My Understanding on “The Closer to the End, the More Diligent We Should Be”

(Minghui.org) I received a text message from a friend, not a practitioner, yesterday, and one sentence really touched my heart: If one wants to be successful on something, he can’t wait until he sees hope and then stick to it; he would see hope only if he had stuck to it.

Then, last night I read an article about the “Lotus Principle.” The first day there were only a few lotus flowers in a pond. The next day the amount doubled. Every next day that followed, the amount doubled from the previous day. 

Then, the question was, if the pond was full of lotus flowers after 30 days, then which day was the pond half full? Many people would say 15 days, but the correct answer was 29 days.

This “Lotus Principle” is also known as “The 30-day Principle.” It tells us the closer to the end, the more critical it gets. When we fight to the end, we cannot rely on our luck or cleverness. We have to rely on our persistence and perseverance.

There is another old Chinese saying that goes “When walking 100 miles, the half point is at 90 miles.” This is the same principle as the “Lotus Principle.” The closer we are to success, the more difficult it gets and the more persistent we must be. At the same time, if we are able to stick to it, we would be able to make a huge leap toward our goal.

Nothing is coincidental in cultivation. Master hinted that I could not relax, and that I must adjust my cultivation state, be persistent, and be even more diligent at the end.

When I went out on my motorcycle to clarify the truth about Dafa on February 26 of this year I had an accident, and I had to endure some pain. I knew clearly in my mind that it was interference from the old forces. I understood that while resisting the persecution by the old forces, I could use this as an opportunity to eliminate karma, purify myself, improve, and turn a bad thing into a good thing. But, when I was in pain, I sometimes viewed myself intentionally or unintentionally as someone with an injury. I felt lazy, wanted to slack off, wanted to be comfortable, and didn’t want to endure the pain. It was really my attachment to comfort. So, Master’s timely stern warning awakened me.

“Spiritual cultivation is about progressing to divinity, and all human attachments act as impediments. And the path is narrow in our case. If you are even just a bit careless you might veer off course, and problems will follow—potentially big ones. And if you fail to find your way back, you will regret it forever.” (“Another Stern Warning”)

I found many of my human notions after studying Master's Fa. I said to myself, “I really can’t have these human notions. Before the end I’m still just a human being. After millions and millions of years of waiting, after enduring the tribulations for so many lifetimes, it is just up to this last bit of time that’s left, and I must do well and finish it with a righteous mind.” 

We must follow Master’s teachings, study the Fa more, be persistent, and continue to be more and more diligent. Only so will I be able to constantly make breakthroughs in our cultivation and fulfill our missions. 

Now the Fa-rectification has almost reached the very end, and we are just a step away from success. We cannot relax and let our guard down. We must stick to it and righteously walk to the destination.