The Importance of Cultivating Ourselves Well

(Minghui.org) Master recently published articles, “How Human Kind Came To Be” and “Why the Creator Seeks to Save All Life.” Three other articles, “Stay Out of Danger”, “Dafa Spiritual Practice Is Serious” and “How You Should Regard and Act Toward Master’s Family Members” were also published. Every practitioner knows cultivation is serious and how urgent time is, and these articles serve as a reminder.

We vowed to assist Master in Fa-rectification to save sentient beings eons ago, so we need to clarify the truth and do it well. Thanks to Master’s boundless compassion, the Fa-rectification period has been repeatedly extended.

Tribulations When I Did Not Truly Study the Fa

For a long time, I was not able to gain new insights into the Fa when I read the teachings. I wondered what was wrong. I read many experience-sharing articles to see how other practitioners viewed this issue. It didn’t help, because, instead of examining myself, I looked outward. I had problems at work, while teaching my children and clarifying the truth to people on the RTC platform.

Master must have seen my issues and gave me hints. One day my husband, who was overseas, called me on the phone. He usually just asked about the kids, but that day he said, “Have you studied the Fa recently?” Before I could reply he said, “When I can’t understand a paragraph, I read it repeatedly and try to understand what Master means.” My husband only read Zhuan Falun once while I practiced for three years. I felt my enlightenment quality was poor.

I thought about how I studied the Fa and practiced the exercises. I realized that I read the Fa too fast in order to finish quickly. I focused on quantity instead of quality. I scheduled everything I planned to do each day. I read the Fa quickly so I could finish everything. Because I treated studying the Fa as though I were completing a task, I was not able to enlighten.

My child’s teacher said that he was slow to understand, did not focus and easily forgot what the class studied. I realized my problem. Didn’t my child’s situation reflect my cultivation state? I read the Fa so fast that I forgot what I read.

Some of my coworkers asked, “Why are you so confused? The managers said the reports you compiled were messy and unscientific. No one can understand them.” I also didn’t do well when I clarified the truth on the RTC platform. When I made phone calls to Chinese people, many were rude. I was not able to persuade them to withdraw from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

I decided to make a breakthrough when I studied the Fa. I read slowly and stopped paying attention to the time—instead, I focused on the Fa.

I used to have a clear mind when I studied the Fa and after I finished doing the exercises. But now I became drowsy before I finished reading Lunyu. Sometimes it took me an hour to read five pages. I was very annoyed with my situation. I started drinking coffee to stay awake.

At first a small cup of coffee would do. Even though I occasionally felt muddle-headed I managed to stay awake. Then, I increased to one and a half cups, but I felt sleepier. I thought I needed more sleep. This was an everyday people’s notion. Because my notion complied with the “sleepy” notion of the old forces, it controlled me. When I thought I was sleepy, the substance of “sleep” was generated in other dimensions and I was not able to distinguish whether I was truly sleepy or if it was an illusion.

I found my problem after I looked within. I was able to read many Chinese words after I studied Chinese for six months in early 2023. When I read Zhuan Falun in Chinese I didn’t feel sleepy, instead my mind was clear because I was focused on remembering the Chinese characters. I realized I was sleepy because I thought of other things while I read the Fa.

Studying the Fa and Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts Well So I Could Clarify the Truth and Save Sentient Beings Well

Master said,

“This especially holds true in the Fa-rectification period, where all of the cosmos’s beings, both positive and negative, want to be saved. And that includes even the unimaginably massive gods at the highest of planes, as well as, notably, the sentient beings of their worlds. It is because of this that they have managed to have a presence in the human world, and in the Three Realms. Could they forgo this once-in-eons opportunity to be saved? “You have to save me”—they all utter this, imploring to be saved. But the way this comes across is not what one would expect by using the kind of reasoning and comprehension found in the human world, such as how you must be courteous and humble when asking for help—“As you are here to save me, I must first express my gratitude toward you, and I will do my part to make it easier”—it’s nothing like that. As they see it, “If you are to save me, you have to reach my level first, and you must have this measure of mighty virtue before you can save me. Without such mighty virtue, without having reached my stature, how could you save me?” So they would have you trip and fall, suffer, and eliminate your attachments, after which, with your mighty virtue having been established, you will have cultivated to that level and be able to save them. That’s how they want to have it.” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa”, Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume XI)

After reading what Master said I became strict with myself. I treated everything, even trivial matters seriously such as time, equipment, the Internet connection and my cultivation state. I tried my best to study the Fa and do the exercises well. If I was busy, I practiced the exercises at night or slept less. I focused on cultivating myself.

Master also said,

“You claim that you are too busy and don’t have the time. Actually, you are afraid that you don’t get enough rest. Has it ever occurred to you that cultivation is the best form of rest? You can obtain the kind of rest that can’t be obtained through sleep. Nobody would say: “The exercises are making me so tired that I can’t do anything today.” One would only say: “The exercises are making my whole body relaxed and at ease. I don’t feel sleepy after a sleepless night. I feel full of energy. I feel completely fine after a day’s work.” Isn’t that the case? So if someone who doesn’t come out to do the exercises says that he has no time or uses other excuses, I would say that it’s solely because he lacks a deep understanding of the Fa and lacks the will to make diligent efforts.” (Teachings at the First Conference in North America)

Sure enough, when I only slept three hours I didn’t feel tired and my mind was clear. There was a problem with the sound on the phone call platform one day. I saw negative beings in other dimensions when I sent forth righteous thoughts. Two of them looked like me and were arguing. One of them pulled out the connection plug while the other tried to plug it back in. When I sent one thought “elimination,” they disappeared. The connection and the voice were normal after we finished sending righteous thoughts. I was puzzled and wondered why these beings looked like me. I realized the old forces made thorough arrangements due to my attachments. I had a competitive mindset even when I studied the Fa or did the exercises. The connection problem reflected my cultivation state.

I hope that other practitioners cultivate better than I did. As soon as we find an attachment, we should immediately send righteous thoughts to eliminate it. Otherwise, the old forces will enlarge it and use it to persecute us.

When I meditated, I saw the sentient beings I helped withdraw from the CCP and its affiliated organizations. Master saw my wish to save people and arranged practitioners who were good at talking to work with me. Now the number of people who agree to quit the CCP when I contact them has stabilized. Thank you, Master, for constantly encouraging me and arranging this opportunity for me to work in this special project.

Being involved in the RTC platform is a process of improving my xinxing and letting go of my hidden human attachments. Our compassionate Master has constantly been giving me hints so that I am enlightened and completely eliminate my attachments.

I have immense gratitude and respect for Master. Master arranged this great environment on the RTC platform for us to cultivate and carry out our vows. We should do our best to work together, cultivate diligently, clarify the truth and save sentient beings. I hope we can help each other, cultivate, and study the Fa together so that we will not get lost again.

Let’s make full use of our time and do the things Master requires us to do so we will be worthy of Master’s expectation. Thank you, Master!

Please kindly point out anything that is not in line with the Fa. Thank you!

(Experience sharing article presented at the 2024 RTC Experience Sharing Conference)