The Seriousness of Cultivation from Ancient Forms of Cultivation

(Minghui.org) Master has talked about the seriousness of cultivation practice, but I noticed some practitioners don’t understand the matter well enough and have slacked off. Dafa disciples have a great mission and their cultivation is more serious than any of the cultivation ways in history. I hope my sharing below can serve as a reminder to my fellow practitioners.

Ancient practices had students live in an environment exclusively for cultivation; a cultivator must leave their homes and enter a temple. This form severed the connection to human society and it was a major decision for a person to cultivate. As a result, the student knew the seriousness of cultivation from the very beginning.

In ancient times, a student had to go through an initiation formality to be accepted by a master. The rules were strict. You couldn’t come and go when you pleased. If you wanted to follow a master, the master may not have wanted you. If a student severely violated the rules, he or she would be expelled from the temple. So a student understood and cherished the opportunity to cultivate.

After initiation, a student completely gave himself to the master. From then on, a student must act as a cultivator. He also dressed like a cultivator and was given a different name. All these formalities separated the students from ordinary people.

Today, Falun Dafa is a cultivation practice that has opened the door to everyone. The Great Way has no form. Falun Dafa disciples have important missions and their cultivation is more serious than any of the cultivations of the past.

Master is very compassionate and has repeatedly given practitioners chances to correct themselves, even though some had made very serious mistakes. Practitioners live in society with ordinary people. Every place is an environment for cultivation, from home, school, the workplace and the whole of human society.

However, some practitioners couldn’t realize the greatness of cultivation and still considered themselves ordinary people, even after many years of cultivation practice.

By juxtaposing Dafa to ancient cultivation practices, I want to remind practitioners to realize the seriousness of cultivation and understand the fundamental purpose of cultivation.

We must be diligent and carry out our historical mission!