Regaining the True State of Cultivation: Persevering and Not Slacking Off

(Minghui.org) I have been a Falun Dafa practitioner for over 20 years. With Master’s protection, I have steadily walked the path of cultivation. I would like to share my experiences of doing the three things well, such as seizing the time to cultivate diligently. I wish to report to Master and start a discussion with fellow practitioners.

Realizing My Cultivation State Through Tooth Pain and Loss

A few years ago, I grew a new tooth where one had fallen out. However, over the past two years, the tooth frequently hurt and became loose. This spring, the new tooth fell out. Not long after, another old tooth close to the new one also fell out. By summer, two more teeth began to loosen, affecting my chewing and eating. Facing such interference, I had to seriously examine what attachments I had not yet let go.

First, I looked at my speech and whether there were any gaps in this area. I realized that I had the bad habit of lying. In the harsh environment of China where Falun Dafa is persecuted, I sometimes needed to keep certain matters from my non-practitioner mother. I recalled that this spring when I returned home to visit her, I stayed for a few days. One morning, as I was about to leave to meet a fellow practitioner, my mother asked me where I was going. I replied, “I'm going to get a transportation card.” I thought at the time that such a lie was harmless. To ordinary people, this might seem like a reasonable white lie, but for a practitioner, it was not “true,” and in this respect, I had deceived my mother.

In my interactions with fellow practitioners, I also had the habit of lying. For example, a fellow practitioner asked me, “Did you finish all five exercises today?” I casually replied, “Yes, I did.” But in fact, I hadn’t done even one that day. While it might seem like no harm was done, it was still not “true” and showed a lack of respect for my fellow practitioner. I had lied casually countless times before.

So what was the main issue? Master said:

“What does our Falun Dafa cultivate? Our cultivation is based upon the principles of the universe’s evolution, and it is guided by the standard of the universe’s highest characteristic, Zhen-Shan-Ren. We cultivate something so enormous that it equates to cultivating the universe.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)

I hadn’t fully assimilated to “Truthfulness.” I used to think that “Forbearance” was the hardest to cultivate, but now I realize that “Truthfulness” is also difficult to achieve 100 percent. Even a white lie is still a lie; it is not truthful. In this respect, I failed to cultivate “Truthfulness” and did not take cultivation of speech seriously.

When two more teeth became loose during the summer, it indicated that I had slacked off in my cultivation. In recent years, I had been less diligent in my cultivation and was not strict myself. This was undoubtedly true.

For several years, I hadn’t consistently participated in the global morning exercises. Especially in the summer, when the weather was hot, I didn’t want to get up at three a.m. When the alarm went off, I would turn the clock off and go back to sleep. Sometimes, I was too lazy to even open my eyes for the six a.m. global sending forth righteous thoughts and missed the time. I knew I had a desire for comfort and that my main consciousness was suppressed by the demon of “laziness.”

When I diligently practiced Dafa, I was thrilled to grow a new tooth. But, now, after slacking off in my cultivation, that new tooth fell out, which was a real pity. Our bodies correspond to the universe, so the loss of a tooth may also correspond to the loss of lives in the universe.

Realizing this, I was truly heartbroken! It showed that my gong had fallen, and I hadn’t kept up with the progress of Fa-rectification. This was a serious lesson for me.

Letting Go of the Attachment to Ending the Persecution Early

The hope that the Fa-rectification would end soon was another reason I couldn’t cultivate diligently.

Since the pandemic, I had become addicted to following so-called major events and news from China and abroad. I would sometimes skip studying the Fa to read the news. I would wake up in the morning eager to check the news on my computer. I would check it in the morning and then again in the evening. This attachment was very strong and I wasted a lot of time.

Why was I so attached to daily news? It was nothing more than hoping to see the evil Chinese Communist Party (CCP) fall, hoping that the international community would sanction the CCP, that it would collapse soon, or that its financial system would suffer a great depression, leaving it without the resources to persecute Dafa practitioners. Wouldn’t that be great! At that time, it would be easier to clarify the truth, and it would be easier to save people. Those corrupt officials would have to return all their stolen money to the people.

