We Should Take Cultivation Seriously

(Minghui.org) I was searching for the words “serious” and “solemn,” in Fa lectures, and found that these two words appeared in at least in 85 articles from Master, sometimes more than once in an article. I realized we might be able to learn something from this.

We all know that cultivation practice is important, but I have occasionally observed situations where we could have done better. Below are some examples.

Lifestyle

We are clear that the three things are what Master has asked us to do. But some practitioners do not do well with other issues. For example, some own pets, some grow flowers, and then they find excuses to defend these things. Master told us the story about a cultivator who became obsessed with a deer and later reincarnated as one. Shouldn't we keep this in mind and be on alert?

I know some practitioners spend lots of time watching television and cannot restrain themselves. A practitioner told me that Master did not prohibit us from watching television and that she was not influenced by the programs. The truth is, if you cannot refrain from watching television and are instead addicted to everyday people's sentimentality, how will you let go of attachments and move forward on your path of cultivation?

“No Second Cultivation Way”

A few practitioners around me know that Master has told us to follow “no second cultivation way,” but they are still interested in astrology, zodiac signs or fortune-telling. In fact, Master has also mentioned these issues in Fa lectures and we should be mindful of what he said.

I know several practitioners who pay attention to Chinese herbs and food supplements. They choose special foods to eat in summer and special drinks in winter, according to theories from Chinese medicine. This may look trivial, but if we think about the motivations behind this more deeply we may do things differently.

In my understanding, “no second cultivation way” has deeper meanings if we set higher standards for ourselves.

Letting Go of Attachments

In Teaching the Fa at the Conference in the Midwest-U.S., Master said,

“That is why the Fa is solemn. Every Dafa disciple must meet the standards of every realm that he is in. This is solemn. What needs to be eliminated during the cultivation process has to be eliminated. There is no two ways about it.”

It is clear that we practitioners must always be strict with ourselves and do our best, so we will keep moving forward.

But some practitioners do not think so. One practitioner said that the attachments he has were permitted so that he could still live in everyday society. “By the time my cultivation ends, Master will take them away. So I do not need to worry about them now.”

The reality is, if someone is not clear about or sincere with cultivation, how could he or she know consummation can be achieved? With such a laid-back mentality, the future could be uncertain.

Personal Interest

In Teaching the Fa at the Fa Conference in Australia, Master said,

“For the sake of petty, insignificant gain, people harm others. Overjoyed with a little gain and pained with a little loss, unable to eat or sleep well because of this and afflicted with ailments from head to toe, what a tiring life you lead!”

But certain practitioners still have such attachments to personal gain. They may be able to handle themselves well if a large sum of money is offered to them, but may fail to do so over a trivial amount of money. Some even argue with street vendors over dimes, while others like to accept small gifts.

There are no examples to follow with cultivation. But the way we think and what we do will determine who we are and where we are heading.