing. However, the discomfort is real, recurring, and sometimes it feels like it will wear me down. In such moments, can I keep my unwavering faith in Dafa and Master? I realize that having strong faith is true cultivation.

Sometimes, when a poor physical state arose, and my main consciousness was weak, I would follow human notions to analyze it: “My hands and feet are numb. Why do they feel numb lately? Is there something wrong with my body?” My mind would become caught up in the physical sensations and fluctuate with them, filled with fear and worry.

I asked myself, “Where is my main consciousness? Are those negative thoughts really mine?” I’m a practitioner, not an everyday person. I must eliminate negative thoughts and firmly hold onto the righteous thought that I am not ill.

One should not fear human thoughts when they arise. What’s concerning is being unable to tell them apart. I must strengthen my faith in Dafa and Master. I will continue purifying myself, eliminating human notions, assimilating to Dafa, and guiding myself with righteous thoughts.