(Minghui.org) I started to practice Falun Dafa in 1996. After the persecution was initiated on July 20, 1999, we lost our environment for group practice. I didn’t take practicing the exercises seriously and didn’t do all five exercises every day. This situation lasted until 2013. That's when I met a practitioner who kept asking me if I practiced the exercises. Under her encouragement, I began to complete all five exercises every day. 

Then, when the hour-long version of Exercise Two became available in 2018, I didn't practice the second exercise for one hour. I was satisfied to continue doing the five Dafa exercises as I was used to. Then one morning this September, I found I had enough time, so I practiced the second exercise for one hour.

That night another practitioner wanted to listen to a program that was in MP3 format. However, I could only play the MP4 format. So I needed to transform the MP4 program to an MP3 format. Two weeks prior, I tried to do a similar operation; I downloaded a transformer app, but didn't know how to operate it. 

I tried again that night and it worked. I was so surprised; I previously worked on it for about 10 days, but still couldn't get it to work. I wondered why I succeeded so easily with it this time. I went through what I did that day and discovered what made that day different from the other days. I realized it was because I did Exercise Two for one hour that day. Master gave me wisdom and increased my gong. 

Master said:

“A person’s gong will not increase if he merely does the exercises and fails to cultivate his character. Meanwhile, a person who only cultivates his character but does not perform the exercises of the Great Way of Spiritual Perfection will find the growth of his gong strength impeded and his innate body (ben-ti) unchanged.” (Chapter One, The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)

I understood that Master requires us to practice one hour of Exercise Two to increase our gong and advance our level. 

I saw my loopholes: I thought that I was still young and that I had a daily job, so I didn't have enough time to practice all the exercises. I knew other practitioners who had the same situation; they couldn't complete the five sets of exercises every day either. 

After I was encouraged by another practitioner and began to do all five exercises, I felt energetic after I completed the first four sets of movements, and my mind was very clear after I practiced the fifth exercise—the meditation. When I practiced all five of the exercises, I was very energetic and did well in my job and Dafa projects. I suggest that practitioners who have to work and/or are young, take practicing the exercises seriously.

I know some senior practitioners who look quite old. They have hunched backs or walk with difficulty, and some cannot even take care of themselves. It is possible that there are other reasons for their health issues, but not practicing the exercises may be one of the factors. 

I asked them about their situations. Nearly all of them were not focusing on doing the exercises. Some practitioners still had difficulty sitting in the lotus position for the meditation. If we have health issues, how can we validate Dafa?! We have family members, friends, and other people watching us. It is time to correct this situation. 

Thinking back to when we started to practice Dafa, some practitioners previously had a hunchback, which was straightened after doing the exercises. Those who previously had difficulty walking could then walk smoothly without a problem. Those who had disabilities recovered, and could then do housework. However, some practitioners who have been cultivating Dafa since before 1999 still have those health issues. In such cases, we should truly look inward. 

Let us review Master’s Fa again:

“A person’s gong will not increase if he merely does the exercises and fails to cultivate his character. Meanwhile, a person who only cultivates his character but does not perform the exercises of the Great Way of Spiritual Perfection will find the growth of his gong strength impeded and his innate body (ben-ti) unchanged.” (Chapter One, The Great Way of Spiritual Perfection)

If there is anything improper in my understanding, please kindly point it out.