I Finally Stopped Dozing Off When I Read the Teachings

(Minghui.org) After I resumed practicing Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) I encountered a lot of interference. The most troubling was that I often dozed off when I read the Fa and fell asleep when I meditated. I felt frustrated and struggled to overcome this problem but had very little luck until recently.

Identifying the Problem

The Minghui article: “Some Understanding of Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts” truly inspired me to do better in sending righteous thoughts. I spend 200 yuan on a used cellphone, reset it, and didn’t download any apps or connect it to a wireless plan. Besides listening to Minghui sharing articles, I used the camera to check myself when I sent righteous thoughts and did the exercises.

The first time I video-recorded myself sending righteous thoughts, I was shocked to see that I had difficulty keeping my palm upright. Although I consciously tried to keep my palm upright, it still fell sideways multiple times. It took me a while to realize this and reposition my palm. It happened again in less than a minute. In the span of 15 minutes, my palm went up and down so much that it looked like I was fanning myself.

When I sent righteous thoughts at midnight, I seemed to be in a daze and almost fell over and went to sleep. Would the general of an army fall asleep in the middle of a battle? I could not believe this was how I had been sending righteous thoughts for years, yet the video recordings showed it was a persistent problem.

Another practitioner brought this to my attention several times, but I didn’t think it was that bad until I saw it with my own eyes. How effective are my righteous thoughts if my hand isn’t upright? No wonder I experienced so much interference and conflicts in my cultivation.

Rectifying the Problem

I watched recordings of Master’s nine-day seminars with a new practitioner a while back—we watched one lecture a day. Each time, about 20 minutes into it, I started to feel muddleheaded as if a substance gathered around my head to impede my judgment and put me to sleep. I stood while I watched the video and this helped a little, but the substance soon found its way back. I became drowsy and couldn’t focus on what Master was saying. This really bothered me.

While watching Master’s Fa teachings at home, I dozed off and almost fell over even though I was leaning against the dresser. I staggered into another room thinking, “I’m so sleepy that my righteous thoughts won’t be effective anyway—maybe I’ll get a few errands done.” I needed to order a few household items online so I thought I’d do that since it doesn’t take much focus.

I don’t use a cellphone myself and usually do online shopping on my husband’s phone. While I scrolled to look for the items, I suddenly became clear-headed and wide awake. I realized: “This is exactly what the old forces want—to get me to use a cellphone instead of studying the Fa. Well, I’m wide awake now. Why don’t I finish watching the Fa teaching?” I put down the phone and finished watching the video before I became sleepy again.

It also occurred to me that I didn’t get very sleepy when I read the Fa—then why did I experience so much interference when I watched Master’s Fa teachings? The old forces are frightened when I watch those videos—maybe I should do my Fa study with this mindset more often.

I said out loud, “Master told me to study the Fa and do the three things. Whoever tries to stop me from doing what I’m supposed to do will be eliminated, as you’re interfering with the Fa-rectification.” I sent righteous thoughts and focused on the word “Mie” (to eliminate) and thought, “My righteous thoughts will eliminate all evil beings!”

I did not get sleepy watching Master’s Fa teachings that night, and I had no problem reading an entire lecture in Zhuan Falun. After I did this for a few days, I no longer fell asleep when I read the Fa.

Strengthening My Righteous Thoughts

I read the Minghui article: “Editorial: The Essentials to Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts and the Schedule for Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts at Set Times Around the World (Update 2)” several times and added a few more sessions of righteous thoughts to my routine. I send righteous thoughts nine times a day and for at least half an hour each time, sometimes up to two hours. I video-recorded myself to check if I dozed off.

When I send righteous thoughts, I straighten my back, bring back my shoulders and hold my chin up. My neck and my back form a straight line. My palm is steady and my fingers stay vertical. I open my eyes occasionally to check on the camera and make sure my posture is good and that my palm is still in the upright position. I try to keep my mind clear and my expression relaxed and benevolent.

I saw visible improvement after doing this for a while, but my palm occasionally drooped. I knew my main consciousness was being interfered with. I couldn’t see anything in other dimensions, so I added these lines to my righteous thoughts, “Eliminate all elements that suppress my main consciousness. Eliminate all beings that cause me to be muddle-headed. Eliminate all evil factors that interfere with my Fa study, doing the exercises, and sending righteous thoughts. Eliminate all these elements completely!” These elements prevent practitioners from doing the things Master asks us to do, and we cannot allow them to interfere. We have to eliminate them.

If I feel sleepy when I send righteous thoughts, I open my eyes or I stand up. If I feel like I’m unable to hold onto the thought of “Mie,” I paint the character in large font on a piece of cardboard and focus on it. This usually helps my mind become sharp again.

Becoming Clear-headed

I used to think lack of sleep was what made me muddle-headed, so I slept more. But sleeping more only solved the problem temporarily. I was soon sleepy again. This is because negative elements still existed in my dimensional field and interfered with me. If I curbed my tendency to seek comfort, sent righteous thoughts, examined myself, and worked on getting rid of my attachments, the interference diminished. I was soon back on the right track and found it easier to stay focused when I sent righteous thoughts, read the Fa, and did the exercises.

