Cultivation: The Choice for Every Moment of Life

(Minghui.org) I would like to share one of my recent experiences, an experience that helped me gain a new understanding and see more clearly the boundary between “ordinary human affairs” and “the path of cultivation.” I rediscovered where I should truly place cultivation in my daily life.

One of the biggest events in my family’s life was approaching a few months ago, my son’s wedding. From the very beginning, I knew that this responsibility would require a great deal of time and energy. There were many things to do, including planning, frequent trips, and various arrangements, and these different concerns filled my days. I was busy with different tasks every day and felt that time was passing very quickly.

During that period, I realized that as a Falun Dafa practitioner I had very little time for studying the Fa and doing the exercises. I often told myself, “When the wedding preparations are over, I will return to my previous cultivation routine.” I thus postponed my cultivation practice until I had finished my daily responsibilities, and practiced only if there was time left.

The days passed quickly however, and that extra time almost never appeared.

Fortunately, the wedding ceremony went very well. The celebration was peaceful, and left beautiful and unforgettable memories for all the family members and guests. Everything seemed satisfactory, yet after the wedding was over, I felt a strange heaviness and sadness deep in my heart.

This sadness did not come from physical exhaustion, but rather from the realization that during that period I had not been diligent in my cultivation, and had allowed ordinary human affairs to replace the most important part of my life.

By looking inward, I realized that my mistake was rooted in my priorities. I had allowed ordinary human matters, although important and seemingly necessary, to replace cultivation in my life.

I asked myself, “Did I choose cultivation only for my free time? Am I a practitioner only when I am free from my daily responsibilities? I chose the path of cultivation as something that belongs to every day and every moment of my life, not only for the times when ordinary tasks are completed and some free time remains.”

I came to a clear understanding, that if I push cultivation to the sidelines, even ordinary human affairs will not go as well as they should. When my mind is not guided by the righteous thoughts of a practitioner, I become impatient, worried, attached, and unsettled when dealing with problems. Outwardly, things may still move forward, but inwardly I lose the peace and clarity that I need.

I decided that going forward, when I wake up in the morning, before doing anything else, I will first fulfill my cultivation responsibilities. I will study the Fa, do the exercises, send forth righteous thoughts, maintain righteous thoughts in my mind, and clarify the truth. These things must be my priorities and should never be postponed until “later.” Neglecting this principle, my entire day would be built on an unstable foundation.

After returning to this routine, I clearly saw that not only did my cultivation improve, but my daily affairs also became smoother and more harmonious. My mind became calmer, and I had greater patience and wisdom in dealing with family and social responsibilities.

This experience taught me that cultivation is not something separate from daily life, and that cultivators should not practice only in their spare time. Cultivation is the foundation of our lives, and everything else should be built upon it. When we position this principle correctly, our path of cultivation becomes clearer, and ordinary human affairs, without leading us away from our path, naturally fall into their proper place.

I hope this sharing can serve as a reminder to other practitioners of the importance of cultivation, even during the busiest periods of life, and help them make cultivation the constant choice for every day and every moment.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to our compassionate Master, and I hope that I can cultivate diligently and one day return to my true home with Master.