Removing My Attachment to Comfort During Chinese New Year

(Minghui.org) 2017 is the year of the rooster, which corresponds to my zodiac animal as I celebrate my 60th birthday this year. I had harbored thoughts of relaxing a little, especially during the Chinese New Year holidays. I went shopping at the Agricultural Exhibition Hall and felt relaxed and happy. I bought many things for the New Year celebration.

Right when I got home, an elderly practitioner called me and said she wanted to come over to my house. I told her that I would wait for her.

When I started cleaning up the house, another practitioner named Mr. Wang arrived. He brought over a box of truth-clarification materials. My first reaction was, “I just thought of relaxing, but it seems that thought was wrong. As Falun Gong practitioners, we should not have the concept of relaxing during the holidays.”

Mr. Wang said, “I have too many materials at home. I brought over a box so you can distribute materials during the New Year holidays. We should use this time to tell people about Falun Gong.”

While we were talking, the other practitioner arrived, carrying two large boxes of materials. She said, “I saved these at home and brought them to you with both old and new materials. We shouldn’t leave them sitting at my home. We need to spend more time distributing them during the New Year holidays.”

I did not say anything and thought that nothing is trivial in cultivation; thinking of relaxing is not right because cultivation is serious. I opened the boxes delivered by the elderly practitioner. There were a lot of materials, including posters in different sizes and some DVDs. I knew my attachment to comfort was exposed. How could I still have thoughts of relaxing?

I distribute materials every day. I do the Falun Gong exercises, study the Fa, and send forth righteous thoughts in the morning. I prepare brochures for distribution and work on other projects in the afternoon, and I distribute materials at night.

I went to a park to hang posters on the walls or trees during the two nights before Chinese New Year's Eve.

Then, I walked the streets again on Chinese New Year's Eve, posting banners with Falun Gong messages and handing out brochures. Seeing thousands of lights from the buildings where people were reunited with their family numbers, I had a sense of loneliness. I remembered how I had spent Chinese New Year in prison. It seemed to have happened only yesterday. That bitter feeling was hard to describe. I felt the same way at that moment.

Four words often came to my mind: “Walking on thin ice.”

Master said,

“Each instance of inadequate righteous thoughts, and each attachment that a cultivator has will be seized upon by them as an excuse to drag you down and take you out from among the ranks of cultivating Dafa disciples.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”)

I am a practitioner, and no one can change me. I know the hardships of cultivation, especially during this time when Falun Gong is persecuted.

These thoughts did not stop me. I continued walking toward a display window in a community complex and pulled out a banner with the words “Falun Dafa is good.” I posted it on the window along with another banner. I was not scared because no one was on the street. Actually, I had become accustomed to this kind of situation. However, I am still cautious about safety when I distribute Falun Gong materials.

I often have a thought in the middle of the night: “Am I a qualified practitioner who assists Master in Fa-rectification? I came to the world because I had signed a pledge with Master–that is our mission. I cannot relax in my mind or my actions, and I have to walk righteously on the path of cultivation.”