(Minghui.org) Studying the Fa and improving one’s character xinxing can only be achieved through genuine cultivation practice. This is reflected in every aspect—one’s thinking, words, and actions. However, the attachment to comfort is a mortal enemy of true cultivation. When a cultivator is lazy and pursues comfort, they will deviate from the standards of a Dafa practitioner.
In this regard, the lesson I learned was extremely painful. I unknowingly followed the path laid out by the old forces. After reading fellow practitioners’ sharing about eliminating the attachment to comfort, I began to take this issue seriously. I then discovered that my pursuit of comfort had already reached an extremely dangerous point.
For example, I thought it was okay to take a short nap before the morning exercise practice. I would fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, and I would end up missing the exercise session. I regretted this and tried to correct myself. However, I just couldn’t break the habit and would fall back to sleep countless times. Another example is that I always preferred to lie down when reading Minghui Weekly and truth-clarification materials. I would sit up for a while, but then I would unconsciously lie down again.
In addition, I always felt drowsy when studying the Fa, then I would give in and take a nap, and ended up not being able to read more than 10 pages of Zhuan Falun in an hour. I just knew I was wrong but just couldn’t correct this state, even if I made up my mind. I kept repeating the cycle of regret. I always sought ease, comfort, and convenience in everything I did. This is not the behavior of a Dafa practitioner. I knew I was in danger and became more determined to get rid of it.
The Root of the Attachment to Comfort
So, where does the attachment to comfort really come from? First, the root cause is human selfishness. The attachment to comfort shows up as craving ease and comfort, avoiding hardship, fearing effort, procrastinating, and doing things half-heartedly. The inherent selfishness in people leads them to unconsciously resist pain and pursue pleasure. They take shortcuts, seek convenience, and strive for comfort, ease, and enjoyment. Since getting up early to do the Dafa exercises affected my sleep, I delayed doing them whenever possible—even for a few minutes—just to seek comfort.
Second, this attachment causes interference from the old forces. Human thoughts and habits, including the attachment to comfort, are traps set by the old forces, leading to greater fatigue and laziness. The old forces make cultivators cling to human attachments, leading them away from Dafa and onto a path arranged by them. Their aim is to ruin Dafa practitioners and keep them from transcending the human state. As long as human elements remain, they provide an opening for the old forces to interfere with a practitioner’s cultivation.
Third, this comfort gets amplified by the Chinese Communist Party culture. The communist specter and its evil culture have poisoned and distorted people’s thinking and notions, such as going to extremes, leaving no room for compromise, and breaking promises; absolute and distorted modern ideologies.
Practitioners shaped by this environment carry these elements of Party culture. They will hinder one’s assimilation to Dafa, so they must be eliminated. Otherwise, these notions will be taken advantage of by the evil specter, leading to distraction, drowsiness, and interference in cultivation.
Eliminating the attachment to comfort requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach. This is a battle between good and evil, requiring righteous thoughts to root out and completely eliminate these evil factors. Through diligent cultivation and assimilation with the Fa, our xinxing will improve, and our energy field and thoughts will undergo a transformation.
Reflections on Eliminating the Attachment to Comfort
Why is it that we can’t make changes but keep repeating the same mistakes even when we are determined to correct them? It’s because we haven’t really understood the problem. Only by recognizing and genuinely eliminating these substances can the interference be cleared away. We can then conquer laziness and comfort the moment they arise.
To get rid of the attachment to comfort, we must break out of the vicious cycle of regret, resolutions, and repeated failure. I came to realize that I had not truly made up my mind or put my heart into cultivating this away.
Cultivation practice targets the elimination of human notions. When the attachment to comfort is discovered and cultivated away, what’s left is the opportunity for true cultivation. These attachments can only be removed by putting our resolve into action.
When I came to understand this principle, I offered incense to Master Li and promised that I would never again go back to sleep after waking up. Since then, I haven’t dared to be lazy or to lie down for even a second. To overcome my drowsiness and wandering mind while studying the Fa, I knelt before Master’s portrait while studying the Fa. At the time, I couldn’t bend my cramping legs, so I gritted my teeth and knelt for half an hour while studying the Fa.
My state of studying the Fa has improved a lot. When righteous thoughts are strong, there is less interference. As soon as an obstacle appears, I immediately eliminate it and, little by little, the results are very good. It’s the same with the attachment to comfort; by disintegrating this substance, the attachment to comfort becomes weaker and weaker. “Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun). After removing these bad substances, I can now sit and stand straighter when practicing the exercises and sending forth righteous thoughts.
Cultivators must have a strong main consciousness and be clear about what they want. They must maintain self-control and persevere in studying the Fa well, diligently cultivating themselves, and helping Master save more people.
In short, it’s about truly cultivating.
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Category: Cultivation Insights