At that time, I could also relax, and my grievances could be redressed, allowing me to hold my head high. Since the CCP began persecuting Falun Dafa, I had been living alone, was financially not well-off, and life had been tough. In the eyes of my relatives and friends, I had nothing. As an ordinary person, I still longed for a good life and dreamed of living well.

Through Fa-study, I realized that our purpose in stopping the persecution is to help more people understand the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa and awaken their conscience and compassion so they can be saved. I understood that we Dafa practitioners shoulder a historical mission. We vowed to assist Master in Fa-rectification, to save sentient beings, to obtain the Fa and return to our true selves, to endure hardships to repay karma, and to assimilate to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, thereby reshaping our divine bodies.

The CCP exists for our cultivation. It serves as a backdrop for our cultivation and will eventually turn to ashes. We are Dafa practitioners walking toward divinity. Studying the Fa well, doing the three things well, and playing our main roles well are what we must accomplish at this stage in history.

The news in the world can be understood briefly; there’s no need to waste too much time on it. The major events in the world are all happening to assist Fa-rectification.

Regaining the Initial Feeling of Cultivation

Back in the days before July 20, 1999 [when the persecution began], I almost always participated in collective morning exercises in the park, and was rarely late or absent. At that time, fellow practitioners were eager to attend, and the energy field during the group practice was very strong. After practicing, we could share experiences with each other. In the evening, we would study Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, together and exchange insights, finding and correcting our shortcomings. The hardships we endured in our many lifetimes were all for obtaining the Fa, and when the time was right, we would get together.

Those were memorable times. I was still a young man then. I remember one morning in 1998 when we were meditating during the fifth exercise, there were over ten people, and after about 40 minutes my legs felt severe pain. I wanted to take my legs down, but when I opened my eyes and saw that everyone else was sitting there in the lotus position without moving, I felt too embarrassed to lower my legs and continued to endure the pain. I even cried out in pain, with tears covering my face. But, after completing the one-hour meditation, I felt incredibly light and comfortable.

That evening, during our group Fa-study, an elderly practitioner asked, “Who cried out during the meditation today?” I shyly answered, “It was me.” My fellow practitioners looked at me and smiled knowingly.

Reflecting on those times brings a special feeling. Those precious memories became motivation for my diligence. Back then, what we looked forward to most were Master’s new lectures. Although the good environment for group cultivation was destroyed by the CCP, we have our reliable Minghui website. I visit Minghui almost daily. I study Master’s lectures online, read fellow practitioners’ sharing articles, witness the grand spread of Dafa worldwide, hear about the miracles Dafa manifests in the world, and read the touching cultivation stories of Dafa practitioners. These experiences are truly inspiring and uplifting.

Especially when I listened to the “Recalling Master’s Grace” series on Minghui Radio, I was moved to tears several times. Master has endured immense hardships to spread the Fa, and it was Master who saved us from hell. Master personally protects every practitioner and, in times of danger, turns the tide. Master has given everything to save sentient beings! I must not let Master down. I have to pull myself together.

Master said, 

“A way out was offered, however, in order to allow those who still have good thoughts to be saved: Dafa disciples started to clarify the truth. Dafa disciples are now the hope of salvation for the people of each region. Having reached this point today, mankind’s history has entered Its culminating stage.” (“Fa Teaching at the Minghui 10^thAnniversary Conference,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume X)

I want to regain the positive mindset I had when I first obtained the Fa. I remember that back then, whenever I met someone, I would want to introduce Falun Dafa to them. I wanted to spread the Fa to everyone I encountered, and I always smiled at everyone I met. I was as innocent and joyful as a child! Every day was full of happiness. At that time, I naively thought, “I don’t just want to cultivate to become an Arhat, that’s too low; I should at least cultivate to become a Bodhisattva.” I wasn’t the only one with this thought.

