(Clearwisdom.net) In the "Minghui Weekly" issues 230, 232, and 234, practitioners talked about their understandings on how to eliminate the "sleep demons." Inspired by the articles, I would like to write down my experience of eliminating the "sleep demons" in other dimensions. I hope it can help those who are still struggling with the disturbance of "sleep demons."
One morning, while I was stilling my mind during the fifth exercise, I saw in front of my eyes the situation in which some practitioners were trying to meditate but were sleeping. Some had their heads lowered and were sleeping deeply. Others were trying to adjust their positions and wake themselves up. The strange thing was that all of them appeared to be tied up, surrounded by layers of thick shells, and all of them were being attacked. I saw the old forces' dark minions and the rotten demons throwing dirty things like garbage at them. Things like insects and scorpions were all over their bodies. They looked uncomfortable. Some were twisting around and hoping to get untied. Others were watching the sky helplessly after twisting in vain and hoping somebody would come save them. But the old forces did not stop and continued to do what they were doing.
Suddenly a voice shouted: "I'm cultivating. I can't get tied up by humans’ attachments and humans’ garbage." As soon as those words had been uttered, a bright golden light flashed, the shells binding the practitioners exploded, and the ropes that had tied them up fell apart. All the garbage and insects turned into black liquid. The practitioners looked very clean and pure.
I understood. This was Teacher's compassionate hint for me. Teacher let me see that the so-called "sleep demons" are actually the old forces and their dark minions and rotten demons. What they wanted was to bury Falun Dafa practitioners with the garbage of this human world until they are unable to move. After a while, some practitioners may think that the garbage represents their own weaknesses and thus bear with it. But if practitioners have righteous thoughts, they shine like pure gold, and no dirty thing can stay on their bodies.
From this, I also understood a few more things: one is that the karma accumulated from one's previous lives plus the karma formed later are like layers of shells and fetters. They don't want you to progress. But if you really want to cultivate, you need to change your heart from the inside.
Second, if you are not trying hard to progress, the old forces' dark minions will use your attachments to magnify your tribulations and destroy you.
Third, your main consciousness needs to be strong. You need to believe in Teacher and the Fa.
Fourth, I further understood the idea that "Cultivation depends on one’s own efforts, while the transformation of gong is done by one’s master." (from Zhuan Falun) Teacher only looks at our hearts. Everything is done by Teacher.
Let us treasure the limited time that is left to us. Do the three things well. We must maintain our righteous thoughts and follow the process of the Fa-rectification. Our final future is bright.
The above is my personal understanding. Please kindly point it out if anything is not correct.
