Western Practitioner: Cultivating With Loopholes

(Clearwisdom.net) Cultivating with loopholes can waste a lot of time. I've had a major loophole during my entire time of cultivating: I have been unable to concentrate in a normal, disciplined manner. As a result, I have been unable to be consistent in Fa study, doing the exercises, and even my work in society. Because of this, I have been unable to effectively do the three things.

I started looking for the cause of my weak main consciousness and found that I wasn't committed to cultivation. One reason for this is that I was after gains from cultivation instead of cultivating unconditionally. When I cleared my mind, let go of those pursuits, and focused on cultivating, I was able to concentrate better.

At the time of this writing I've been unemployed for ten months, with about a month and a half of some work in between. I am still quite a young man, and am able to live at my parents' house, but I have observed that I have allowed myself to slack-off, calling it “finding what I really want to do.” I now realize that this was a waste of time and just covered up my attachments.

In fact, although I've become clear on this fact, it has not made Fa study easier, because I am now concerned with immediately eliminating this loophole.

In summary, I have learned that if we know we have loopholes, we shouldn't wait to fix them, we should do so right away or they will become harder to eliminate as time goes by. There are many possible factors behind everything and nothing relevant should be overlooked.

For example, there are some kinds of work in everyday human society which better suit us. But while acknowledging the existing factors, we should not overlook gaps in our hearts, lest our whole cultivation and doing the three things be compromised.

Please correct anything inappropriate in my understandings.