However, as time went by and given the persecution, I seemed to become very tired, even to the point of not considering others’ feelings when things happened. I forgot that I am a cultivator who is supposed to assimilate to Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. In this chaotic world, Falun Dafa teaches people to be kind and return to their true selves. Falun Dafa is the only pure land and the hope of humanity! Therefore, as someone who has already obtained the Fa, I cannot sink further with time.

I understand that collective Fa-study and exercises were the only form left by Master when he spread the Fa. A good environment is something we need to create ourselves. Since my original Fa-study group disbanded not long ago, I had to find a new group. So, I started attending another practitioner’s group at their home. We study the Fa and exchange insights together twice a week. We discuss how to do well the three things Master requires, how to take on the historical responsibilities given to us, and how to complete the great mission together.

Once, while at a fellow practitioner’s home, I noticed she had a handwritten copy of Zhuan Falun in progress. I asked her to make a copy of the template for me. The paper she used was the same as the one I used when I first obtained the Fa. I started handwriting Zhuan Falun again.

When sharing insights with another practitioner, she told me that after copying a section, she would immediately memorize it. This way, combining copying with memorization while the content was still fresh proved to be more effective. I tried this method at home and found it worked very well; it indeed deepened my capacity for memorization, making it a method that suits me. It brings a result that yields twice the success with half the effort.

With the help of fellow practitioners, I rediscovered the wonderful feeling I had at the beginning of my cultivation, gradually regaining my confidence. This collective Fa-study environment has greatly benefited me.

Through exchanges with fellow practitioners, I realized that there is no such thing as a small matter in cultivation. I need to start with the “small things” around me. As the saying goes, “The plan for a lifetime lies in diligence.” 

I first cleaned my room, maintaining a tidy living environment. I could keep a good mood. I then created a simple schedule for myself, arranging my time more reasonably. I do morning exercises, prepare truth-clarification materials in the morning, study the Fa in the afternoon (including participating in group Fa-study twice a week), send forth righteous thoughts at the designated times, take time to eliminate the evil interference in my area, and go out to clarify the truth in the evening. 

During the summer, when daylight lasts longer, I sometimes go out and talk with people about Falun Dafa at night. This daily routine has become well-organized, forming a virtuous cycle, helping me to maintain the demeanor of a Dafa practitioner during the Fa-rectification period. A good start is important, and consistency is key. With Master and the Fa by my side, I am confident in my ability to persevere and do well.

One afternoon last summer, I saw a middle-aged male employee come out of a supermarket and squat at the entrance to smoke. I thought, “This is someone with a predestined relationship that Master has sent to me to hear the truth, and I must seize this opportunity.” I quickly parked my bike at the supermarket entrance and walked over to squat beside him and started chatting. I said, “The pandemic is back again, and the health bureau announced that all those who died were ‘outstanding Party members.’ One of them was a court president who passed away at just 50 years old.” At this point, another employee came out of the supermarket; it turned out they were colleagues. I thought, “Great, another person to hear the truth.” I talked with both of them about Falun Dafa and the persecution, and in the end, they both agreed to quit the CCP, securing their safety and choosing a bright future for themselves!

Through continuous Fa-study and cultivation of my heart, I realized that the closer we get to the end, the more we must be vigilant, not be careless, and not slack off. It’s like playing a game of chess; you cannot relax until the final victory is achieved. When it comes to the endgame, it’s even more crucial to be meticulous, as every step is key. With victory in sight, if you’re careless, a single mistake can lead to total loss, as slackness could undo all your efforts. Moreover, a game of chess has a time limit; you cannot always hesitate and miss opportunities. The lost time will never come back. The lives in this world have endured suffering in the cycle of reincarnation until now, all to wait for Dafa.

If a tooth falls out, measures can still be taken to remedy it, such as using a false tooth as a temporary fix. But, if this rare opportunity is missed, it will never come again! I cannot be vague about this, so I cannot hesitate any longer. From now on, I must seize the time to do the three things well, cultivate with perseverance, maintain the state I had at the beginning of my cultivation, and work diligently without slacking off.