Cherish Yourself and Take Cultivation Seriously

(Minghui.org) I would like to share some of my recent cultivation experiences.

Practitioners Should Cherish Themselves

I have been working on a media project for many years, busy with family matters during the day and working on the news at night. After a long time, I felt exhausted and that I wasn’t getting enough sleep. I started sleeping more, but this meant I was doing the Dafa exercises less. Instead of practicing all five sets of exercises every day, I did the standing exercises one day and meditation the next. Sometimes, I skipped the exercises completely. 

I learned about a fellow practitioner who experienced a miraculous change after she spent more time doing the exercises. She had previously suffered hearing problems and was deaf. Practicing the exercises more saw her regain her hearing, as well as having more energy to study the Fa.

This made me think: How do ordinary people take care of themselves? They eat well and sleep well. When I feel tired, I want to sleep more. Isn’t this an ordinary person’s thinking? Master said, “Has it ever occurred to you that cultivation is the best form of rest?” (Teachings at the First Conference in North America)

I was trying to solve this problem like an ordinary person, instead of following Master’s teachings and getting energy from the Fa. Master said:

“That’s because cultivation is something serious, and requires having no gaps. If for a long time you haven’t dealt with those things through cultivation, small as they may be, if you haven’t taken them seriously for a prolonged period of time, then it is a big issue. Many people have passed away on account of such things.” (“Fa Teaching at the 2015 West Coast Fa Conference”)

Ordinary people emphasize eating and sleeping well to stay healthy, while cultivators should focus on diligent cultivation to maintain their wellbeing. If a practitioner cannot break through ordinary people’s notions, he will be ruined. Sleeping more is meaningless. That is not cherishing yourself.

Doing Dafa Projects Is No Substitute for Cultivation

The practitioner who suffered hearing problems had been busy doing truth clarification work from morning to night. She always wanted to finish the work before studying the Fa. But one thing led to another and it got late. She felt too sleepy to study the Fa or do the exercises. Sometimes she was so sad that she wanted to cry. Only later, when suffering severe sickness karma, did she realize she had to change.

It occurred to me that I was often like this too. I thought that I would get all my work done before studying the Fa and doing the exercises. But things usually did not work out as I’d hoped; the more I did things following this mindset, the stronger the attachment to doing things became.

Master said:

“Since you’re Dafa disciples you can't dissociate yourselves from the Fa when you do things. You’re still continually changing this most surface part that hasn’t changed. That’s why you can’t go without studying the Fa. You must study the Fa well. In the process of studying the Fa you’ll be able to keep clearing away bad elements in yourself, changing the last bit of stuff you have that hasn’t yet been changed.” (“Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference” from Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. III)

Master’s words made me think about things deeply. I felt I had to control my attachment to doing things and always put cultivation first. Doing Dafa projects is no substitute for cultivation.

Another aspect I need to improve on is the issue of looking inwards. Sometimes if other practitioners do not do things properly, I am quite bothered by it and it preys on my mind. But when I do not do well, it doesn’t bother me much. I can forgive my own mistakes, but can’t tolerate other’s shortcomings.

We are all cultivators and we all have flaws. No matter how busy we are, we need to look within and cultivate ourselves.

The above is my personal understanding. Please point it out if anything is not in line with the Fa.