Belgium: Some insights from my cultivation

I am a 21-year-old practitioner from Belgium. I started practicing Falun Dafa 2 years ago. I am going to share with you some insights from my cultivation. 

My First National Fa Study 

At my first national Fa study, a fellow practitioner came to have a conversation with me. She asked, “Why do you practice Falun Dafa?” I didn’t know how to answer. Only later did I realize that the question she asked was quite important. What did she mean by ‘Why do you practice Falun Dafa?’ I couldn’t figure it out at first. I realized that I should think about why I came to practice Falun Dafa. What were my intentions when I first started practicing? What do I want to get out of it? Do I just come here for this? I thought about it further to examine what my intentions were when I started practicing. After practicing Falun Dafa for a while I feel more and more that I truly want to be a good person, follow the requirements of a true cultivator and assimilate to the principles of the universe: Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance. 

At my first national Fa study I sat in the full lotus position while reading Zhuan Falun. After some time my legs began to hurt a lot. I felt very uncomfortable, but I didn’t want to take my legs down. I tried to focus on what I was reading and just endure the pain. With determination and perseverance, after the pain had reached an extreme, in an instant the pain was gone. My legs felt very light and comfortable. This situation made me think of what Master said in Zhuan Falun:

‘The worse you might feel, the closer you are to the turning point, and your entire body will be, and must be, fully cleansed.’ 

Looking at Things With a Higher Standard 

At my workplace, my supervisor gave me a lot of negative feedback. I knew that I should look within, and found the attachment of wanting to get confirmation for the work I did. I couldn’t handle criticism very well. My supervisor and my colleague gossiped a lot about other people and said negative things. I found it really hard to hear. However, with all those negative things happening at my workplace, I tried to stay positive and kind. When my supervisor criticized me for not being good enough in my work, although I put a lot of time and effort into it, I tried not to feel resentment towards her. I shouldn’t blame her in my heart. I then realized that I should feel compassion towards her, instead of feeling resentment. When she criticizes me, or gossips about other people and says negative things.

She is unknowingly harming herself. I shouldn’t measure things with the principles of ordinary people. Instead I should look at things with a higher standard. Master said in Zhuan Falun lecture 6:

‘As true practitioners, we should look at issues from a very high level instead of from the perspective of everyday people.’ 

No Shortcuts in Cultivation 

In my cultivation, I sometimes find myself trying to find a way or technique of how to improve better. When I encounter tribulations that reflect my attachments, I sometimes think of excuses, trying to justify myself. Instead of taking responsibility and eliminating that attachment. But there are no shortcuts in cultivation. I should focus on cultivating my mind and heart.

In some circumstances, I find myself comparing myself with others. When it comes to my own attachments, when I am confronted with them in certain situations, I sometimes develop thoughts comparing myself to others. In some cases I might compare myself with other practitioners. But there are no role models in cultivation. When I am confronted with my attachments, I shouldn’t compare myself with others. That is searching for excuses to justify myself and seeking things externally. Instead, I should abandon those thoughts and eliminate my attachments. 

Another thing that I enlightened to recently is that I shouldn’t be too hard on myself when I do something poorly or handle something poorly. Sometimes I blame myself too much when things don’t always go smoothly. When I do or handle something poorly, I should just try and do better next time. Overly worrying is also an attachment. Of course, I should be strict with myself and not slack off. Cultivation is a serious matter. 

Sharing with Each Other 

When I want to share something in group Fa study, I sometimes can’t think of anything to say. Even when writing this sharing I find it quite difficult to express things with words. 

Going to group Fa study motivates me to be more diligent. I feel like the cultivation environment we have is very beneficial for our improvement. 

Sometimes I find myself worrying about something in cultivation. I might worry that I haven’t let go of some attachment. But that worrying about not having let go of an attachment is an attachment itself. Master said in Essentials for Further Advancement:

“Yet cultivation is to improve yourself: You are able to abandon the attachment, so why not also abandon the fear of attachment itself?”

Doing the Exercises More 

Since the beginning when I started practicing I never really did the exercises a lot. Usually only one or two times a week. I did them every week at the group exercise and sometimes at home when I was alone. I always thought that Fa study was more important. So I neglected doing the exercises. The reason I didn’t do the exercises a lot was because I saw it as a burden. I didn’t enjoy doing the exercises. When I was doing them, I was thinking in my mind when the exercise would end. Now I try to do the exercises more and do them diligently. 

Taking Human Attachments Lightly 

When a xinxing conflict arises, I try to view things with a high standard at all times. When it comes to my human attachments, when I encounter tests, I sometimes feel upset with my inability to let go of my attachments. For example only wanting pleasant things to happen to me, not wanting to suffer or feeling upset when people are not kind to me. 

Conclusion 

Day by day, I am realizing more and more how fortunate I am to be given this chance of cultivating. I think that I still do not realize how fortunate I am to be given this chance. What a great predestined relationship this is! I try to remember as much as possible to cherish this opportunity, do the three things well and cultivate diligently. 

When things get confusing, I try my best to be steadfast. When things get difficult, I try my best to be diligent. Cultivation is our number one priority. Nothing could be more important. When encountering tribulations, what is it that I am so attached to? What is it that I cannot let go of? I should strive towards goodness and cultivate diligently. 

Please kindly point out anything inappropriate.

Thank you, Master, for your compassionate salvation! 
Thank you, fellow practitioners! 

 

(Submitted to the European Fa-conference 2023 in Paris)