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A Dafa Practitioner in China: Doing the Exercises Outdoors

September 06, 2008 |  

(Clearwisdom.net) In January 2008, a Minghui/Clearwisdom editorial suggested that Falun Dafa practitioners with suitable conditions go outdoors to do the exercises if conditions permitted. I went outside a few times, but it was very cold, and at nearly four in the morning, it was too dark. Moreover, there were no people out at that time to see me doing the exercises. So I decided to wait until the weather got warmer. I then stopped for more than a month.

I eventually started doing the exercises outside again. It was so good to do the exercises outdoors. I was no longer sleepy. When the cold air blew on me, I felt a little bit chilly, but I was totally awake. My whole body felt light and I was never sleepy when doing the sitting exercise.

One morning after I sent forth righteous thoughts at 6:00 a.m., I looked outside and saw an officer from our local police station walking around the place where I did exercises outdoors. It seemed that he was looking for something. I thought maybe someone who didn't know the truth saw me doing the exercises and reported me to the police. Later, I told our coordinator about it. Finally, I decided to send forth righteous thoughts to eliminate the old forces, dark minions and rotten demons that controlled the policeman and eliminate all the bad thoughts and concepts in his mind. My doing the exercises complied with ordinary people's social activities. Doing exercises outdoors also allows one to enjoy nature.

Teacher said in "The Falun Emblem" of Lecture Five in Zhuan Falun (2000 Translation),

"It is because what we cultivate is very immense, which is the same as cultivating the entire universe."

Since we practice such a great Fa, why can't we do the exercises outdoors openly? People doing other practices can exercise outdoors, why can't we? Doesn't the world exist for Dafa and its disciples? What concept is blocking us? Aren't we acknowledging the old forces' persecution subconsciously? Since the Clearwisdom website has said that we should think for sake of sentient beings, what is it that we can't let go of to save sentient beings? We cultivate the Fa of the universe. For such a righteous and wonderful Dafa, why can't we openly practice it from the proper perspective?

After having these thoughts, I calmed down. To validate Dafa, save sentient beings and eliminate all sentient beings' unrighteous concepts and bad thoughts in my dimensional field, I resumed doing the exercises outdoors on April 1, 2008. I have kept doing so every day since then.

Of course, there was resistance. My husband criticized me and said I was asking for trouble. When he was deep in sleep, I went out. When I came back, he was very angry with me. I didn't argue with him, though. After a while, he stopped saying anything. Also, sometimes I would have bad thoughts when doing the exercises, such as what I should do if the policeman stands in front me? I then thought of asking Teacher to strengthen me, using the supernormal power that Teacher gave me to stop the police and save sentient beings, and also asked other practitioners to send forth righteous thoughts to prevent the old forces, dark minions, and rotten spirits from interfering with my doing the exercises.

As time passed by, I gradually realized that as long as I use righteous thoughts to guide my thinking, Teacher has taken care of everything already. For example, insects and ants came to me in packs when I first did the sitting exercise. They climbed all over my sitting pad. But after a few days they all disappeared. So did the noises. I knew that Teacher was next to me. The darkness didn't bother me and nothing could harm me. I also realized that when we do the exercises outside, we need to treat it as sacred. Because we were not only exercising our bodies, we also represent Falun Dafa. Everything we do is to validate the Fa, to let people understand Dafa, and see the wonderfulness of Dafa.

Because I was strict with myself, people doing other exercises asked me, "How can you keep exercising every day?" They encouraged me to continue. The farmer who plants vegetables next to my exercise site told me, "You are welcome to do the exercises here."

On July 10, 2008, a practitioner in our neighborhood was arrested and illegally detained at a detention center. For reasons of safety, some practitioners asked me to stay home for a while. I was really grateful for my fellow practitioner's care, but after thinking on the matter from the perspective of the Fa, I decided to continue doing the exercises outdoors. I thought when a practitioner is arrested, if I did not go out, people would say that we were scared. Then it could give people an incorrect view of Dafa. So I continued doing the exercises consistently. Nothing dangerous happened to me.

By doing the exercises for 140 days, I have been able to eliminate many attachments. There were many insects, which made it very hard to endure, but I increased my courage, belief and persistence to overcome the difficulties. I also understood what Teacher said in "Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.":

"...everything that happens today in the ordinary society is the result of Dafa disciples' thoughts."

Doing the exercises outdoors conforms with the ordinary people's state; so for those practitioners whose conditions allow them to come out, please come out and do the exercises. One important thing to remember is that we need to have righteous hearts. We are here to validate Dafa and we should not have trouble. We are Dafa disciples, walking on the path to become gods, not to mention that Teacher is protecting us. Teacher said in "Characteristics of Falun Dafa," Lecture One of Zhuan Falun (2000 Translation),

"I am rooted in the universe. If anyone can harm you, he or she would be able to harm me. Put simply, that person would be able to harm this universe."

Believing in Teacher, believing in the Fa and doing everything following the Fa's requirements, then there is nothing we can't do.

August 22, 2008