Persisting in Practicing the Falun Dafa Exercises

(Minghui.org) The Fa-rectification is coming to an end. Meanwhile, Falun Dafa practitioners are diligently doing the three things daily to live up to Master’s great compassion and to not have any regrets for not cultivating well. I continue to distribute Falun Dafa informational materials to make people aware of the goodness of Dafa, study the Fa, and practice the Dafa exercises. However, I often feel tired, especially when I get up early to do the morning exercises.

Having a regular job has made it challenging for me to wake up early and do the exercises in the morning. I typically set my alarm at 3:15 a.m. first, then 3:45 a.m. and then 4:45 a.m. If my thinking is righteous, I can wake up at 3:15 a.m. However, over the course of a few days, I gradually move to waking up at 4:45 a.m. I find I am in a rut and feel that something is wrong. It has been difficult to consistently get up at the early time, but I’m not sure why I find it so difficult.

After studying the Fa one night, I wanted to set the time I would wake up at the next day to do the exercises. Suddenly, the word “persistent” popped into my mind. I began to question whether “persistent” was a thought rooted in human attachments. Persistence, after all, often implies doing something one doesn’t want to do. For instance, ordinary people don’t consider eating, drinking, and sleeping as something they need to be persistent about, as these activities are natural daily routines.

Shouldn’t practitioners feel the same way about studying the Fa and doing the exercises every day? Shouldn’t it be the same as the way eating and drinking are for everyday people? Am I reluctant to study the Fa and do the exercises? I felt relieved when I understood this principle. I would like to thank Master for enlightening me. Since then, it has become easier to consistently study the Fa and do the exercises.

As practitioners, studying the Fa and doing the exercises daily should be just as natural and necessary as eating and drinking. There should be no reluctance or hesitation about doing these things, as they are vital for our spiritual growth and cultivation.

Realizing this principle can bring a sense of relief and understanding, because it allows us to let go of any attachment to feeling difficulty or struggle in our cultivation. I am grateful for Master’s teachings that helped me enlighten to this principle.

Practitioners have told us in their experience sharing articles the different ways they have tried to ensure that they wake up to do the exercises. One person used several alarm clocks, and another one tried to sleep on a cushion, instead of sleeping on the bed. None worked because they used a human mindset to deal with cultivation. Changing our way of thinking and approach to cultivation with a more elevated perspective can help us to overcome obstacles and make progress in our practice.

As practitioners, studying the Fa and doing the exercises daily should be just as natural as breathing. Thus, I set the alarm for 3:15 a.m. I woke up as soon as the alarm rang and was able to complete the five sets of exercises.

It has been 10 days since I began this experience sharing article. I was able to get up at 3:15 a.m. I felt sleepy during the day, but thought that it wasn’t related to my early morning exercise routine. As a result, the sleepiness went away, and I felt energetic all day.

Master said:

“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.’” (Lecture at the First Conference in North America)

I wanted to share my experience with my fellow practitioners.