Getting Rid of Human Notions About “Birth, Old Age, Illness, and Death”

(Minghui.org) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner who is 47 years old. Most of my colleagues are in their 20s or 30s.

Many colleagues said that I looked very young, at most in my late 30's. One coworker, in her 20s, said she always felt very tired at work, but she saw that I was full of energy and never looked tired. I also feel that I look younger than my age—in my face and body. My husband said that I became much younger looking after moving to the provincial capital. My fellow practitioners were also shocked at how young I looked. I have always felt in my heart that I am younger than the young people in the company because they are getting older, while I am getting younger.

Once, I went to the home of another Falun Dafa practitioner, Mei, who was eight years older than me. A member of her family, who was a new practitioner, asked me, "Who is older, Mei or you?" When I said I was eight years younger, she looked incredulous and could not believe it. I felt hurt and lost confidence. The tingling feeling in my heart made me realize that this new practitioner's words may be helping me to get rid of my attachment to appearance or lust.

Later, I realized that what I experienced was also dispelling my human notions about “birth, old age, sickness and death.” In fact, I used to feel that I was young, would never grow old, and I was transforming into a younger person. This was right and in line with the Fa. Master Li said:

“Dual cultivation of nature and longevity means that while cultivating your character, you are also cultivating longevity, or in other words, you are transforming your innate body. While your body is transforming and human cells are being gradually replaced by high-energy matter, the aging process slows down. Your body will show signs of returning to youth, returning gradually and transforming gradually. When it’s finally completely replaced by high-energy matter, your body will have been entirely transformed into another kind of physical body. That kind of body, like I said, will have gone beyond the Five Elements, it won’t be within the Five Elements anymore. And your body will never degenerate.” (The Fifth Talk, Zhuan Falun)

I firmly believe this paragraph from Master’s teachings. It truly feels that I am transforming myself toward youth.

But, the human notion of “birth, old age, sickness and death” is really stubborn. Master praised me for being young through the mouths of ordinary people and fellow practitioners, and this made me firmly believe the Fa principles. However, a new practitioner’s words made me lose confidence in becoming younger and younger, and so the human notion of “birth, old age, sickness and death” surfaced. My cultivation was not solid. However, I also came to realize that this notion will be removed one layer after another, like my other attachments. When one layer is removed, Master will take it away, but on the surface the notion still needs to be addressed.

Thinking about it now, many practitioners have been led astray by this notion. I realized that getting rid of the notion of “birth, old age, sickness and death” is a test in cultivation, which must be overcome. If you can’t pass this test, you may be swayed by this low-level notion. In fact, even the so-called “symptoms” of getting old on the surface are all false appearances. As long as you practice Falun Dafa firmly, you are transforming in a youthful direction—transforming into high-energy matter. Dafa practitioners must firmly believe this to be true.