Whenever I have extra time I now use it to send righteous thoughts so the bad elements in my dimensional field won’t accumulate. I also strengthen my main consciousness and keep my palm erect when I send righteous thoughts. If I have more time after sending righteous thoughts, I study or recite the Fa. After doing this consistently for two months, I was finally able to keep my palm upright. Only very rarely, usually when I’m exhausted, does my palm relax from the upright position. So I still self-check to make sure I correct myself right away.

In fact, if a practitioner regularly dozes off and cannot keep his palm upright when sending righteous thoughts, it’s likely that he also falls asleep when he meditates. This may then make it hard for him to overcome sickness karma or other tribulations. I highly recommend self-checking your posture and palm position when you send righteous thoughts—it’s a great way to rectify yourself and improve your cultivation state and may just help you get through your tribulation.

Minghui Editorial Helps Me Send Righteous Thoughts

As I studied the Fa in depth and gained a better understanding of the principles, my righteous thoughts became stronger and more effective. The Minghui article “Editorial: The Essentials to Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts and the Schedule for Sending Forth Righteous Thoughts at Set Times Around the World (Update 2)” offers the most direct and specific advice on how to better send righteous thoughts.

Even when I felt I already knew how to send righteous thoughts, I still found something new and gained some insight every time I read this article. When I followed the directions given in the article, I was more focused and my righteous thoughts were stronger. It happened every time I read the article, without exception. My understanding is the Fa plays different guiding roles at different levels, so I recommend that practitioners read this editorial often—you’ll be surprised by what you gain from it.

Many practitioners have trouble focusing when they send righteous thoughts, which I believe is because they still have the mindset of an ordinary person. They think they are the ones eliminating evil, therefore they rely on the “brute force” of their own mind when sending righteous thoughts.

Master said:

“For a practitioner, one’s mind-intent dictates supernormal abilities to do things.” (Lecture Nine, Zhuan Falun)

“This kind of high-energy matter has intelligence, and it is very capable.” (Lecture Two, Zhuan Falun)

“Because this high-energy matter exists in another dimension and does not travel in our dimension, its time travels faster than ours. When you punch someone, you do not need to direct qi or think about it as the gong will be there already. When you try to ward off someone’s attack, the gong will also be there already.” (Lecture Six, Zhuan Falun)

My understanding is that as soon as our minds focus on the character “Mie,” our gong and supernormal abilities have already reached beyond this dimension to search for evil elements. We just need to firmly hold onto the idea of “Mie.” When I have trouble focusing, it really helps to visualize this character in my mind. As soon as I finish the last stroke and form “Mie” in my mind, I often feel that the evil elements are already eliminated. These elements sometimes interfere with me, and the character comes out a little crooked, but it’s still effective.

Master said:

“If the idea flashes in your mind, “Well, this sentence makes sense,” with this, the possessing spirits or animals in the book will latch onto your body.” (Lecture Four, Zhuan Falun)

As soon as an idea flashes in a cultivator’s mind, it may bring about incredible changes in other dimensions, and even more so when we recite the formula for righteous thoughts. How powerful would that be? How extraordinary would the sense of evil being eliminated be? Master said:

“It wouldn’t matter what kind of mighty force they assembled, the instant you started sending righteous thoughts they would all be turned to ashes, completely destroyed and unable to amount to anything.” (“20th Anniversary Fa Teaching,” Collected Teachings Given Around the World, Volume XI)

We need to change our mindset and truly believe in the boundless power of our righteous thoughts. My suggestion is to study the Minghui editorial multiple times and truly understand the requirements of sending righteous thoughts. With practice, your supernormal powers will become more real and obvious to you.

Separating Human Notions from Our True Selves

I’ve read, memorized, and recited Master’s Fa teaching: “Buddha Nature” (Zhuan Falun, Volume II) many times. It helped me understand that my human notions and attachments are not me. All bad and incorrect thoughts popping into my head are generated by the old forces and should be firmly rejected. The real me, in my original pure state of being, would not have such thoughts. When I recognize and distinguish these thoughts as a product of my human notions and attachments, I’m able to reject and eliminate them. I do not want them and they will perish. This is my body and my mind and I’m in charge of them.

This understanding helped me strengthen my righteous thoughts over time. I was able to go out and clarify the truth in a more relaxed way because I no longer had fear. The anxiety induced by the thought of surveillance cameras, police, or persecution was caused by my notions and has nothing to do with the true me. These things are not arranged by Master but by the old forces and, therefore, they cannot have any effect on me.

Master said:

“If that attachment is relinquished, that material itself does not have any effect. What really interferes with a person is the attachment.” (Lecture Seven, Zhuan Falun)

I have become much more clear-headed than before. Instead of having to stand or kneel when I study the Fa, I’m now able to sit and not fall asleep. I’m happy to report that I no longer doze off when I mediate and can even enter the state of tranquility.

These are my understandings. Please kindly point out anything that is not in line with the Fa. Thank you.