(Minghui.org) I started practicing Falun Dafa in 2011. However, the first few years, I didn’t know I should read the Fa every day. I did the exercises, but never wondered whether my exercise movements were accurate.
A second group exercise site was established in our area in June 2022, in a park close to my home. I began coming to the park to do the exercises after I was inspired by a practitioner from Malaysia who overcame many difficulties to attend. One day she said, “Practitioners should pay attention to our movements when we do the exercises and correct them if they’re inaccurate.” Another practitioner said, “I’d be happy to record us so that we can compare our movements with Master’s and correct ourselves.”
I was shocked to see my movements were incorrect when I did the exercises. I watched Master’s exercise instruction videos every day and corrected myself. One practitioner said that my hand gestures at the beginning of the meditation looked a little strange. I had the same feeling, but didn’t know what was wrong. I carefully watched this section of the video again and again, and eventually corrected my movements. I felt relieved.
Understanding What Cultivation Is About
Cultivation brought huge changes to my life. I realized that my life isn’t for money or material goals, but a process of eliminating my attachment to personal gain. The goal of cultivation is to return to our true origins and reach consummation. It hasn’t been easy to completely put it into action. Before I began practicing I went through a lot of hardship to get a stable life. I felt that I finally had what I worked so hard for, but I needed to let go of my attachment to materials things. It’s much harder to give up attachments while living in this world than it would be if I lived in a temple.
Through reading the Fa I learned that I created a lot of karma throughout my various lifetimes because I pursued personal gain. How could I hold onto this attachment? My notions stopped me from abandoning my attachments and dissolving the karma. They clung to my body and wanted to pull me down. How terrible!
My attachment to personal gain gradually diminished after I had a clearer understanding of the Fa. I remind myself that I’m a cultivator and should strictly follow what Master taught.
I’ve been involved in various truth clarification projects, but I feel the true tests to see if we’re genuine cultivators lies in our everyday lives. Have I let go of my attachments when my non-practitioner friends talk about delicious food, pretty clothes, and fun trips? Even though I’m walking on the path of cultivation, my mind slips into ordinary peoples’ ways of thinking, and my deeply-rooted attachments surface.
Master said,
“What we lose is actually something bad. What is it? It is karma, which goes hand in hand with different human attachments. For example, everyday people have all kinds of bad thoughts. For self-interest, they commit various wrong deeds and will acquire this black substance, karma. This directly involves our own minds. In order to eliminate this negative thing, you must first change your mind.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)
I had a different feeling when I read this paragraph a few days ago. I used to think self-interest, karma, and attachments were separate things. This notion blocked me from having a deeper understanding of Master’s teachings. It wasn’t until I connected these three things that the principles of the Fa dawned on me. I realized that pursuing self-interest was the root cause of karma, because my karma originated from my greed. It’s only after closing the door to greed that I stopped accumulating karma and let go of my personal gain. Now I can deeply understand why Master repeatedly stressed the cultivation of our heart nature. If I correct my heart on this issue, even mountains of gold wouldn’t be able to tempt me.
It was strange that I seemed to stay on these pages for several days of Fa-study. I repeatedly read, recited, and pondered these pages, and realized that Master patiently taught me to get rid of my attachments. That’s why Master always tells us to study the Fa more.
I read the Fa every day, but it’s usually a formality. I need to think about why Master tells us certain things, and the principles he’s trying to enlighten us to. If I can’t gain a clear understanding the principles, but try to force myself to make a change, I will only stumble again and again.
It’s such a joy to learn the Fa! I experienced the happiness of being truly focused during Fa study. Although my celestial eye isn’t open, I saw colorful light rays when I was about to go to sleep. Beautiful pink, blue and purple lights flashed in front of my eyes and lasted several minutes. Master must have been encouraging me with this amazing scene! Thank you, Master!
My husband was born and raised in the U.S. We come from different cultural backgrounds and have different personalities. I’m introverted while he is outgoing. He warmly greets Chinese people with his beginner Chinese, but can’t continue a conversation in Chinese when they start talking to him. He has to pull me into the conversation to help. Whenever he meets any Chinese, he often brings his “new friend” home and introduces him or her to me. I didn’t know how to react.
After I began practicing, I realized that nothing is coincidental. There must be something I need to cultivate. I didn’t want my husband to bring strangers home because of my fear of losing personal property. It showed my attachment to personal gain. I didn’t want him to drop his dirty clothes around the place, because I didn’t want to collect them. It also showed my attachment to my self-interest. I even threw his dirty sock on his pillow in retaliation. My aversion to his behavior reflected my attachments. I thought I was right, but forgot about my hidden attachments. If I hadn’t cultivated myself, what a terrible person I would have become!
I sincerely thank Master for giving me these opportunities to improve myself. Without my husband’s bad habits, I would have never seen my attachments. I’m no longer bothered when I pick up his dirty clothes or clean the house. I’m now a happy and hard-working “junior monk” as described in Master’s teachings.
Since my husband likes to bring strangers home, why don’t I clarify the truth to them? Isn’t he helping me? Now when he brings Chinese people home, I clarify the truth to them and help them quit the communist organizations. Some of them even started practicing Falun Dafa. I realized that my husband must be fulfilling his mission.
One night about two months ago, I was preparing food in the kitchen, when I saw something shine on the table. I turned around and saw Zhuan Falun on the table, but it didn’t shine at that time. When I looked again, I saw the book emit blue light in flashes. I was so excited that I wept. I thanked Master with my hands pressed in front of my chest.
The journey of cultivation isn’t smooth. I have to cultivate myself and remember the Fa every moment. Master has worked so hard for me when I was lost in confusion. I feel that I’ve let down Master’s compassionate salvation many times. However, after I gained good understanding of the Fa, Master showed me marvelous scenes. The only way for me to thank Master is to cultivate myself well and not let down Master’s compassionate salvation!
These are my limited understandings. Please feel free to point out anything not in line with the Fa.
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