(Clearwisdom.net) I began cultivation with my mother in 1996 when I was 14 years old. I am a 28-year-old young woman now. I took some detours on my cultivation path and was almost lost in the maze, but benevolent Master never gives up on any disciple. Falun Dafa is a bright light breaking through one's foggy vision, and it has enabled me find my lost true self in the desert. I am writing this article for my young fellow practitioners who obtained the Fa when they were little and have struggled back and forth till today. Please quickly return to the righteous way; time waits for no one!
Reborn for Saving Sentient Beings
Master has been protecting me since I was a little kid. I was very naughty. When I was ten, my family lived in factory housing. Once, I climbed on top of a huge trailer pile, two layers high (about 12 feet). I fell into the gap between the four trailers while running on top and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself head down with my feet stuck in between the two layers of piled trailers. I was surprised I had not died, and it was odd that my feet had become stuck in that position that saved my life. I climbed out of the gap, saw that no one was around, and continued playing. After I learned Falun Dafa many years later, I suddenly realized it was Master protecting me before I became his disciple! I could not help but weep, with my tears running down my face.
When I was a teenager, I was hit by a car, and my bike was wrecked, but my body was only scratched up a bit. I was not scared and knew that there was another life debt paid. I now understand why Master has saved me repeatedly: not to live a human life, but to fulfill my pre-historic vow to save more sentient beings!
Fully Tempering the Steadfast Will
The persecution began while I was in high school. I was very annoyed by the evil slander on TV and have refused to watch TV ever since. I left home for college in 2000 and gradually left cultivation. I got a job in Beijing after I graduated from the university and lived a very deviated human life. My heart was very sad and puzzled since I had left the Fa for too long. One day I held the precious book, Zhuan Falun, in front of me by "accident" and read it out loud in my room. Suddenly, I burst into tears. So many years wandering around when my goal was right beside me! Master had been waiting for my return! I knelt down in front of Master's photo with my heart in pain. At this time, some words appeared in my mind: To be forever free of this sea of suffering, I mustn't forget to cultivate diligently, as if I were just starting!
Since I want to genuinely start cultivating, I must find all my attachments, and get rid off them completely! Master taught us in "Teaching the Fa at the Conference in New Zealand":
"As long as you have an attachment, it will be like a lock, like a gate blocking a passage, or like a rope that keeps you from sailing off. You have to break through all of them."
I started to treasure the time, study the Fa, and look inside every day. When I read articles on Clearwisdom and Pure Insight, I was often moved to tears. I found as young disciples, we often enlighten to the Fa principles but cannot put them into practice with persistence. We tend to have attachments to leisure and fame. For instance, there was a 25-year-old disciple who obtained the Fa when he was very young. His family provided a great cultivation environment. He knew he must study the Fa every day, but when anyone came to his home during group Fa study time, he would go play, thinking he would make it up later. But in fact, that was an precedented opportunity that comes once in an eternal life. Each time we lose an opportunity, we can never make up the loss, especially if we realize something but still do not seize the moment; that is knowingly doing wrong.
On the attachment to playing, I took a big detour. Although I am a girl, I misbehaved greatly. When I was far away from the Fa, I was deeply attached to online games, travel, Karaoke, and all sorts of adventures. This was caused by my lost mind. I also was curious and attached to leisure. Since studying the Fa again, all these attachments have been largely relinquished, but they are stubborn. I used to want to play games a little when it was time to study the Fa.
I had a dream in which Master told me there would be a Fa teaching class held in a classroom and told me to be there early. I was so excited because I could listen to Master teaching in person! I truly wanted to be there early. But I began playing a game in my dream. The game never ended, but it was about time for Master to begin the teaching! I was so anxious, I was still in the middle of the game! I suddenly woke up with deep regret in my heart. I delayed Fa study for games! Since then, I have not played any games.
When I did not diligently study the Fa, I would dream that I was taking an exam but I didn't know any of the answers. I would scold myself in the dream to study well.
I used to love travel, longing for pleasant sightseeing and happy experiences. Through cultivation, I have enlightened that true leisure originates from one's inner peace, and being able to melt into the Fa is a blessing. I do not need a beautiful scene to cheer up my life, because I see all beauty, and that comes from my beautiful heart!
