Follow Master’s Direction: Begin from Persevering in Doing the Exercises and Doing Them Correctly

(Minghui.org) I recently noticed that many overseas Falun Dafa practitioners, including many who have practiced for more than 20 years, are not doing the exercises correctly. Many practitioners’ movements have already deviated greatly from the norm, given that they are not paying attention to the movements.

It is impossible that everyone moves exactly the same. But these practitioners’ movements are simply wrong, rather than simply being not standard. Furthermore, many of them do not accept critique. They don’t listen at all when others point out that their movements are wrong, and some even turn hostile right away. Maybe that was the reason why they kept doing exercises wrong.

These practitioners often continue chatting when Master’s voice speaks the formulas in the exercise music. While doing the exercises, some open their eyes and look around, speak at will, or walk around. They also scratch themselves during the exercises, which is even more common.

Besides moving incorrectly, many practitioners perform the exercises very fast, not at all slow and smooth. They do that for every exercise. For example, when doing the first exercise, instead of slowly stretching their arms to the position, they quickly move their arms into the position, pausing there for a few seconds, then quickly stretch their arms once. 

When doing the second exercises, they move their arms into the different positions very quickly. They do the third exercise even worse. Many of them move in the direction opposite to what Master directs because they move their arms up and down too fast. A number of practitioners moved their hands to the position in front of their chests, then throw down their arms in a free fall, and let their arms sway in front of their bodies for a while, then when Master directs to move up, they rush their arms up. A similar phenomenon exists for the fourth exercise. 

Many practitioners have already moved their arms over the head when Master asks to move down the arms along the mechanism. The speed in doing exercises seems to be a small problem, but it actually reflects many xinxing problems, such as impatience and absent-mindedness.

Before the Onset of the Persecution: Practicing the Exercises in a Group

There were often opportunities to practice exercises in group before the persecution. Many practitioners treated the exercise movements seriously. They strictly followed what Master teaches on the video, and used the original words from The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection in teaching the exercises to others. Practitioners often performed the exercises in a group of several people to watch each other’s movements, then discussed which movements they did wrong, not accurate, or seriously wrong, and how to follow Master’s movements as closely as possible. After the persecution started, many practitioners lost the group practice environment, gradually became isolated from other practitioners, and practiced the exercises alone at home. Over a long period of time, they gradually changed their movements when doing the exercises.

Practitioners of various ages have been passing away in recent years. Some practitioners developed abnormal physical conditions and some practitioners’ bodies and faces have aged significantly. I wonder whether these phenomena have something to do with practitioners not moving correctly in doing the exercises for a long time, or their mind and body did not join together, i.e., their bodies are gesturing the exercises while their thoughts are running wild.

In addition, many practitioners do not or seldom do the exercises for many years. This requires even more attention. Some practitioners are really busy, while others have slacked off and have become lazy. Many of these practitioners who are not so busy, but who do not do the exercises claim that doing exercises is in vain if their xinxing cannot keep up. But, if you don’t do the exercises for a long time, how will your innate body change? Once there is the interference of sickness karma, sometimes it is difficult to make it through.

Here, I would like to share with practitioners some of Master’s teachings on performing exercises. Master said, 

“Falun Dafa is a practice of mind and body, and so there is an exercise component to it. (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)

“For a practice to really be considered one of mind and body, there has to be both a spiritual and a physical component to it.” (The First Talk, Zhuan Falun)

“The exercises are part of the harmonization and perfection in our Dafa. Dafa is thus a comprehensive mind-body cultivation system. It is also called “The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection.” Dafa requires both cultivation and exercises, with cultivation taking priority over the exercises. A person’s gong will not increase if he merely does the exercises and fails to cultivate his character. Meanwhile, a person who only cultivates his character but does not perform the exercises of the Great Way of Spiritual Perfection will find the growth of his gong strength impeded and his innate body (ben-ti) unchanged.” (Chapter I, The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)

“Only when you are studying the Fa and cultivating your heart and mind in addition to the means of reaching Consummation—the exercises, and truly changing yourself fundamentally while improving your xinxing and elevating your level—can it be called true cultivation practice.” (“What is Cultivation Practice?” Essentials for Further Advancement)

I would like to remind practitioners to pay attention to doing the exercises, check each other to see if the movements are in accordance with Master’s The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection, and correct each other so that our innate body evolves as well.