Reflections on “Whose Thoughts Are Those?”

(Minghui.org) I read an article recently that made me reflect on my laziness and attachment to comfort. In “Whose Thoughts Are Those?” the author offers his thoughts and advice to a friend who was troubled by his own attachment to comfort.

For a long time, I regarded the thoughts of wanting to slack off and stay comfortable as my own thoughts and just went along with them. Master gave me hints on many occasions, but I kept making the same mistakes. The old forces took advantage of this and nearly took my life away. I’d like to share my story so that other practitioners can learn from my painful experience.

For years I’d wake up early in the morning and do the exercises before I sent righteous thoughts at 6 a.m. Afterwards, I’d lie down, thinking that I just wanted to rest a little bit more, and I’d end up falling asleep. During those times, I often had dreams. In one of those dreams, I got lost when I was almost home; in another, I couldn’t catch the bus home.

I knew these dreams were from Master, reminders that I wouldn’t be able to follow him home if I was attached to comfort. Yet I still didn’t pay enough attention to them. I failed to control myself, went along with the lazy thoughts in my head, and went back to sleep after sending righteous thoughts.

My dreams later became so real that I couldn’t wake up from them. My main consciousness couldn’t control my body and make it wake up. I screamed in my dreams and asked Master to help me wake up.

The last time I got stuck in a dream was a real wake-up call. In that dream, I went to a store and bought a comfortable, baggy shirt. When I got home, it felt like I hadn’t been there for some time, and I spotted an emaciated animal on the verge of death. I ignored it and went straight to bed. The dying animal came to my bed and begged for help. I tried to get up but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. After struggling a lot, I shouted, “Master, I must control my physical body!” I woke up, knowing that Master had saved me again.

I read the article “Whose Thoughts Are Those?” again, and Master’s words quoted in the article helped me see the attachments shown in my dream. A comfortable, baggy shirt meant that I was still attached to physical comfort. The dying animal meant that I failed to shoulder my responsibility to save sentient beings in my world. Not being able to get up meant that the old forces wanted me dead because I had ignored Master’s hints and hadn’t taken cultivation seriously.

Master said,

“A human body is just like a garment and a person’s mind is just like a hat. Whoever wears them, that’s who takes charge.” (“Teachings at the First Conference in North America”)

Indeed, if my main consciousness hadn’t wanted to control my physical body, foreign entities would have taken over. Master saved me because my main consciousness still wanted to control my body.

My point is that the thoughts of fearing work or wanting to slack off do not come from our true selves. They come from notions and karma formed after birth. When our righteous thoughts are weak, the old forces intensify these damaging thoughts in our heads.

My last point on this topic is the importance of writing an article to commemorate World Falun Dafa Day 2025. As practitioners, we all have to validate the Fa and do what Master asks of us. I thought about writing a submission but kept putting it off. Now I know that the thoughts of fearing the difficulties and being unwilling to write an article did not come from me—they were thoughts arranged by the old forces to interfere with me.

Let us pick up our pens and allow our true selves to validate the Fa and save sentient beings.