I used to love makeup. I was glad to hear people say that I looked young, and I was very reluctant to get rid of this attachment. Master said in Zhuan Falun, "I would say that if you truly follow a cultivation practice of mind and body, you will naturally achieve that goal. It is guaranteed that you will not need to use cosmetics." ("Cultivation of Mind and Body," Lecture Five)
I stubbornly thought using cosmetics could only add beauty to my cultivated face. As result, I would grow a pimple wherever I was using cosmetics. That was helping me get rid of my attachment to my appearance. The love of other people's compliments is also sentimentality. Now I only use water to wash my face. My skin has become finer, and I have no wrinkles. I learned true beauty is not from cosmetics but from pure, genuine smiles from the bottom of one's heart.
When I started doing the exercises in Beijing, I could not hold the Falun stance during the second exercise. I begged Master to strengthen me, determined to keep my arms up by biting my teeth. It was like I broke through a pass, and I have found it much easier since then. When Minghui Radio first began broadcasting the music for morning exercises at 3:50 a.m. every day, I enlightened that the Fa-rectification grand force is charging forward urgently. Time is precious. I must not sleep through such a sacred process.
I know a fellow disciple who is nearly 70 years old and only sleeps for one to two hours per day. She is always energetic and diligently clarifies the truth everywhere. She studies the Fa, makes truth-clarifying materials, and sends forth righteous thoughts four times a day, as well as concentrated sending forth righteous thoughts for an additional two to three hours. I followed her example by going to bed after the midnight session of sending forth righteous thoughts and getting up at 3:30 to catch the early morning exercises. The first time I did this, I wanted to sleep more. A voice sounded in my mind, "Quickly distinguish which one is your true self. Is your main consciousness clear-minded?" I answer, "Yes!" and jumped out of bed with no more sleepiness. The group morning exercises carry a mighty energy which is so miraculous! I now only sleep three hours per day and have more time to do the three things.
Most young disciples do not experience being reborn from sicknesses, so they do not put much emphasis on doing the exercises. But this is the path Master left for us to follow, so how can we neglect it one bit? Please allow me to caution my young fellow practitioners who obtained the Fa in early years with Master's poem "No Confusion":
"Who is the lord of heaven
Realm after realm, beings stray from Fa
Each claiming to rule the firmament
Time draws nigh for returning to position
Let's see who is still muddleheaded"
Spreading Seeds of Dafa
I am an elementary school teacher, so I try to spread the seeds of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance in children's hearts. I often tell stories from the Pure Insight website, such as "The Red-Eyed Lion Statue," "Deity in a Jar," "Pipe Dream," "Jigong Stealing the Bride," etc. My students love those stories. I told them about how good people are being persecuted in China, and the principle that good will meet with good, and evil will meet with retribution.
I played the Shen Yun performance DVD and other truth clarifying DVDs to them. My class rule is "Kindness, Sincerity, and Endurance." I explained each line to them on our bulletin board:
Kindness: Carry a heart of compassion, have sympathy for the weak and help the poor, always enjoy helping others;
Sincerity: Speak the truth, do the right thing, never lie, never cover one's mistakes, return to one's original true self;
Endure: Take hardships, bear the unbearable, do not seek revenge if wronged.
I gave each student a Falun Dafa charm as a blessing. One parent reported me, and my principal fired me immediately without any explanation. More than one hundred students were crying so hard to see me go. I was very calm because all of my students had learned the truth and withdrawn from the Communist Party organizations. I quickly found another school to teach at and began to save another bunch of sentient beings.
Soon, the previous school's principal was hospitalized. I went to visit him and brought some truth-clarifying materials to him. He sent me a message after being released from the hospital, "I read all the materials you brought to me, and they make a lot of sense. Let's find time to talk in detail." I can see how his heart is eager to learn the truth.
We young Falun Dafa disciples are the backbone of society, and the world's people should witness our vital, bright figures in all tasks. We should not all just make materials, hiding behind the battlefield. Once we walk out to clarify the truth face to face, we will naturally get rid of more human attachments and shine our golden beacon as sentient beings' only hope. Please put down attachments to appearance and fear and use your wisdom to speak out. Sentient beings are calling for the truth from the bottom of their hearts. Young Falun Dafa disciples, stop going back and forth, and do not let your regret become eternal regret!
Above is my personal understanding, please correct me!
